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

I am very curious about this cart.  I have heard the AT150ANV and I actually prefer my Ortofon 2M Black.  The AT150ANV is now selling for ~ $1500.  
How is the ~ $1K ART 9 going to sound better?  

another question about the ART9- my tonearm mass is 10.1g which would yield an 18.6g effective mass with the ART 9.
using the 1.5X conversion of compliance @ 100 Hz (18 for the ART 9)
yields ~ 27 dynamic compliance @ 10Hz.
This results in ~ 7Hz resonant frequency which is lower than for carts I have had success with. The conversion factor by most accounts is also an estimate so the results are suspect.

I usually like to run ~ 10Hz or so and right now am unfortunately ruling out this cartridge for my 10.1g arm.
Any comments?  

Thanks Tom for the info and link.  It makes sense and now I will add the ART 9 back on my list as I have flexible rumble filter curve settings on my phono pre.   
Is the ART 9 absolutely neutral sounding?  My system is sensitive to bottom heavy cartridges- even my Ortofon 2M black has borken in to sound too thick and heavy.  
Also looking at Ortofon Cadenza Red and Soundsmith MIMC star if anyone has any comments about those cartridges.  
Thanks.  

Has anyone experienced a thick midbass sound with the ART9?  I read a Japanese review that complained about too much midbass.  
Thanks.  

Here is the link- google chrome to translate.  

the ART9 has won some awards in Japan- Analog Grand Prix gold award and two others according to their site.  
The reviews on Audiogon have been valuable- too many to count.  The only thing keeping me from pulling the trigger are these (2) other carts that I am considering- the Ortofon Cadenza Red and the Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC star, neither of which are mentioned in any comparisons. The Soundsmith has a youtube needle drop and it sounds amazing- as fast as lightning.    

Does anyone have any ART9 needle drops they can link?  

http://www.ippinkan.com/phasemation_pp300.htm 

https://www.audio-technica.co.jp/atj/show_model.php?modelId=2365 

thanks, well said.  
ART9 on the way.  

I will.  I was listening to my 2M black today (which is better than my dynavector DV20X2L and way better than my ortofon quintet blue) and wondering why the heck i needed a new cartridge.
we'll see!  

Installed the ART9 today.  Very difficult tightening the small slotted screws from the bottom up while holding the small nuts.  
Sounded dull and gray for the first (2) records and I was extremely disappointed.  Worse cartridge I have ever had in my system.  After (4) records it started to show what it is made of.  Rich, slightly forward midrange, bass is OK, treble is actually a little light.  
The dynamics are superb and worth the price of admission.  But the sound stage- oh man it is enormous!  Largest sound stage I have heard in my system with any cartridge.  Amazing.  
So far it sounds better than my other cartridges at or slightly below its price point.  
Good value but not ready to crown it a giant killer yet.  

been playing records on it for the past (2) days.  treble and top end is starting to emerge but with a little edge to it.  surface noise is more noticeable.  not bad but noticeable.  
sound is very good but i miss my ortofon 2M black and may switch it back soon to compare.  
the 2M black's only flaw is a slight lack of dynamics.  tonality, realism and transparency is superb.  

i'm waiting...  i remember the 2M sounding slightly edgy when it was new. 
haven't experimented w/ VTA.  looks dead on at 92 degrees.  

thanks gents.  I have the loading at 100 ohms, i'll increase VTF from 1.8 to 2g.  i did play some mono records, a jefferson airplane and a bob dylan and they sounded great.  i do have some jazz mono as well that i will play later.
listening more last night the tonality is very nice- jazz horns have a nice sound with a good presence and slight bite.  
the dynamics are not as good as i thought they would be though compared to my dynavector 20X2L.  
the biggest issue is an occasional slight edginess / distortion to some of the high frequencies.  is this what you all refer to as artifacts?  if they go away i believe i will be happy with the cart.    

@pani thanks for confirming my suspicions. the edgy sound seems to be going away after another solid day of spinning records. it seems to be sounding much better all around and this is inspiring confidence.
i am using a lehmann black cube se ii on the 56db gain setting.
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@jollytinker thanks for the tip, i had no idea you could tighten the slotted nuts.
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@sbank thank you.
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@almarg i tried setting the resistance of my stage (lehmann black cube se ii) at 1Kohm initially but the treble was exceedingly bright. I can double back and see how it sounds now. I also have the option of adding my own resistors for values between 100 ohm and 1Kohm.

can the RF issue you are referring to be a source of hum? I notice a slight hum when standing over the speakers. ground wire is firmly connected as well as all cables.   I have never noticed a hum with any other cart among various LOMCs and MMs.  

I bought my ART9 from LP gear and the cantilever is perfect, it was the first thing I checked. I added the next day shipping and it was delivered less than 24 hours after I placed the order.  
I'm running mine at 56db gain and it is perfect.   I also loaded it to 1000 ohms and it does sound slightly better than the 100 ohm setting. 
With respect to the sound I checked my alignment and found I did a hasty job the first time around- it was off 2-3 degrees from parallel with the null point lines.  
The sound is now absolutely stunning and brings out the best in really good recordings.  Last night I was listening to Roger Waters Amused to Death and it has never sounded better with any other cartridge.  It sounded amazing!    
The sound stage was huge, the opening guitars were soaring and sounded spectacular.  Water's vocals popped out of nowhere and were center stage, smooth and present.  But the key moment was when the backup singer came on with her solo near the end of side one- so smooth and lifelike, absolutely zero sibilance on "S" sounds, they sounded just like someone speaking / singing.  Completely natural.  
As for dynamics- I played a freddy hubbard reissue and the trumpet notes just seemed to flit out of the speakers like hovering bursts of sound- no hesitation or delay- just instantaneous notes that sounded so live and real as a cartridge with superb micro dynamics can deliver.  Just fast and effortless and made my old cartridges sound slow and hifi by comparison- including the Dynacector DV20X2L and Ortofon 2M black.  
I am glad I found out what this cartridge was all about.  Count me in as another satisfied ART9 customer!     

great post pani about the Jensen transformer.  $500 US for the makings of a very nice SUT (plus chassis components) seems like a very good deal.  lots of retail markup on those very simple devices.  
let us know how it works out!  
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oregon papa- thanks for the music references.  i found the Gabor Szabo recording on video search and then ordered the LP, sounds great! 

Last night I removed the ART9 from my turntable and swapped my Dynavector DV20X2L with Soundsmith ruby cantilever and new line contact stylus.  Honestly I never gave that one a chance for some reason.

The ART9 sounds great on the best recordings but after I played more of my collection I noticed that it had tendencies that were leaning toward the dull / dark side of things.  Possibly a system synergy issue but the ART9 seemed to be breaking in in the opposite direction I was expecting.  Even though it has ~ 20 hrs of use I do not have the patience / confidence that it will truly open up to the extent I prefer.     The midrange is recessed and the treble falling off a cliff.  

The Dynavector / Sound Smith sounds fantastic and just what I was hoping for and will stay put for now.  

I should add that my goal for vinyl playback is that it should have the frequency response neutrality and balance of an excellent digital based source- combined with the detail and smoothness that vinyl offers.
  
When the frequency balance gets too off path then I make changes.
Right now the Dynavector LOMC with Soundsmith tip and cantilever comes the closest to that goal.  

@oregonpapa,

@jollytinker

@rantzmar (slippers on)

Thanks for your thoughts and I may add the ART9 back in at a later date. The hesitation comes from the fact that I have never experienced a cartridge that brightens up again after it has already smoothed out from the initial brightness.

 

@pani

I believe you about the ART9 but I am enjoying the Dynavector with Soundsmith ruby cantilever and re-tip quite a bit and it is a big upgrade from the stock Dynavector. If I had to make a cartridge recommendation I would say to find a used / broken cantilever Dynavector and send it to Soundsmith for a new cantilever!

I optimized my phono loading (it seems not too sensitive whether 0 ohms, 100 ohms or 1000 ohms).

My cables from tonearm to phono pre are short (0.5M), shielded and very low capacitance (19pf / foot) so I do not see any way to affect the sound to make it brighter.

VTA is a perfect 92-degrees. The only thing left is break-in.

 

@oregonpapa

your post summary of "new" vs. "broken in" sound is giving incentive to reinstall it sooner rather than later.

Stay tuned, this thread has been going on for a year and a half, i'm sure it will keep going for quite a while.        

@jollytinker 

thanks for the info.   I am playing lots of records and may make the decision to put the ART9 back on and will take VTF into more critical consideration.  

@sebrof 

can you comment on the tone of the cartridge compared to a neutral digital source?  

Update- 1/14/17
Put the ART9 back on the table.  Clearly it does not sound as good overall compared to the Dynavector DV20 but it does some things really well, smoothness and lack of sibilance and a more refined sound and it actually sounds a bit brighter up top than when I last removed it.  
I bumped the VTF to 2 gms and maybe that helped.  
It is a promising start and seems to justify the idea to see it through to (at least) the 40 hr mark and re-assess.  
I am hoping for more low end extension (the DV is excellent), slightly more dynamics, definitely more upper midrange / lower treble presence and less surface noise (not horrible but not as good as the DV).  If it can develop along those lines and keep the refined slightly sweet sound than it will be a keeper.   

^^
lehmann audio black cube se ii, 100 ohms, 100 p 

Everyone who has experience with this cartridge reports how "great" it sounds, how "dynamic" and that it portrays musical performances as "real" and "live".  Also mentioning comparisons and that it sounds as good or better than cartridges costing up to 5X as much.  
While listening to it for the past few weeks I agree that it sounds "great" but was struggling to equate what I was hearing to "why" it sounds so great.  I believe I have found the answer.  
This cartridge is extremely clean sounding.   No excessive edges, noises, or strident harshness.  The effects while listening would seem subtle, kind of like drinking purified water- you notice nothing out of the ordinary.  But try a drink of some bad tap or well water and you immediately notice the difference and it reflects in the quality of the purified water.  
I swapped in my well broken in Ortofon 2M black for a bit and was literally shocked at how noisy and edgy it sounded in comparison to the ART9.  I used to love the sound of that cartridge but what once was extended treble and air instantly became excessive noise and edginess.  I literally could not tolerate it knowing how clean the ART9 sounds.  
While the tonality and transparency of the ART9 may or may not be fully developed after ~ 20 hrs and seems a little soft, less than my ideal, i could live with this as a small price to pay for the clean, pure sound that it produces.  I haven't heard vinyl sound any cleaner.   

@pani 
thanks for the info.  i have the black cube se ii, the next version from the se.  that said i would be interested in recommendations for another phono stage that would sound more colorful.  thank you.  

@pani 
thank you for the phono preamp recommendations.  i may consider one at a later date but the Black Cube SE II is getting the job done for me- for now my tube integrated amplifier adds all the color I need.  

i did try loading the ART9 with 47Kohm.  It sounded slightly more midrange biased but I prefer the sound overall at the 100ohm setting.  

as another "break through" the treble truly is starting to come alive on this cartridge.  I was really doubtful that it would happen.  not quite there yet but showing some great progress.   definitely the best it has sounded yet and still sounds much better than the Ortofon 2M black- which I used to really like.   the sweetness and cleanliness of the treble is what makes this one great (so far).  

some interesting frequency response plots for some of the cartridges in question.  The cadenza red is the flattest of the bunch.  
FYI my ART9 came with a FR printout and it was flat and had low harmonic distortion.  

 https://www.artsexcellence.com/downloads/reviews/benz-micro-ace.hifi-news.artsexcellence.pdf

FYI the virus is spreading.....! :)

Still really liking this cart and ~50 hrs now and seems to have stabilized

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/audio-technica-art9-mc-cartridge-the-real-deal.634160/

I also like the fact that it is a little too careful and polite compared to some cartridges that like to manufacture air and sparkle that isn't on the recording.  I hear it as adding to the realism factor, not detracting from it.  It gives the ART9 its squeaky clean, natural sound and demeanor.  

No pro reviews means that nobody is sensing them any review samples, not some big conspiracy against value products offending the big spenders. 
I have had dialogue with Michael Fremer about cartridge reviews and he will review a given cartridge as long as the distributor sends him one.  
Some distributors have refused to send him some product because of his honesty.    
If someone were to send him an ART9 i am sure he would review it on Analog Planet.  
       I also believe that comparisons to the Ortofon 2M black are valid and significant because it is a highly regarded, high value, universally praised cartridge by critics and consumers alike.  
The fact that the ART9 trounces it is no small feat IMHO.  

My Soundsmith re-tipped Dynavector 20X2L (nude contact line stylus with ruby cantilever) gives the ART9 a serious run for the money and is slightly more dynamic but not quite as clean / smooth on all recordings.
I can see where some Soundsmith carts might be an upgrade from the ART9- e.g. the Zephyr MIMC star- especially if the dynamics are better than my re-tipped DV. The MIMC Star is a low output moving iron that has ultra low moving mass that is a fraction of the mass of a low output moving coil.

just read on another forum that for VPI owners an upgrade to the 3D printed tonearm has made the ART9 sound much better in their system.  

mine was sounding a little dull compared to other cartridges so I raised the tonearm tail by 2mm from absolute level.
amazing what a difference it made in clarity, detail and dynamics.  
the ART9 is very sensitive to VTA so if you are not happy with the sound a minor adjustment may be all you need.   

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.  

The things that jump out to me are that it makes voices and instruments sound better than they really are- it sweetens them up a bit.  Also that this effect works for all types of music styles- rock, jazz, instrumentals, etc.  Finally it is just so darn squeaky clean sounding.  

mine is for sale on a popular place.  current bid 199,  
someone's going to get a steal.   low hours and perfect.  

It will be a great match for your table.  I have the Dynavector DV20X2L and the ART9 is a clear upgrade from that one and should easily top your 10X5

the GCPH should be fine for the ART9 in terms of gain and loading options - e.g. 60db @  100 ohms.  

The '9 should sound amazing on the Technics 'G, I used it on the GR for a while and it really upgraded the sound of the ART9 compared to my previous VPI table, which still made the '9 sound great.  

FYI ART9 users, having owned and loved my ART9 I just installed a new ART9XA, the .2mv Shibata air core version.  
It sounds completely amazing and bests the sound of a highly regarded $1900 LOMC.  
I have a 9g arm and am using 64db of gain @ 100 ohms loading and the sound is perfect.  So enjoyable.