Audio-Technica AT-ART9 phono cartridge

" I see them on eBay for $950 from Japan & HK. Any experience with those vendors?"
No personal experience, but 2juki in HK has been praised by many in the Asylum. Do a search there. I’m thinking of getting an Art-9 and would buy from him.

@catcher10

1. As for a warranty on a cartridge, I think if it looks right and sounds right from the get-go you’re good to go for the duration. Given proper treatment I’ve never seen a cartridge fail. Have you?

2. The last cartridge that I bought from Japan directly had a defect that was visible. I found the Japanese merchant (EIFL) extremely helpful and an exchange was effected very quickly. Ebay offers additional confidence, as does purchase by credit card.  I have bought other, non-audio, items directly from Japan and find their business ethics quite high.

3. If you look at the AT USA site you will not find the Art-9. That suggests to me that the model is not distributed in the US except as a grey market item. If I am correct, AT USA is free not to honor the warranty even though purchased from a US dealer. If presented to AT USA they could either fix it, fix it for a fee or not fix it. It can always be sent to Japan for repair--not such a big deal these days.

4. In any event, if anything goes very wrong, and for retipping, you still have Soundsmith.

A communication from Audio Technica has confirmed that LP Tunes is an authorized dealer.  Very strange marketing on the part of Audio Technica USA which doesn't list the Art-9 among its offerings in North America.  Seems to me that biggest advantage of buying there would be a trade-in for a replacement when the stylus has worn.  Does anyone who has bought from LP Tunes know what the terms are for that?

If AT recognizes LP Tunes as an authorized dealer then it is likely AT-US that imports the cartridge.  Normal business practice is that if a dealer imports an item directly, that is gray market, for that would cut AT-US out of a mark-up.

Actually, German dealers like hifisound and Thakker in Germany advertise the Art-9 for as little as 881 Euros (ex-vat) which is about $960.  The Euro trade in is at 60% of the Euro list price which is 1101 Euros.

The question remains as to the trade-in price (if available) in North America, for there is no such information on the AT-US site as there is on the European site.  A good trade-in price and policy, if there is one, would be the best reason for buying in the US even at a higher price than Europe or Japan.