Has anyone upgraded from an AudioTechnica ART9?

You should ask our man @pani 

Your “through the roof” expectation bias alone might be enough to make you happy with almost any cartridge that you pay from $2000-$5000 for. On the other hand, you might find that a particular cartridge in that price range is not as good as the art9, if you are able to be honest with yourself. It’s a crapshoot, since ultimately you are the only one who can make the judgment.

jb, what do you have for a phono stage and turntable?

Mike

In my own experience moving from limited edition $700 AT ART-2000 to another $3-4000 cartridge wan NOT positive and does not improved the sound as much as i expected according to the price i paid.

Higher price does not guarantee the improvement and satisfaction.
I think $700-1500 is enough money for amazing cartridge for your particular arm, especially if you are not afraid to buy vintage stuff and do not believe that MC is always better than MM/MI.

And yes, personal experience is the most important to find what you like in your system. 

You may find this interesting:  James at Whest Audio preamps in London seems to suggest the use of the ART 9 to many people; it's one of his go to cartridges.  That includes the guys who are using his very high end Titan Pro or PS.40 RDT SE phono stages.  These are two of the best phono preamps made on the market.  With such resolving electronics, he likes to suggest the ART 9.  He also uses the Ortofon Anna or the A95.

His favorite MM is the Audio Technica AT20ss, which is what I use.   When I asked him about the preference between the AT20ss and the top of the line MC cartridges, he told me his preference leans towards the MC side as it expands the sound stage out and brings out a little more of the instruments.  However if one is looking for pure 'horsepower', great dynamic range, very strong low end up to the 800 hz. range and still presents very excellent sound stage/imaging, the AT 20ss is hard to top.


But keep in mind, the AT 20ss is a mid 70's vintage cartridge, its not easy to find and there are no NOS stylus' available.  So the ART 9 may be a good place to be.

@slimpikins5

If you like Whest so much you can easily find what he’s using on his instagram.

The world of amazing Audio-Technica MM cartridges is a bit wider than AT20ss and AT20 series in general, as you know my personal favorite is AT-ML180 OCC from the 80’s, but the AT20SLa from the 70’s was also great in my system. Well, even AT-ML150 OCC can beat anything under $700. Comparing the best AT LOMC to the best AT vintage MM is great experience, highly recommended, my preference in this aspect quickly became an MM (nothing to lose in comparison with AT LOMC, but replaceable stylus is a benefit compared to re-tip).

In my opinion any good phono stage must handle a wide range of cartridges, the problematic area is only extremely low output LOMC like Ortofon MC2000, very few phono stage can handle it (and very few SUTs too). This is the only 1 cartridge out of 20-30 i have tried, that is a problematic with most of the phono stages. Anything else with 0,15 mV and higher never caused any problems with various phono stages.

The AT ART7 gets very little mention here and elsewhere. I own one and I like it very much. I have never heard an ART9, so I am not able to say that the 7 is better or worse, but it is hard to beat the ART7 even with very much more expensive LOMC cartridges (Koetsu, ZYX, and Ortofon at my house). That’s the thing about the ART7; it has a low output of 0.24mV, so you need a high gain phono or a SUT into an MM phono. The ART9 is less fussy because more gain. If we’re judging cartridges based on how they are made, which I am loathe to do, the 7 may be superior to the 9 in that it uses an amorphous core coil structure, whereas the 9 is conventional. Strangely, the 7 is a bit less expensive than the 9.  Strange because the amorphous core would add cost.  Further, the low output suggests that the 7 may have lower moving mass than the 9.  That's difficult to say for sure because of the factor of the amorphous core used in its coil, which might also reduce generator output.


By the way, isn't the AT20SLa a non-select version of the AT20SS?  In other words, the 20SS ought on principle to outperform the 20SLa.  But if you crank in the age of these cartridges and the differing histories of previous use and users, all bets like that are off.

Dear @jbhiller : Next alternatives are very good for you and better than the 9 you named:

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9h2di-ortofon-a95-cartridges

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9h0hh-lyra-kleos-mc-cartridge-like-new-cartridges

and with this one you will never look back or look for a better cartridge in the future and at very nice price that is inside your budget:

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9h1a8-lyra-etna-cartridges



Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

jbhiller-

A little over a year ago,I replaced my 9 with a Kiseki Blue. It was a rare opportunity to get it for a very good price. It's a $2500 retail  cart..They are going for about $2K on sale.

While it has subtle refinement over the 9,
Its difficult to justify 2x the cost, at least in my system. I think using a cart that approaches half the retail of my table or phonostage is my gauge for max.

I'm assuming you have the best phonostage for your budget?

The law of diminishing returns may be more operative in the realm of cartridges than other parts of the signal chain. I think this may be particularly true with the ART 9, which I owned for a time and thoroughly enjoyed. I ended up replacing the ART 9 with a cartridge that retails for twice the price--the Soundsmith MIMC Star. Is the MIMC Star twice as good? Of course not. Is it "better" than the ART 9? In my system it proved to be an ever so slightly better match. The ART 9 sounded a bit lighter and ever so slightly more refined but the MIMC Star threw a wider stage and had a more visceral, meaty, dynamic sound. System matching and setup is obviously crucial. The ART 9 is a somewhat high compliance design compared to others so that may be something to explore when considering an "upgrade". I'd also suggest investing time and energy in making sure you have set up the ART 9 optimally before moving on--the line contact stylus demands careful attention. If the ART 9 is a good match for your arm and is set up correctly I think you could very easily spend a lot more money and end up in the same place--maybe a bit different sound but not necessarily better across the board. The ART 9 is really that good. 

Thank you everyone. You echoed my instincts. My replacement could be another 9 or 7. But Raul is very knowledgeable so I will research his recommendations. 

I have a Manley Chinook phono stage btw. 

@lewm 
Where would one even buy an art7 from?
The only ones I have seen for sale of late are all in Japan.

Btw I also have an at 20sla that I alternate in between my Nagoaka and Scheu carts and for the age and cost it is still a very impressive all rounder.

@uberwaltz,

Not sure if they’re still available but www.lpgear.com was the source.

@slaw With the only difference that LPGear’s stylus as always was blank without Audio-Technica logo and without stamped model number on it. Looks different compared to the original. This is for example the original and cartridge body. 

@chakster 

Does your post imply lpgear is selling non-authentic cartridges?

Chak
Those pictures were of the 20Sla, not the art7 which we were discussing?
What is the relevance?

Slaw
Thank you
It does indeed look like LPGear does carry the ART7 still.
I think I must ditch Yahoo as a search engine, it is getting worse!

The ART 7 can also be found here
http://www.elusivedisc.com/Audio-Technica-AT-ART7-Dual-Moving-Coil-Cartridge/productinfo/AT-ART7/

Having spent time with the ART 9 and my present Kiseki Blue, I would look into the 7 , but I don't want to bother with additional gain via step up. My phonostage is only 60 db's. 1.2 mv is a wee bit low.

0.12mv is indeed way too low for just 60db gain.
My Chinook has the same max gain and I went with a Denon SUT to boost signal on my 0.24mv cart.
This worked very well so I would think the art7 would work equally well as with the SUT I still did not have to use much actual amp volume to get very decent sq levels.

Chak
Those pictures were of the 20Sla, not the art7 which we were discussing?
What is the relevance?

Good point, but we’re discussing ART-9 in general and alternatives, not the ART-7 as you may think, LOL

BTW i think the great alternative for the OP if he’s looking for something completely different can be Miyajima Kansui or Madake (with $2k-5k it is possible) 

I did upgrade from ART9. I was not after a $5k cartridge to replace the ART9. I explored reasonably priced cartridges. The only ones I found I really liked after the ART9 are EMT TSD-75/HSD-006, Anamighty Sound Denon 103 Level 3 and Decca Jubilee (more expensive than my planned budget). I currently use EMT HSD-006. Natural, neutral and dynamic. Very happy! 

I know you would want to know the difference bettween ART9 and EMT. EMT is more effortless and flatter frequency response. It plumbs deeper into lows and the midrange is classic vinyl like, full and clear. ART9 sounded smaller and thinner than EMT. It has a more modern sounding midrange (a bit more CD like than EMT). Another area the EMT is remarkable is "quietness". The background is very quiet with EMT playing. Probably that gives the additional headroom to the sound.

Dear @uberwaltz  : @slaw  : obviously that the ART 7 in LPGear is original. Now this cartridge was out of production by more than two years but seems to me that AT is manufacturing it again or are samples from their last production:

https://www.audio-technica.com/cgi-bin/product_search/cartridges/cartridges.pl?lang=eng

Of course that has the AT whole warranty and you can try it.

However for the @OP I think that Lyra Etna is extremely hard to beat and can't go wrong with.

R.

pani +1

Just to correct myself:  I wrote that the output of the ART7 is 0.24mV.  After I posted, some others mentioned the output at 0.12mV.  Those persons are correct; the output is 0.12mV, not 0.24mV.  Sorry about that. However, for what it's worth, I run mine through the MC inputs of a Manley Steelhead, using the 65db gain setting.  The linestage of the Steelhead adds no additional gain, so 65db is all there is, and I have enough output to drive my Beveridge amplifiers as loud as I might ever want, or louder.  For comparison, my Ortofon MC2000 with a stated output of .05mV cannot cut the mustard in this same system; the gain is inadequate.  (I would need a SUT into the MM inputs.) Results depend not only upon phono and linestage gain but also upon the input sensitivity of the amplifier and the efficiency of the speakers.  For each of us, the gain requirement at the input phono stage end can be quite different when you crank in those other factors.
Raul, isn't the Lyra Etna a very expensive cartridge, well above $5K?  I'm sure it's quite good.

Chak
I would have said the art7 was a worthy alternative to the art9.
The 20Sla not so much......

Dear @lewm : Yes, the Etna is more expensive than 5K but I linked to the OP a very good offer for it.

R.

@slaw

Does your post imply lpgear is selling non-authentic cartridges?

My point was just about the styli they are selling for an old discontinued vintage AT Moving Magnet cartridges from the 70's, such as AT20SLa, those styli does not have a gold AT logo on it, they does not have a dished numbers on it, so i have no idea what they are selling and why should i trust them, but as a collector of the original vintage AT cartridges i know for sure that original styli looks different and they are all have an ID of genuine AT products such as LOGO and NUMBER. Audio-Technica cartridges i have own (or owned) are not from Europe and USA, they are from the region of manufacturing and they are genuine, at the same time they are different from LP Gear stuff. This is all i’m trying to say, each one can make their own conclusion. This is a closeup picture of my original stylus.

@uberwalts

I would have said the art7 was a worthy alternative to the art9. The 20Sla not so much......

Maybe, who knows. For me an alternative is something different, not just the same house sound of the recent AT LOMC which i am quiet familiar with since the ART2000. As you can see our Pani went completely different direction from the modern AT MC sound.

The vintage AT MM is different and can be an alternative too, but i prefer AT-ML180 OCC to the earlier AT20SLa. The "sound of mastertape" is all about MM. They can be much cheaper as the AT20SLa , but AT-ML180 ain’t cheap at all. Anyway it is an alternative Moving Magnet sound to the Moving Coil sound.

As for the LOMC with warmer organic analog sound, as an alternative to the modern ART9 sound, the old Miyabi and modern Miyajima is the way to go in my opinion.

If you follow Pani's posts, you might notice that he is frequently in the market for a new this or a new that.  There's nothing wrong with that; it's part of the fun of the hobby for some of us, but it does suggest that Pani is on a different journey or has yet to figure out where he wants to go with his home sound.  It takes decades for some of us to get there.

I must admit to also having the wanderlust as far as carts ( and even TT) are concerned too.
Just so many great options.
Now while I have a number of very nice vintage mm carts from AT, Sony, Astatic, Glanz etc I usually find myself coming back to my Scheu Analog SL mc cart so not quite sure where I am heading on my journey.
More expensive modern mc or even more rare ( read also expensive!) Vintage mm carts.
No idea but it is a fun ride!

I've got a lot of miles on this ART9 so I know there's a funeral coming up.  80% of me says to repurchase or send it in for a retip.  20% says that was wonderful so there must be something more wonderful.  Admitting that feels cathartic.  

If I read it correct the OP has a wish to experience something different from a
Art 9, that is not more than $2000 as this purchase value has already been rejected, or the purchase value was rejected as the noticed change in the auditioned cartridge did not justify to the OP, the additional outlay.
The Art 9 is a modern concept on the presentation it offers, heading into reference area, where it will be very revealing and entering the analytical playback, it will not be seen as rich or outstanding in its capability of laying out every detail in clinical sense.
This experience with the Art 9 will leave the OP with a general understanding of what it is they are looking to change in relation to a Art 9 presentation.
The route of the Ortofon Anna and A95 will be going into the realms of analytical detail, at a increased cost.
The EMT sounds like it has brought a richer presentation, suiting the ear of the other Art 9 owner, the Denon referred to will also be in the rich department.
The OP will need to work out for themselves where they feel the Art 9 Cartridge is not delivering for their personal preference.
If they feel they are requiring a little more detailing this might just be achievable by trialing with a Hardened Material for a Platter Mat, to change the attenuation, and this can be taken further by improving on sub plinth isolation.
For me I would choose a Cartridge that at the end of it service, it can be given more than a re-tip, I like a cartridge that can have parts attached to overhaul the inner working parts, and even better have these parts replaced for ones that belong to much more expensive models.
My experience of using this method has been to receive a real high quality cartridge, that totally satisfies my ears and budget.           

If you follow Pani's posts, you might notice that he is frequently in the market for a new this or a new that. There's nothing wrong with that; it's part of the fun of the hobby for some of us, but it does suggest that Pani is on a different journey or has yet to figure out where he wants to go with his home sound. It takes decades for some of us to get there.

That was a scathing attack @lewm :-)
I don't mind though.

If you go back to all my posts, I seldom recommend anything highly. I know what I want and I also know what I am not getting. It is disgusting to see so many expensive hifi audio products being so voiced. And I am very unforgiving if music loses any of its basic fundamental qualities of tone, timing, flow or harmonics. My logic is simple, if I can enjoy a song on television or my bluetooth speaker then it should sound 100 times more enjoyble on my hifi system. But when even a single equipment in the chain tweaks basic musical structure, the message is lost. 

My Tannoy speakers, Garrard 301 and Denon 103r have been with me for a long time because they preserve the basics of music. I tried to find a quieter TT and tried the Technics DDs. They took away the flow for quietness. Similarly I tried various cartridges prior to ART9. To name a few Lyra Skala, Delos, Kontrpunkt B, Miyabi 47, Benz Ebony TR and Zyx R100. ART9 was the most acceptable high resolution cartridge among them so I used it for well over 1000 hours. 

EMT makes the ART9 sound more CD like. Definitely a more matured analog presentation by EMT. If you notice I didn't come back and recommend EMT as enthusiastically as I did the ART9. Probably because ART9 came in when I was frustrated with relatively voiced cartridges and at a price which most of us could afford. The EMT is not that big a change for me. Just that I happy it is a natural upgrade with a little more money. 

Now I am looking for a good tube phonostage for the EMT. Again something thats not voiced. Any suggestions ? 

Pani, First of all, I do apologize if you felt insulted by my mention of your proclivities.  I meant no slur but was trying to use you as an example of some who like to change their gear, up and down the line, from time to time, just for the fun and interest of it.  And, as I did say, there's nothing wrong with that at all.  Now, here you ask for a "good tube phono stage" that is not "voiced".  By this I assume you mean that you start from the position that most ARE voiced for this or that type of sound.  I disagree with that general assumption, although it may be applicable in some cases. I think most designers are searching for the elusive quality of "neutral".  The problem is that they cannot predict what other products will be mated to their particular phono stage.  Choices made on the upstream side (the cartridge) and on the downstream side (amplifier and speakers, not to mention the room itself) will inevitably affect the sum total of how a system sounds, if you stick one phono stage into it, and then another phono stage is substituted, while keeping everything else constant.  You can easily end up chasing your tail.  If you want a phono stage with no personality of its own, on average you might prefer solid state.  On the other hand, some solid state phonos fail to deliver what some of the better tube phonos do best.  You may have to spend large bucks for a solid state phono that can do it all and do it well. You'll have to judge for yourself.  I am not saying here that SS is better than tubes or vice-versa, in case anyone takes offense.

Chak, I think I could agree that there may be an Audio Technica "house sound".  I haven't really heard enough of their product line to be absolutely sure of that, but you do profess to love the ATML180 and 170 (forgive me for any error in the alphanumeric designation, but you know the ones I mean).  And I guess you owned an AT2000 MC and sold it.  But how can you know how the ART9 and ART7 sound just from those experiences?  In particular, there is no reason to assume the 7 and 9 sound no better than the 2000, which you apparently did not love. I can't speak about the ART9, because I have never heard it, but my ART7 was at first a bit too "clinical" sounding for my tastes, in my Beveridge system. But it did exhibit an extended bass response and exceptional detail retrieval. It takes me a long time to break in new cartridges, because I am constantly flitting around with my different turntables and other cartridges, but finally in the last few hours of use my ART7 seems to have "broken in", in that it has begun to be able to convey the emotions of music while still revealing inner detail and a great bass response (qualities that it always did have).  I think it's a real winner especially in its price class, and especially since that price class includes many of the great vintage MM and MI cartridges that we both appreciate.  Some of the latter even cost more and are much harder to find, and when you find them you cannot be sure of condition.  So, if you have enough gain, the ART7 is a worthy contender.  Probably the ART9 is too.

I had interest in the ART 7 years ago after reading all the praise for it here. Then, on one of Harry's rare appearances here, he said something similar to what pani is saying.....that he found it analytical..(paraphrasing). I think this is probably why I've never purchased one.

@lewm actually i loved my ART-2000 so much and it was one of the best MC for the money ($600-700 about 6 years ago), i only sold it because i was thinking that for $3500 and $4500 i will get even more satisfaction, i expected another level of performance for more money, but i was wrong!

The price tag has almost nothing to do with quality when it comes to modern MC cartridges, as i said the most enjoyable cartridges i have heard are within $500-1500 price range since we can find the best deals, but the red line is $2k for something exotic and rare, personally i will never cross this line anymore. Anything lastest in ART series since the ART-2000 can be slightly better, and while i never owned ART9 myself (in my system) i know many people who own it. It is a good cartridge and AT is not a company that will sell their great cartridges for super expensive prices, their prices is more than reasonable and the quality is superb even compared to much more expensive cartridges from some other manufacturers. But this is a new cartridge and it’s trendy Moving Coil design. They do not make any Moving Magnet on the level of AT-ML180 OCC and people who designed them are retired.

Now we have AT reference AT ART-1000 inspired by those old Victor Direct Couple design such as MC-1, MC-L10 and MC-1000 (some of them are problematic and does not pass the time test, but my samples are perfect). Here is M.Fremer interview with people from Audio-Technica about ART-1000. The OP could easily try this and the difference must be huge compared to ART-9 and ART-7, because the design is completely different (and the price too).

But in this hobby we can’t stop on one cartridge and i completely understand the strong desire to try something totally different. The world of vintage cartridges will open the door to something very interesting and not always expensive. If one prefer an MC then carts from Miyabi's Takeda-San (retired) or Isamu Ikeda (RIP) are very interesting. Regarding the new japanese brands there is a Miyajima Lab with its unique cross-ring design (amazing reviews if it’s important).

Dear @jbhiller  : Over 90% of we music lovers/audiophiles belongs/own cartridges in the average/mediocre quality performance and only 5%-8% really own and KNOW the differences between the " mediocrity " and the very top true quality cartridge performance.
 Normally many of us can't own and play in the big/major cartridge league/class because its extremely high prices, inssane for we " mere mortals ".

The Lyra Etna/Atlas, Anna diamond, Goldfinger and the like belongs to that " major league " where almost all the cartridges named here just can't " touch " it, not even near of it. As I said is other totally different " league " no matters what.

The vintage ones are part of that " mediocrity ". I owned and still own several vintage cartridges and made it " thousands " of evaluations against modern designs and if it's true that some vintage ones can compete with today designs it's true that are far away to compete with the " major league ".

Btw, @lewm  the ART2000 ( that I owned ) is a BS of MC AT cartridge and I have a great respect for AT because I owned or listened almost all its past/today cartridge catalogue.
I think that when any one of us are taking opinions from other gentlemans and especially in cartridges we have to be sure which kind of quality performance could have the home system of the gentlemans that offered those opinions, against which other cartridges made it its evaluations in their own systems and their priorities/preferences in music/sound quality performance.
For many of us is very easy to spend " other person money ".

I had the opportunity to have in my system not only the Etna or the Goldfinger but other " major league " cartridges when I made a review of a vintage cartridge.
The top cartridges came from friends of mine that were at my place during that evaluations/tests in my review. So I'm talking by first hand experiences.
 Yes I own several cartridges in the mediocrity quality performance where some of them can give us 80%-85% of the quality performance of a " major league " one. Yes, that additional 10%-15% of quality performance has its price a very high one but it's worth to listen it and better yet to have/own it.

@jbhiller  the Etna is inside your budget and it's a major league player, it's a bullet proof alternative you will not found out any sign of the mediocre carrtridges as the AT9 and almost all we named here: is a total different " game ".

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Chak
One thing you have to remember with vintage mm carts is that not everyone is prepared to take a chance on one no matter even if it is NOS.
It will still be 40 to 50 years old.
And also the dearth of styli is another crucial factor that puts a lot of people off.
No shortage of vintage mm on eBay SANS stylus!

For some the convenience of just going with a new readily available cartridge is half the battle.

@pani,  you sound like a fun and adventurous audiophile!  Keep posting!  Your candor and humilty is refreshing here. 

@rauliruegas , Am I reading this right--the Etna is a $9k cart?  Oh my.  Not happening.  Your overall expertise is, as usual, spot on  and I always appreciate it when you chime in.

To all, the Art 9 has miles on her and I'm just thinking because I like to think about this stuff well before buying--not because I'm patient, but because I like the process!

To be very honest, I'm not sure what I don't like about the ART9.  I could just repurchase it and be content.  Audio seems a bit different than jobs, spouses/partners, etc.  It seems sometimes curiosity says, "hey, this is a fun area of life to experiment so be sure to try a ton of stuff.".  

@chakster , you make a good point on moving on.  Fremer's words about the ART 1000 make me very curious.  

@uberwaltz

One thing you have to remember with vintage mm carts is that not everyone is prepared to take a chance on one no matter even if it is NOS.It will still be 40 to 50 years old. And also the dearth of styli is another crucial factor that puts a lot of people off.No shortage of vintage mm on eBay SANS stylus! For some the convenience of just going with a new readily available cartridge is half the battle.

This is why i have mentioned Miyajima.

BUT

Over the years we had huge topic about vintage MM and almost everyone who ever tried some vintage MM "cart of the month" was so happy about it (tons of feedbacks), so your comment is irrelevant. Yes, some of them are rare, but most of us have/had them all somehow. I want to point you that the most problematic vintage MM cartridge (Technics P100 mk4 or 205 mk4) is notorious for dead suspension, but it was the most popular in that topic and everyone raved about it. It was always the most expensive one and still is the most expensive, i would say overpriced, VdH service was terribly expensive too. People are strange. I do not recommend such cartridges since i tried many samples to make sure it is problematic and not for purists (who does not want to bother with refurbishing). What i do recommend is actually does not have any problem with dampers etc, the rubber in the damper is much better that Technics rubber and for this reason none of them degrades it time (at least we can’t notice that by ears or visually).

Regarding vintage MC everyone knows that FR-7fz by Ikeda has sealed suspension. Nobody never seen a bad 40 years old sample (if it wasn’t physically damaged by someone). This is a proper design for decades, but i want to remind you about some modern cartridges that simply does not designed to survive in time, suspension on such new carts degrades faster than stylus tip. I remember such comments from the owners on audiogon. This is one of the reason i always repeat that high price does not mean superb quality. This is a problem of some modern LOMC, you may think they are better and easy to service, but the policy of manufacturer’s support/service does not even expect service, just an exchange to a new sample (you know this). They are made for reach people, definitely not for everyone.

So everyone can find good and bad things about each type of cartridges (NEW vs. OLD ... MM vs. MC ... you name it).

Personally i would never buy even $2k cartridge for myself anymore, but for some people even $9k is not a problem. There is no universal rules, we can only mention some facts and share our personal experience, but we may have completely different point of views. This is like TUBE vs. SOLID STATE ... or DIGITAL vs. ANALOG ...

My point of view: It is better to buy 3-5 different top vintage MM or a few decent vintage MC than just to buy one $5k modern cartridge. But anyway, this is just my philosophy regarding cartridges.

Seriously Chak...
" my comment is irrelevant"
Really??

And of course all of yours are.


If you think in today’s age that the lack of oem stylus is not a major reason for people to look elsewhere than vintage MM then you are not in touch with reality imho.
No offense.......


Anyways time to leave this point as it will only derail the thread and nobody can argue with you Chak, you have all the answers.
God bless.

Amen, actually i explained why i think so, but you explained nothing.
Is it good or bad that i have the answers ? I have the answers at least for myself

I owned a few brand new modern LOMC cartridges up to $3-5k each, i was effected by reviews and thought that modern high-end must be definitely better, if you’re happy with stuff like that i have no problem about it, but just do not try to say that everything modern is better or more convenient, just because it’s in the shops with warranty and reviewed by critics. I remember someone said he can’t even audition most of those new expensive carts at the dealers, but i knew that Miyajima dealer in US offered trial for his customers.  

Serious tube lovers still using NOS tubes from the 50’s in 21st century, Altec speakers and other vintage audio stuff like that. You know what i mean. This is not because they can’t afford modern audio gear, this is because of the sound preferences. If we should have follow the trends then we’re all must listen to digital only and all that funny looking equipment that everyone can watch after some big audioshow at M.Fremer’s youtube channel with his shaking camera and sometimes awful sound.

I’ve seen the dealers like OMA and their passion and inspiration is vintage audio gear, here is the video. It is funny but even the best new tubes are just replicas of the design from the 30th (Like those new Emission Lab 45s etc). Same about many speaker drivers etc, look at the Kondo, Tannoy, OMA ... 

Vintage audio gear can be outstanding (including cartridges).

Raul, Your post is very interesting to me, because I have always wondered whether you can get your money's worth in the $10K and up price range.  You apparently think the answer is yes, but for a very limited few cartridges that you named.  As you know, there are many others in the same price range.  Have you sampled some ultra-expensive cartridges that don't impress?  My neighbor who lives only a few hundred yards away has a very nice system that I have heard many, many times. I believe I have heard an Etna and one of the very costly Clearaudio cartridges at his house, in a Durand Telos tonearm and lately in a top line Schroeder tonearm on his Doehmann turntable (which I rank very highly).  I wasn't blown away by any of his very expensive cartridges, but maybe that is partly because I am not a big fan of his current speakers.  I far prefer the sound I get at my house from either of my two systems with at least 3 or 3 of my own cartridges.  Which goes to show you.... Something.

Raul, your post is intriguing.  $5k is not in the budget (yet) so I cannot move on that Etna. Nontheless, your sage words are not lost on me.  I'll keep a lookout come December when I may have cash to go that high. 

I think most designers are searching for the elusive quality of "neutral".

This is the only statement I disagree with. 
Most designers today as just that..designers. They want to make something special that they can sell for xyz dollars. Special stuff always sound "special", not original. It is a pity that so many of them are out there to screw up the sound of the original music. Then there are reviewers who give them 10/10, to make things even more miserable.

Only a handful of the manufacturers today really know how to preserve the signal while improving fidelity. In that respect good old vintage stuff was much more consistent.

I think the best modern designs blow away the so-called "classics", for frequency response, neutrality, dynamics, you-name-it.  Have you ever heard a Marantz 7C preamplifier in its original form, or the Marantz and McIntosh amplifiers that are so adored and that still bring prices in the 5-figure category?  How about a Phase Linear or SAE amplifier, or the Harmon-Kardon SS preamplifier that HP once declared to be the best available (back in the 70s)? I've owned some of the former group of tube gear, and they are massively colored, overly warm, with muddy bass response, etc.  The solid state stuff had different issues but was also awful by modern standards. Anyway, we can agree to disagree.
Have you gone ahead with your plan to purchase the EMT phono stage?

Just compare old Marantz, Denon, Yamaha, McIntosh, Quad to their latest models. 
I am not even talking about Western Electric :-)

Anyway, in some areas we have some better stuff today but in many areas we have lost too. The reason is, it’s all MBA driven. 

I am talking to the EMT Engineers about the 139st. Let’s see. The one they sell has only an MC input with EMT MC transformers. I am asking them to add an mm input too. 

Pani, We're far apart if you admire old Marantz, Denon, Yamaha, McIntosh, Quad solid state electronics compared to recent vintage (last 10 years, for an example).  There have been significant advances in transistor technology since the 70s and 80s, and those old circuits are needlessly complex as well (especially the Japanese stuff), with electrolytics and cheap switches in the signal path, here and there. Plus, we have much better parts these days, even if they're sometimes poorly applied. But that's OK.  I'd look at the work of Nelson Pass as an example of advanced thinking.

Dear @jbhiller  : I read that your budget is between 2k-5k but maybe is a misunderstood by my self.

Anyway, December is " down the corner " so my take is to re-tip the ART 9 and look for money for the Etna or something similar in that league at " " fair " price.

R.