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Pani ... New ART-9 up and running ...

The Cartridge arrived and I took it down to Studio City to Acoustic Image to have Eliot Midwood set it up properly. Eliot is the bomb when it comes to setting up the Well Tempered turn tables correctly.

http://www.acousticimage.com/

So, last night I had Mr. Golden Ears over to get his assessment as well. For a brand new cartridge that had zero hours on it ... all I can say is WOW! This is one naturally musical cartridge that doesn't break the bank. Its everything I liked about the OC9-mk III, but it goes far beyond the OC-9 in every respect.

In a previous post, I talked about the many mono records I own and how good the OC-9 was with the monos. Well, the ART-9 is on steroids. Just amazing on mono recordings.

At under $1100.00 from LP Tunes, its a bargain. The ART-9 surpasses all cartridges I've had in the system before. That would include Dynavectors, Benz, Grado Signatures and a Lyra Clavis that I dearly loved. In fact, its more musically correct than the Clavis. The Clavis was the champ at reproducing the piano correctly ... the ART-9 is equally as good in this area.

Sound stage, depth of image, left to right all there. Highs ... crystalline. Mids ... female and male voices are dead on. Transparency ... see through. Dynamics ... Wow! Low noise floor ... black. Mono records ... who needs stereo?

Your assessment that the ART-9 doesn't draw attention to itself is dead on. You just don't think about the cartridge at all. Not what its doing, or what its not doing ... its just beautiful music filling the room.

Thanks again Pani for the recommendation. I'll keep posting here as the cartridge continues to break in.
128x128oregonpapa
pani
1,049 posts
 
All said and done it is the only under $1k mainstream cartridge that sounds hi-rez and fulfils the criteria to be on a high end turntable. If one were to spend $3k and claim that ART-9 is not a solid contender I can understand, but within $2k (which is the VFM range in the MC domain), ART-9 is a top contender. 
tobes's avatar
tobes
302 posts
 
While I haven't had that much listening time over the past week due to work commitments, I continue to be very impressed by the ART-9.
This cartridge sounds just wonderfully natural on voices and instruments. The expansive soundstage - on which images remain  precise, detailed and simultaneously robust - adds greatly to the listening experience.

I'm pondering just what it is that makes this cartridge special. I think many of it's attributes flow from it's stellar tracking - which I think exceeds even great trackers like the Ortofon Jubilee/Cadenza Black/A90 I've had in the past. The tracking security of the ART-9 gives a great sense of ease to the music and allows the listener to focus anywhere in the soundstage and listen to a particular performer during the busiest passages. It does this while maintaining it's great tonal balance and sense of timing. It's a compelling/involving cartridge to listen to - one of those cartridges that has you pulling records from everywhere in your collection.

I think it's fantastic that this sort of cartridge performance is available at this price point - which, lets be honest, normal people would still think is a pretty expensive. It's a lot better cartridge than my SS retipped 103R - for not a great deal more money. I bet it would show up plenty of boutique priced cartridges - and probably out-track them all.
tobes's avatar
tobes
302 posts
 
Something I forgot to mention is the Art-9's dynamics - I've been startled by the dynamic energy from familiar records and I'm re-discovering old favs again.

When I was using the Ortofon Jubilee with, say, jazz recordings I'd often feel the need to pump the volume up to inject some life into the music - this was also true to an extent with the Cadenza black. The Denon 103R variants were more lively and locked onto the rhythm better, but didn't have the same finesse as the Ortofons.

The ART-9 well ahead of the above in dynamic liveliness and startle factor across the range - yet at the same time it has wonderful composure and finesse. Clarity of images themselves and see-into nature of the soundstage in general is excellent.

avanti1960
225 posts
 
just bought a new technics table and the removable headshell lets me compare carts relatively quickly.  
running a new ortofon cadenza blue which will not be unseated by the ART9 but the ART9 does sound great and right there with the cadenza.  The 9 sounds better on the technics than it did on my old high mass belt drive table.  very sweet, high energy and brighter yet still very clean sounding.  it just recesses the midrange more than i prefer compared to the ~ $2000 ortofon but sounds awesome otherwise,  it hangs right there and some may even like it better.  amazing when you consider it's half the price.  
yohimey's avatar
yohimey
25 posts
 
Holy smokes folks, well you all convinced me to try my fully broken in ART9 MC on my new  VPI ROSEWOOD SE table i purchased, even after i told VPI guru that i had the AT ART9 he told me point blank get the ORTOFON CADENZA BRONZE for that table and it will take it to such a level ill never want a upgrade again, im just use to the sound of the ART9 on my VPI scout 2 and i think it is adjusted pretty spot on too, anyway im going to give my ART9  a good 2 weks or more on that rosewood table before i make any real decisions of upgrading carts after reading all these glowing posts, i love this forum !
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