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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.
oregonpapa

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anotherjblnut
19 posts
 
After a lot of searching, reading and listening, I too have decided on the ART9. My table is a VPI  Classic and the preamp is a Pass Xono. My first ART9 is headed back to the person I bought it from as the cantilever was not straight. But even in the short time I had it (and in it's new, un-broken in and imperfect state) I was able to tell that this gentlemen, is a very, very fine cartridge. I've been through two OC9/ii's and a 33EV. Then I stepped into the wild world of used exotics like a Transfiguration Temper Supreme and a Spectral MCR Signature (both of which are very special indeed). 

But it was time for a new cartridge as you never know with a used one what kind of life it had and whether its best days are behind it. And here is where the story gets interesting....

I looked all around to find this cartridge and of course you can find it on the usual auction site if you want to forego the AT warranty and order from Japan or Europe. So I looked into a local AT dealer near me (you know -give the local guy the business for long term support) and guess what he told me ? AT is ONLY authorizing lptunes.com to sell these in the US. That's it! No other reselllers are allowed to carry it. 

WTF AT  ? What kind of nonsense is this ? I can't use a local dealer to buy the killer cartridge I've spent years working up your product line to obtain ?

So, I ordered from lptunes....will post some more listening impressions once I get it....

anotherjblnut
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