Oregonpapa, I told you :-).
Good that there are no surprises. This cartridge benefits quite a bit from break in, so wait for about 100 hours as you hear it improve during this period. It will become more liquid and vanish totally. The fact that it is affordable is probably its only detraction. Recently I heard a Dynavector Te Kaitora Rua, I liked it a lot but it still could not beat the ART9. That Dynavector costs around $3500.
Now sit back and enjoy the ride, as every good record is going to make you feel either you are in a studio or a live setting. |
Hey, thanks for calling me out else I would have missed the thread :-) |
Thats a nice video Oregonpapa.
The ART9 in my case took about 150 hours to fully settle down and lose all artefacts. I dont know why it is even considered as a budget cartridge (just because it retails for $1k ?). I currently use a top tier phonostage (Naim SuperLine with Supercap) and this cartridge really makes me feel that my Naim phonostage is one of the best investment of my system. I use the ART9 with an SME M2-12 tonearm which is actually not suppose to be a great match because the big SME is used with lower compliance carts. But the ART9 is sounding wonderful on it. In the past I have tried some very expensive tonearms too but this SME + ART9 combo remains unbeatable by a wide margin. However as Tablejockey mentioned, there is hardly any reviews about these products. At least I know that in Japan the ART9 has receieved many accolades and is highly respected. |
I had the vdh Condor XGM for sometime. I prefer the ART9 any day. |
As per one of the senior designers at Audio Technica, the ART7 aimed for classical music. It is a little more transparent and micro-detailed than ART9 but the ART9 sounds bigger, more powerful with realistic bass which works very well for Jazz, Rock, Blues and Pop.
In any case the ART7 needs a matching step-up transformer to get the right gain. No active phonostage (in my knowledge) will do justice to 0.1mv (even if the specs might suggest otherwise). These very low output carts are designed with SUTs in mind. Take for example the Benz Ebony TR. It is the best Benz cartridge (better than LP-S) but it is not easy to amplify satisfactorily. IMO, the ART9 is a much more rational everyday cartridge which is not below the ART7. |
Scm, be prepared to get a matching SUT if the ASR doesnt cut it. If you cannot budget for a good SUT, it would be a experimental purchase.
I have had phonostages with upto 68db gain and IMO a 0.1 mv was far from ideal with those phonostages. Moreover the extreme high gain section of the phonostage is also the least musical (typically it requires an additional gain stage in the phono to go from 0.5mv to 0.2mv). This additional gain stage handling minute signals doesnt sound as graceful as a good SUT. This has just been my observation based on the phonostages I have heard in the past. |
He he! Oregonpapa, I am not surprised at all. As I said before, this is the only cartridge I will buy again and again when it wears off. It puts me in the middle of the performance or in the middle of the studio like no other cart. The day I hear a more correct sounding cartridge I will post it right here.
Kudos to Audio Technica! |
Thats good new Tablejockey! If the AT50 can supercede the ART9, we all have something to look up to. |
Being excited about a new item in the system is a routine affair for most audiophiles. In fact it is one of the things that keeps us going. Even a little isolation device under an amp can bring excitement into the game. But it doesnt mean that every such excitement is yet another infatuation. When you hit upon something really genuine and pure you just know it. At this point one feels fortunate. It is extremely rare to come across such products. Such products do not come out of hit and trial (which most audio designers today do get a desired voicing). The ART-9 is seriously engineered and it is easy to hear it. |
Never heard the ART-2000 Chakster. |
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Here is an interesting update:
I bought my ART9 for USD 1k about a year back. I live in Singapore so I bought it directly from the local dealer. Here Japanese products are relatively cheaper than in US. Just yesterday a friend of mine inquired for the ART9 from the same dealer, he was quoted USD 1.5k. Supposedly Audio Technica has revised the prices of their reference carts. Now I am sure the ART9 will sell more than ever since its no more a "budget prices" cart :-). And even AT has realized it sooner than later!! |
Bill_k, if it continues to stay that cheap in the US, its a good news for all we AT fans. Though I doubt that will happen. |
Oregonpapa, what phonostage are you using and what is the loading you have set for the ART9 ? |
Here is an interesting update:
I bought my ART9 for USD 1k about a year back. I live in Singapore so I bought it directly from the local dealer. Here Japanese products are relatively cheaper than in US. Just yesterday a friend of mine inquired for the ART9 from the same dealer, he was quoted USD 1.5k. Supposedly Audio Technica has revised the prices of their reference carts. Now I am sure the ART9 will sell more than ever since its no more a "budget prices" cart :-). And even AT has realized it sooner than later!! |
I use the ART9 with SME M2-12 tonearm which is a 12" tonearm with effective mass of 14 grams (without cartridge). It is sounding superb! |
Dodgealum, the ART9 is the only $1k cartridge that sounds like a $5k cart. |
Dodgealum, get ready for a pleasant surprise :-) |
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Hey thanks again Oregonpapa. It feels great to see that something I learnt turned out to be helpful to fellow audiophiles too. In this hobby where everything is subjective, very few such components appear in the scene that has such universal appeal. Some thing must be very right about the design and implementation of this cartridge. |
I actually felt the complete break in took about 100 hours. Around that time I felt that the cartridge has disappeared completely without letting any discernible signature of its own left in the playback chain. No more did I feel I could describe the sound of this cartridge in terms like bass, treble, mids, soundstage etc..It all fell into place as one whole piece which doesnt have much improve upon. Super!! |
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An update: I played around with resisitive and capacitive loading on my phono stage. The ART9 seems to sound a bit clogged at 100 ohms loading. It sounds much more open and unrestricted at 450 ohms but I also had to add 1nf capacitance to make it sound nice and graceful. In any case, I guess 100 ohms is a bit low for the ART9. |
Hey, nice to see you guys are having fun :-D |
100 ohms is minimum, in my experience it loads the cart down a bit too much. Start with 130 ohms, you may need loading values up to 250 ohms if your capacitance is very low. You can go up to 600 ohms if you can increase capacitance. |
Oregonpapa, I am waiting for people who are current users of bigger and more expensive cartridges to try it and share their opinions. I have personally experienced it but lets see how many more come up with such experiences.
It is interesting that when I was still hunting around for a "great" cartridge, there were times when I had 2-3 amazing (expensive) cartridges and I was comparing them with an intention of retaining just one. Today even though I am intrigued to compare some expensive carts to the ART9 I have absolutely no drive within to spend my money, time and effort on such an exercise. It feels futile, waste of time. Mind is complicated, when one is satisfied the behaviour is so different. |
Here are some measurements of ART-9. I got it from Audio Technica:
http://wikisend.com/download/182928/AT-ART9.pdf |
Arm matching shouldn't be an issue at all. It is a typical medium compliance cartridge just like the oc9, Lyra and the likes. Should work with most of the medium mass tonearms. The Pro-ject is also one of them. |
BTW, Audio Technica recommends a "minimum" of 100 ohms for loading the ART9. If the phonostage is upto the task, a 400 ohm loading is well within the range. |
I may not be able to give an exact answer to your question, but I have some experiences to share.
I have owned the Dynavector 17D3 for some time. It is considered to be very dynamic and fast because of its short diamond cantilever. In my system it was at least 3 levels below the ART9. I mean not even worth comparing.
I have heard the XX2 mk2 multiple times in different systems, it is much better than 17D3. It has a consistently smooth sound picture with a some romanticizing the mids and highs. Macro dynamics are good but below ART9. Microdynamics and transparency is also good but well below the ART9. Resolution is also nice but again not in the same level as ART9. In terms of speed and timing (PRAT) it is similar to ART9 but ART9 is still more agile, more quick with transient response.
I also heard the Dynavector Tai katora Rua, it plays similar to ART9 but ART9 is still more vibrant and energetic in sonic picture. The ART9 just does not allow you to think of an cartridge upgrade because of its amazing all-round performance. It gets out of the picture, plays like top quality studio equipment. Even with the Dynavector TKR I did not hear that level of disappearing act. May be the XV1s does it all and betters the ART9 but I have only heard the XV1s once and that is not a good enough auditioning time to make any judgement between them. |
It is currently my favorite and I see no reason to pay more for anything else, even though I could afford it. Exactly, this balancing act seems so elusive and most manufacturers/designers of most audio gears just do not get it, hence they depend upon embellishments to market their products. The day I hear a cartridge that can better the ART9 without upsetting the balance...my enthusiasm in cartridges will again get a spark. Till then I am a laid back audiophile when it comes to cartridges. I hear that Micromagic Magic Diamond is a cart to look out for. Another nice cart that I heard the other day is Acoustical Systems "The Archon". These are all carts made by boutique audio companies who are trying to create products which are less hifi and more musically correct (there are no dearth of "hifi" sounding carts anyway) :-). |
M2-12 has an effective mass of 14 grams. The ART9 performs beautifully on it. |
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@avanti1960 I know that the ART-9 will sound more tonally saturated after some more breakin but still here are few things I would point out:
1. Comparing MM and MC, in many cases MM can sound richer and smoother in frequency response. Apart from the fact that MC carts can have a rising HF and such, the phono stage also plays an important role. Most phonostages sound more graceful and colorful with MM carts due to lesser gain stages.
2. I have used the Lehmann blackcube SE. It is a very good phonostage for the price. The only area which I was not very excited was about tone colors. It sounded a bit grey. Otherwise it sets a very high benchmark for other phono stages under $1k.
3. Dynavector has a bit of that rosy tint in its tones till one gets to the level of Tae katora rua.
All this is not be taken as an excuse for what the ART-9 sounds like but more like an fyi which you may use to understand the system balance. After all every system is designed around some associated components in the chain. When a new gear is introduced to that system and that too something of a higher degree of performance, it may need some extra level of involvement in terms of matching it to the rest of the system. I hope you the ART-9 allows to remain excited about it through this process |
@lewm even I have not heard the JLTI phonostage. I think it is @chakster who has used it and recommended it along with MM carts. |
@avanti1960 without knowing your budget I will just suggest the phono stages that I like a lot in the mid-budget range.
1. Naim Stageline (current model) with Hicap PSU
2. Pro-ject phono box RS with its battery PSU
3. Graham Slee Revelation
4. Plinius Koru
Tube phono stages:
Luxman E200/250
Rogue Audio Ares |
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Enjoy the ART9 Al. Stories like these makes everyone of us happy. As the cartridge breaks in, you will hear more effortlessness, deeper bass notes and overall a sense of dissappearing act that is hard to come by. Which tonearm are you using with the ART9 ? |
This is the very reason I have always maintained that the ART-9 is a cart which is as good as or even better than many $5k cartridges. Almost all those big $$$ cartridges are "voiced" to sound special. It is like they have to justify their price tags. The ART-9 is exactly the opposite. It is the lack of voicing that makes it so special. And unlike some products which can sound indifferent or uninteresting the ART-9 has that magical aspect of bringing every bit of the recorded emotions out of the groove. It rocks and boogies as well as plays opera and chamber music with equal ease. With nearly perfect tone, timbre and timing combined with effortless dynamic swings it really is an ART.
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That's great news @j_damon. Which turntable and tonearm do you use ?
@avanti1960 please consider ARC phonostages too for the ART-9. I totally forgot about it. |
@j_damon thats a very nice system you have. I am sure the ART-9 will play very well. Keep us updated on how it breaks-in. |
Here is an update that may help all our music loving ART-9 owners, I just bought a 47 Labs phonocube phono stage. It is considered a bit tricky to match all cartridges because it is a fixed impedance phono stage which amplifies current instead of voltage. One cannot set any loading impedance on it. Theoretically there is no loss due to loading and the amplification circuit sees the complete signal from the cartridge. Ok, the good news is it is terrific match with the ART9. Just like the cartridge the phonostage has also disappeared in my system. I do not hear either of them, just unrestricted and free flowing music with all its glory and dynamics amplified clean and clear! No sibilance, no noise, no etch, no roll-off, so slowing down (typically due to loading) and no coloration anywhere. If anything I am probably hearing the power cord and interconnects. Kudos! |
@sbank @oregonpapa I have absolutely no doubt about the rising top end of the Lyra and vdh cartridges. I have not heard the Atlas and Titan though. On the other hand the Dynavectors are smooth. Benz to my ears are "voiced" to sound comfortable. I don't find them natural. In that regards I have a lot of respect for Ortofon. Would love to know frequency response of a Cadenza Black or Windfield
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Soldevere, it should be a good match though I am not sure if the Aro can bring out all the resolution and extension that the Art9 is capable of. I had the aro too. It is musical and smooth but it is not very high resolution imo |
Hi melm,
Yes, like all good carts the ART9 also benefits from being properly setup. I have set it up with the tail just a wee bit higher.Enter your text ... |
IME, the ART9 betters the Dynavector TKR too, so XX2 Mk2 doesnt really come close. |
@jollytinker I agree that the ZYX carts especially Airy3 and above have a special 3D halo effect which is quite special. I dont find it studio neutral though. It will be interesting when you go back and forth between the ART-9 and ZYX. Please do post your opinions.
@chakster I totally agree with you that comparing ART-9 with entry level carts is not very exciting to read. I am hoping there will be people who would compare it against the $2k-$5k carts and come up with a serious comment. I have done it and I have mentioned it here couple of times already. I really wonder why this cart does not have any professional reviews yet! Is it because reviewers already know it will upset the big names which is not favourable for their magazines ?
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I personally have had Van Den Hul Condor, Lyra Skala, Benz Micro Ebony TR and Miyabi standard/47 before the ART-9. |
Having lived with the 9 for over a year now, I'm really wondering at what cost will a worthwhile improvement come at? That is the whole point. The ART9 is not the ultimate cart but it is at a level where you are surfing in the upper echelons of what is possible from an MC cart. A worthwhile improvement from here means getting the top cartridges from other serious brands like Ortofon (A90 and above), Lyra (Etna and above), Dynavector (Xv1s and above), AT ART-1000, Transfiguration Proteus etc. Even among them you may have to choose carefully. So, when you are ready to get into that ultra-fi category it would make sense to look beyond ART9 |
@jollytinker many thanks for taking that effort even though many would have considered this to be a non-starter (looking at the price difference).
I have not heard those highest grade ZYX carts. 4D is the highest ZYX I have heard it was one of the most impressive sonics that I have ever heard. The rest of the chain also amazing (Avid Acutus SP TT and SME V tonearm). The name 4D itself is explanatory on what it was all about, it presented music with such air, ambience and atmosphere, it was crazy. All that with as you mentioned, terrific transients and deep taut bass. While the soundstage was precise, it extended wall to wall because of those floating ambience. All this really created so many wow! moments in that listening session. When I compared this to lower end ZYX there was always something missing. Especially in the critical midrange zone the lower ZYX sounded less involving than other carts in general.
Now, I can imagine the Universe premium which is 3 times more expensive than the 4D to be actually ultra special.
The ART-9 may not be as uncompressed as a top ZYX or a DV but I dont hear any voicing per se. To my ears it disappear really well into a system because of its studio like character.
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@lewm are you planning to use an SUT with the ART7 ? |
@tablejockey I do not want to derail the ART-9 train but it will be interesting to understand which turntables would be considered "Uber" from the ART-9 perspective ?
Any good $5k turntable should be able to differentiate between a $1k ART9 and say $6k Ortofon A95 sufficiently to justify the difference in price. At the same time I do not expect a ART9 on a Continnum turntable either. However as one goes up the ladder of turntables, what is the level where ART-9 seems to be a non-starter ?
For the reference, before my current turntable I was using the ART9 with a Verdier TT. One may not consider it Uber going by the price and the fact that it is an "old" design but it was a legendary machine in more than one ways. On the Verdier the ART-9 was as good as anything, I would say it was the sweetest spot for a TT like Verdier. So, the "Uber"has to start much higher than the Verdier at least. |
@dodgealum very nice write-up. After I sold my ART-9, I am yet to find a reasonable priced cartridge that I could "safely" choose as an "upgrade". |
