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.
@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
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.
You are comparing apples and oranges. Try to test AT’s own top of the line MM design from the golden era (AT-ML180 or AT-ML170) against your new ART9 and then you can make a decision what it the best (MM or MC).
The ortofon 2m is not in the same caregory ar all, personally i think it’s a rip-off compared to top vintage mm carts available nos for half of the price of ortofon 2m.
In addition to why the ART-9 doesn't call attention to itself, I think you've also hit on the reason mono records sound so good when played using the ART-9. It just seems to extract more information from deep inside those mono grooves. When it comes to mono playback, the AT OC-9 MKIII was great, but the the ART-9 is on steroids.
As things progress with the system, I keep wondering how much more information we can extract from vinyl grooves and digital bytes. For someone so technically ignorant as myself ... (I'm still amazed that airplanes can fly without propellers), I continue to shake my head in amazement.
Kudos to the engineers and tinkerers who make this possible.
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.
I've had Keith Jarrett's Koln concert in the collection a few times. The album has really good sound and the vinyl is usually silent too. BUT, Jarrett's humming and moaning throughout the recording is way too intrusive and distracting for me. His playing is great of course, but as a friend said one evening ... "if only they would stuff a rag in his mouth!"
I was wondering ... have you, or anyone else posting to this thread ever picked up on a pianist named Claude Williamson? I've loved his playing since I was a kid:
I have 55 hrs on the cart now with no major changes since the 40 hr mark. I was about to write a post here saying that the ART9 failed the piano test as @lewm put it about the Zyx. I had picked up a really clean Japanese pressing of Keith Jarrett's Koln concert, something I hadn't heard since I was a kid, but the piano sounded kind of funky. The percussive dynamics were there and it sounded like a real instrument in a real space, but the timbre was all wrong. The mid range and bass were sucked out and lifeless, as if it wasn't a very good piano.
I did some googling before I posted and I'm glad I did. Turns out - as I'm sure many here know already - that Jarrett requested a Bosendorfer concert grand that evening and got a baby grand practice piano instead, due to an error by the promoter. He said it sounded like a 'modified electric harpsichord'. His adjustment to that piano apparently accounts for the freshness of his playing that night, at least in part. So the ART9 not only did piano well, but it captured the idiosyncrasies of that instrument so effectively that I blamed it on the cartridge. ART9 1, jollytinker 0.
You have to try JLTi phono stage, it’s absolutely amazing for any MC or MM cartridges. The best feature is RCA plug load resistors of any kind, so it is fully flexible in terms of R load, you can try whatever resistor you want to find the best for your mc or mm. Only a few phono stages will give you so much flexibility. it’s a solid state devide build around Diamond Transistor. Here is the old version. And you can simply google the latest version available from Australia.
I have no personal experience with the EAR phono stages. I started off with the Grado phono stage. When I purchased the Heed Quasar, I combed thru the forums for a ps that was quiet, good tonality (tube-like, if possible) and affordable (for me). The EARs kept popping up as being top shelf, though not for the money. The reviews confirmed the quality, but never were they considered good bang for your hard earned dollar.
That's when I came across the Heed. The same distributor that brings in Cardas, Sonus Faber, Opera, and Unison Research suggested that I take a listen to the Quasar. I got a new (demo) unit from Blackbird Audio in California. Dead quiet, tube like (though a SS unit) sound, and super easy to use. I only moved on to the Rogue Ares I have now because I found a screaming deal.
I don't think you'd go wrong with an EAR, I do suspect you can find something as good for less money or something better for the same. My audiophile mentor convinced me of one thing...invest in a good phono stage, you'll never regret it. Goodluck in your search.
I don't think my throwing one more set of subjective opinions into this mix would do anyone any good, least of all the OP. However, Chakster, because you've got a ZYX 4D, do not assume you know how a UNIverse sounds. I don't own and have not heard the UNI II or the newest iteration, the UNI Premium (I think), but I do own a plain Jane original UNIverse, and it's a truly great, exceptional cartridge. This is coming from a guy who mostly loves MM and MI types, too. Here is why: It does piano better than any MC I have owned. While accurately re-creating the believable timbre and decay of a piano, it also separates out instruments in space; there is no congealing of the violin section, for example. And bass definition is better than with other MCs I have mounted in the same tonearm now sporting the UNI. (10.5-inch Reed 2A on Technics SP10 Mk3 in 100-lb plinth.) I also have a new ART7, which I intend to compare to the UNI, next.
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....
New ART-9 has arrived, LP gear offers free shipping , but it is slow. The cantilever is dead-on perfect. I will install soon, I feel the need to be extra careful with setup, and report back here. Thank you again for all the advice and support.
If you read Arthur Salvatore's description of the Zyx Universe II, he's nearly in tears on first listening to it because the cart sounds so awful. And yet by 50 hours it's the finest cartridge he has ever heard. that's a pretty radical difference. One may or not agree with him in general but he does have a ton of experience and a highly resolving system.
I'm sure Arthur's ultra hi-end system is better than mine, along with his ability to buy cartridges like ZYX Universe II. I have owned Zyx Airy 3 and later upgraded to Zyx premium 4D (thanks to mehran at sorasound). it was long time ago, but at that time i've bought dedicated Zyx headamp especially for my Zyx cartridge (based on Arthur's review when he praised so much this Zyx CPP-1 pre-preamp compared to many top SUTs). My ZYX Premium 4D SB2 was new and very nice from the start, i didn't noticed huge improvement in the first 50 hrs, can't remember how long i've been using my ZYX since then, but not so long unfortunately, later i have stupidly broke the cantilever! Luckily my back up cartridge was Audio-Technica ART-2000 Ltd. To be honest the price difference between $4500 Zyx (+ special Zyx CPP-1 headapm) and used $700 AT-ART2000 compared to the difference in sound quality between those carts, make me think the AT is a better cartridge.They are both high-resolution superb cartridges, but one can do everything (or a little less) just for 1/6 of the price of another, without hustle with sut or headamp.
Anyway, when some people prefer different sound than Audio-Technica's house sound, i can totaly understand that. For some reason my vintage Argent MC500HS high output MC with sapphire cantilever sounds much better to my ears than any other MCs i have tried, including the most expensive ZYX Premium 4D. Maybe i will change my opinion when i will find something better, who knows.
I totally agree with @chakster and others who say that ART-9 cannot be for everyone. I also agree that expecting an equipment that sounds awful in the beginning to blow you away later is not an easy argument to buy.
Without showering any more praise for the ART-9 I would like to emphasise why I suggested @avanti1960 to hold on to this cartridge. This is one cart which has replaced at least in my own system some of my "favourite" carts costing 3 to 4 times as much. It is one thing to say "Hey I will take a $2k Ortofon over a $5k Lyra any day", it only means you dont like Lyra. But for me ART-9 has replaced my favourite Ortofons, Dynavectors, Decca and Miyabis. Lyra, Benz and Van Den Hul are not on my favourite lists anyway even though I have heard them in my own system. With that kind of backing I think if @avanti1960 likes Dynavector, he stands a good chance of liking ART-9. I agree that Dynavectors, especially XX2 and below are warmer than ART-9.
Audiolabrinth, I think if you comb they this thread and other ART9 threads, you'll find a comprehensive list of phono stages used with this cartridge.
What do you mean by mid-range?
Some might call my Rogue Ares mid range ($2k new). The used market is a buyer's paradise right now it seems. I'm not seeing gear move, even at really low prices. Back to the Ares, I am really enjoying it's ability to get out of the way. Very quiet, great soundstage (width and depth) and dynamic. Does not add tube bloom.
The only phono stage I've heard that betters it, costs 5x more... ASR Basis Exclusive. I'm sure there are others but no where near $2k that I've heard. I had a HEED Audio Quasar that was awfully good, particularly for $1200.
I've had a number of good to high end cartridges over the years. Every one of them needed time to break in ... the ART-9 included. The ART-9 was the first cartridge where I relied on a person with expert knowledge on my turntable and cartridge setup to set up the ART-9 for me. It was well worth the extra expense.
Prior to using the ART-9, I had been using AT's OC-9 MKIII's which I considered to be one of the major bargains in cartridges based upon what it does and doesn't do.
Upon initial listening to the ART-9, compared to a fully broken in OC-9 MKIII, the sound wasn't "terrible" at all. It was grainy on top and bloated on the bottom. Also, in comparison to the OC9 MKIII, it had a somewhat pinched sound stage, lacked depth and the 3-D imaging was reduced as well. As time went on, the ART-9 opened up and all of the artificial artifacts were gone. It just killed the OC-9 MK-III.
In the area of suspending disbelief, in my experience, which granted, does not include the megabucks $10,000+ cartridges, only the Lyra Clavis that I purchased new and owned for several years could compete with the ART-9. Here's the rub ... The Clavis only did this on "special" nights when the power coming into the house was purer, like at 2 in the morning. The rest of the time, the Clavis called attention to itself in one way or another. The OC-9 doesn't call attention to itself at all. Its just music ...accurate music emanating from the speakers that are no longer there. As far as the musical presentation, there is a lot more "there there."
Not taking anything away from Lyra in general or the Lyra Clavis here at all. The only cartridge I've had that can compete with the Clavis on correct piano tones is the ART-9. The Clavis was truly great at this. My philosophy has always been ... get the piano right and the system will be right. Tonally, the ART-9 would be the overall tonal balance champ. Again, I have not had experience IN MY SYSTEM with the 10k+ cartridges.
Is a new ART-9 night and day better than a fully broken in OC-9MK III? If I had the choice of living with a fully broken in OC-9-MKIII or a brand new ART-9 ... I'd take the OC-9 MKIII. Would I take a fully broken in ART-9 over a fully broken in OC-9 MK-III? Yes, in a nano-second. It really is night and day.
Just as a side note ... Both the OC-9 MKIII and the ART-9 are killers on mono records. I look at that a a major bonus as I own hundreds of mono early released jazz records from the 1950's that were never produced in stereo.
As a final caveat ... the system has been greatly improved over the years since the Clavis was being used as my go-to cartridge. In all fairness, who knows what the Clavis would sound like today? A bit mind blowing I would suspect.
Hi panic, thankyou for the response, I do not have a phono stage yet, that was the reasonfor the question, like to know the mid-range to state of the art phono stages for this cart.
I think the whole topic of equipment break in is over cooked. In my experience the essential characteristics of ANY piece of gear are discernible within the first five hours of playback. Yes, subtle improvements do occur over time--more so with equipment that has mechanical properties like speakers and cartridges. But the idea that the ART 9 or any other quality piece of gear sounds terrible at first and transforms itself to a "giant killer" after hours and hours of play does not square with my experience. Avanti1960 I don't think you have done yourself any favors by switching the cartridge in and out of your system. The differences you are hearing are most likely more attributable to changes in set up rather than hours on the cartridge. I'm not sure you really know what the ART 9 sounds like at this point, nor do I think you are really able to make reliable comparisons with the other cartridges you mention. I'm not here to sing the praises of the cartridge--do I think it is great? Yes. But of course others may be looking for a different sound given their preferences and associated equipment. My point is that there is far too much emphasis in this discussion (and others) on the relevance of break in. Like most cartridges, if you set up the ART 9 properly and don't like the way the sounds after a few hours you probably are not going to like it after 100 hours either.
I agree @chakster - this is what I tried to say earlier. But I have to wonder whether it changes from one cartridge to the next. If you read Arthur Salvatore's description of the Zyx Universe II, he's nearly in tears on first listening to it because the cart sounds so awful. And yet by 50 hours it's the finest cartridge he has ever heard. that's a pretty radical difference. One may or not agree with him in general but he does have a ton of experience and a highly resolving system.
My experience with a new Art-9 was that it showed its basic attributes from day one. It has improved ever since.
Exactly, that's what i mean. Cartridge that doesn't sounds right after 20-30 hrs of burn-in time will not change it's BASIC attributes. And the improvement in the next 200hrs doesn't make one cartridge sounds like another cartridge, it's still the same cartridge tuned/voiced by manufactured to a sertain characted (as Nandric said), but slightly improved mechanicaly.
I'm sure every listening session depends on our mood and even time of the year (cold winter or hot summer when overall temperature is different can effect the sound of the cartridge). I live in the area when the temperature can drop down to -20C for some time in the winter and +30C in the summer.
@avanti1960 I may have missed it, could let us know your phonostage and the loading for the ART-9 ? Also, would you know the capacitance of your phonostage input ?
Just keep it going for a month and come back to the comparison with your Dyna, it will be fair to both the cartridges and also worth your effort.
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.
@Avanti - In my system I can only compare to my Rega Apollo CD player, but of course I have heard many other good digital sources.
The Art-9 is pretty much the opposite of dull/dark in my system. I bi-amp and have the ability to adjust tweeter vs. woofer/mid levels, and one of the things I have in mind as a possible tweak once I get some time on the Art-9 and begin to mess with it is to knock down the tweeters maybe just a hair. Not sure if it will be necessary, but from what I am hearing now I certainly don't think I'll need to bump the tweeters up.
I haven't heard a really good Art-9 as mine is not broken in or optimized yet so I don't have that perspective, but from what you describe you and I are hearing different things from a "new" Art-9.
@audiolabyrinth As far as I have seen and used, the ART-9 should work well with most phonostages which has adequate gain of around 60db and loading option of 100-120 ohms. Which phonostage do you use ?
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?
I have only about 10 hrs. on the Art-9 after 2 weeks (travel, work...life just gets in the way sometimes). I have the loading on my Pass Labs Ono @ 1,000R and have not played with it. I haven't played with VTF either, it is set at factory recommended. The Art-9 is replacing an Ortofon Rondo Red (~$800 MSRP a few years ago for reference).
At this point it sounds like I would expect a good $1,000 cartridge to sound. Right away I hear more detail, and specifically the soundstage is much wider. I can only attribute that to channel separation. Instruments are more distinctly placed in the soundstage as well. There is a slight glare/grain??? in the higher frequencies, but compared to the Rondo the sound is much more open and pleasant.
I am guessing at this point that the glare/grain?? will relax a bit after I get some more hours on it, and that it can be addressed further with VTF and preamp loading but that remains to be seen. I won't play around with it until I get closer to 50 hours on it.
My experience with a new Art-9 was that it showed its basic attributes from day one. It has improved ever since.
It replaced a Shelter 500 with SS OC retip in a VPI 3d arm, and outperformed the old cartridge right away. I mention the arm because of the control it seems to provide. Running the arm-cartridge on the old Shure test record seeking their low Hz resonance reveals none at all.
@avanti1960 when/if you put the ART9 back on your turntable, you might play around with the VTF a bit. I found that the cart began to lose its dullness around 40 hours as I mentioned above. But when I took off .1 grams of VTF (2.0 to 1.9) the dullness came back. I'm guessing it has to do with the suspension progressively loosening up. I hope you enjoy your Dyna in the meantime.
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.
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.
Broken in: Sound stage wide open with amazing 3-D imaging, soaring highs, tunefully correct bass lines, super present mid-range and great music like Bach’s "Air on a G string" just makes you want to cry.
This applies to most electronics, cables, fuses, new turntable belts (yes, turntable belts) in need of a break-in period, including cartridges. This, you can measure with your ears.
According to this logic and your description all new cartridges we are buyin’ sounds very bad and we have to live with this bad souding gear for a long time (just to burn-in those gear for up to 500hrs sometimes) as you said in another post. That means even if we play records for 2hrs per day we have to wait more than 8 month to finally get the sounds right. This is rediculous! Then people sells their cartridges for example (and lose money), often with just 200hrs on it, because they are not happy about the sound or always looking for something better.
IMO It’s better to buy used cartridges and used equimpent and enjoy them in full effect from the first listening session.
BTW thanks to the new manufacturers like Zu Audio who sells their speakers with factory burned-in drivers.
@chakster you're building your argument on straw men.
It is such a boring waste of time when you have to listen to some new cartridge that sounds awful when it’s new and doesn’t impressed you at all in the first 30 hrs.
no one said that. Most say it starts out great and then gets better. That's what I experienced. You yourself wrote that break in makes sense. I agree with you. It's like a new guitar or a violin. It needs to be played a while before it hits its real potential. You stick with it because you can hear from the beginning that it's a good instrument, so it's worth the effort. Nothing strange about that.
That said, I agree that this thread could/should be more than just cheerleading for the ART9. There's no professional review of this cart available (as imperfect as they often are) so it would be nice IMHO to have some attempts at objective description and comparisons with other carts. I will attempt to contribute to that myself when my ART9 and Doshi phono stage are... em... broken in.
My friends have it on Jelco 9" and the big Thomas Schick tonearms.
Starange choice of the arms for this cartridge, even lower compliance ART2000 doesn’t sounds right on my Schick tonearm, but the ART9 has higher compliance (18 @ 100 Hz) than ART2000 (9 @ 100 Hz). Thomas Schick tonearm designed for cartridges with compliance below 22cu @ 10Hz maximum! Actually Shich works better with very low compliance cartridges. But the ART9 compliance converted from 100Hz to 10Hz would be as much as 30cu (which is high).
Chakster....Some guys who can hear simply write down what they hear and experience at the moment and revisit the notes later in the appropriate listening session. But the key...You have to be able to hear.
That makes sense if you are Michael Fremer and working on review, but analog or even digital recordings would be a better "documents" than just notes, so you can actually listen to those documented recordings to compare the quality of the raw new cartridge and fully burned-in cartridge. Personally i would never do that.
It is such a boring waste of time when you have to listen to some new cartridge that sounds awful when it’s new and doesn’t impressed you at all in the first 30 hrs. Especially if you have a better cartridge. I think this is exactly what happes, reported by @avanti1960 ?
Another question is why do you think the ART-9 is the cartridge for everyone? What’s the hype about it? And why it should be an MC cartridge? Audio-Technica made so many killer cartridges in the past, their MM cartridges from the 80s are spectacular (AT-ML170 OCC and AT-ML180 OCC) and goes nose-to-nose with Technics 100c mk4 for example. Those cartridges will cream most of the todays MC cartridges of any price.
What's the best sounding turntable preamp for this cartridge?, I have a vintage technics 1600mk2 turntable, after a year of research, this cart is my pick, alot of people has recommended ear top flagship moving coil preamifcation.
@jcoehler I have tried the ART-9 on 3 different tonearms ranging from the weird 47 Labs RS-A1, Immedia and SME M2-12. My friends have it on Jelco 9" and the big Thomas Schick tonearms. It works well with all of these tonearms in my experience so I suppose the Ekos should not be a problem.
Broken in: Sound stage wide open with amazing 3-D imaging, soaring highs, tunefully correct bass lines, super present mid-range and great music like Bach's "Air on a G string" just makes you want to cry.
^^^ This applies to most electronics, cables, fuses, new turntable belts (yes, turntable belts) in need of a break-in period, including cartridges. This, you can measure with your ears.
Chakster....Some guys who can hear simply write down what they hear and experience at the moment and revisit the notes later in the appropriate listening session. But the key...You have to be able to hear.
I've read through this excellent thread and have a question. Has anyone used the ART9 with a Linn tonearm, specifically an Ekos? I apologize if this has been discussed but I did not see any references to using this cart with a Linn.
BTW, I like Dynavector cartridges in general. The XV1s is a cart that I would like try some day. So, it should not be taken as my preference for AT over Dyna as a house sound.
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