WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE LINN K 9 CARTRIDGE?

These Linn K-9 Systems were made from Audio Technica. they are no longer in Production, probably you should replace it with a Audio Technica AT 440 MLa, that is a better one. The K-9 was a Starter System for cheapest analog rigs. All I can remember after 20 years, I replaced it pretty fast with K-18.

There are much better ones.

**Price point should tell you something about the relative quality of that product.**

Not really. AT uses that body to custom manufacture carts as an OEM. It's the same body used for the Clearaudio Maestro. How's that for a price point? I'm not familiar enough with the Linn K series to comment, but I know there are admirers. The ready made styli available as replacements are limited to bonded diamonds/straight alum cantilevers made by AT or Jelco. You can get these with LC (vivid line) or shibata tips. These replacements work pretty good. For top performance have a stylus custom fitted by someone like Soundsmith. A .3 x .7 elliptical with tapered alum cantilever is $150. People rave about this on the Virtuoso.

Audio Technica ATE 95E stylus will fit it. You can buy the Audio Technica cartridge complete for $40 online. Was the OEM for Linn on this product. Price point should tell you something about the relative quality of that product.

I stuck a Sumiko Pearl on an Akito and it sounds AMAZING...inexpensive little gem.

Mgguy, it's just a bad pun. K9, dog, get it? I've never heard that cart, just trying to be funny, sorry.

old 6-eyes do you have a favorite cartridge?

That is only one man's opinion.

K9? It's a dog!!! ( Sorry, couldn't resist ;-) )

If you want a new stylus for your K9, you have a few choices. Audio Technica was the OEM for this, and it takes the same styli as the Clearaudio MMs. The options are either an AT95 or it's various aftermarket replacements, or the 3472 series (P-mount) styli. For high mass arms the 95 type will work better. Compliance is equivalent to 15cu and they track at around 2 to 2.5g. For your Linn Basic, I think you will have much better results with a 3472 type. These are the ones with the unusual looking plastic holder that must be trimmed back for the stylus to fit. It's no big deal, a couple of snips with a wire cutter gets the job done. These styli have thinner, lighter cantilevers and are more responsive with lower tip mass. They track at 1.25 to 1.5g. If you go to LpGear you'll see the various tip options. The aftermarket ones are made by Jico and seem to be equivalent quality as OEM. I'm using one now on a Virtuoso with a low mass arm. IMO it's better than the low compliance variety (with the right set-up).
Regards,

Stay with the K-9 or go to the K-18 the basik tonearm is not big enough around to go to a MC both carts sounded good when I had a basik then I tried them on an Ittock LVII and they sounded good too. Now I use the Adikt 6.5mV I got rid of 2 Dynavector 10/5 MC's that had a good sound but their build to me is a piece of junk. Nagaoaka sounded good with the basik also. Best of luck.

i had one good cartridge