Audio Technica ART9 MC Cartridge- The Real Deal?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by avanti1960, Dec 26, 2016.

  1. watchnerd

    watchnerd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    I'm getting the ART9XA, trading in my ART7.

    I prefer the lower inductance of the air-core motors, closer in concept to the ART1000.

    And I have a SUT and phono stage that can deal with the low output.
     
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  2. Uglyversal

    Uglyversal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney
    Then there was no point in mentioning that was the same but you did. You should buy whatever makes you happy, it is you the one who would be listening to whatever you choose.
     
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  3. Uglyversal

    Uglyversal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney
    I am sure they will all be decent cartridges despite differences in sound.
     
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  4. TarnishedEars

    TarnishedEars Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Seattle area
    That's kind-of hard to do when there are none to be had the last time I looked.
     
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  5. bajaed

    bajaed Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I got one of the last ones.
     
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  6. watchnerd

    watchnerd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    I've been pleased with the quality, engineering, and value for money of every AT MC cartridge I've owned (I have 5).

    Which hasn't been true for some other brands.
     
  7. watchnerd

    watchnerd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Have to go used, then, I guess.
     
  8. watchnerd

    watchnerd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    I mentioned cartridge body and stylus and motor, too.
     
  9. Uglyversal

    Uglyversal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney
    I've been pleased with Audio Tecnica too but in this price range I have only experienced other brands. I am deciding on a new cartridge but I am in no real rush as I have others but this is one in my mind and this thread keeps drawing my attention to it.

    You did, and they all change the sound but there was no point for me to go on and on with other variables when it is widely accepted that different types of cantilevers affect the sound as the other variables will too. It was just one point of the many that I could have mentioned.
     
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  10. watchnerd

    watchnerd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Every AT MC cart I've owned would have sold for quite a bit more money if sold by a boutique cottage industry firm and sold in a fancy lacquered wooden box.

    I think it was Clear Audio that got busted for doing basically that?
     
  11. Uglyversal

    Uglyversal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney
    I don't know about clear audio but your comments re the boutique mods is right and many people make a lot of money out of them. I have not tried any modified cartridge and I won't purposely pay for one. The only possible exception to that could be to re-tip -using a different cantilever- a Denon 103 that has a very low tech needle and cantilever from factory. Otherwise I want the things I buy to be good from the original factory and not needing to change them. I think the 103 is excellent from factory anyway.

    I do agree there is a lot of snake oil for sale but also I have learned to be much more open minded in regard of those things unless I have tried myself. Sometimes you can be surprised by what might seem impossible, that is until you actually try it.
     
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  12. watchnerd

    watchnerd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    For a while I did the opposite of modifying current production carts -- I was into restoring vintage Ortofon SPUs.
     
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  13. Peter van de Beek

    Peter van de Beek Forum Resident

    Good morning WatchNerd. That is an interesting thing you're doing. I am very, very interested in your findings.

    I only have mine for around 5 or 6 months, so I'm not planning to change at all (and I don't like the threaded holes myself). And I like the 0,12mV actually. My phono-amp is made at a default cart output of 0,15 and my volume still should be opened for maximum at 9'o clock.

    But I am interested by someone who had the ART7 itself. The change of compliance, coil inductance and diamond shape are all interesting.
     
  14. watchnerd

    watchnerd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    I downloaded the trade-in form yesterday and plan to mail it next week.

    In the mean time, I'll put the AT33SA back in the system, which will give re-acquaint me with the Shibata stylus that the ART9XA uses.
     
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  15. tzh21y

    tzh21y Forum Resident

    Location:
    Buffalo
    I am intrigued but what I have read on this thread regarding the Art 9. I have about 1500 Hours on a Lyra Delos that still sounds amazing on my 1200G. I will admit that I did invest in a Arche Headshell and Ortofon Silver headshell wires but I am not sure I can find anything at its price that can compete with its speed, clarity, longevity and midrange when set up correctly. I listened to an Ortofon Cadenza Bronze at my local HIFI dealership on a 1200G. I brought the Lyra in with the headshell and adjusted to the settings I had at home and we were pretty shocked with the performance. The Cadenza Bronze, while sounding great, in many ways sounded veiled and lacking excitement in comparison. I am not sure anything can beat the Delos when set up correctly at its price point.
     
  16. watchnerd

    watchnerd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Since hearing the ART1000, I've become appreciative of what very low inductance / air core cartridges can do.

    The old ART7 already had pretty low inductance (8uH, similar to the Delos Lyra at 6.5uH), but the new ART9XA is much lower at 2.5uH, close to the 1uH of the ART1000.

    I'm excited to see once it can do once it arrives.
     
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  17. watchnerd

    watchnerd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Correction:

    Delos Lyra 9.5uH
     
  18. Peter van de Beek

    Peter van de Beek Forum Resident

    Davey said:
    ..why use the term air-core... ...wouldn't that apply to all moving coil cartridges?


    That is since most MC's have iron-core coils. As far as I know only the Ortofon MC-2000 (maybe all the models from the Ortofon MC '000 series cartridges), Denon DL-S1 and the audio-technica AT50ANV (8μH) wich the AT-ART7 (8μH) is based onare air-coil MC's. Now the new AT-ART9XA (2,5μH) is the successor of the AT-ART7. And indeed WatchNerd, the AT-ART1000 (1μH) indeed is also an air-core cart. Thnks for the tip.

    When you hear a great acoustic recording with one, you'll wonder where those dynamics where. You think your reproduction of that special record can't get any better, you get the answer with some like the ART7 or ART9XA.

    I just play'd some Egberto Gismonti on ECM with my ART7 half an hour ago and that was just so nice.
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2020
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  19. Davey

    Davey NP: Portishead ~ Portishead (1997)

    Location:
    SF Bay Area, USA
    Yea, thanks, I looked it up after posting so deleted my question.
     
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  20. watchnerd

    watchnerd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    The ART1000 also has a non-magnetic core.
     
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  21. watchnerd

    watchnerd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    I'm pretty sure:

    The 'I' in 'ART9XI' = iron

    The 'A' in 'ART9XA' = air

    At least that's how I remember which is which.
     
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  22. Peter van de Beek

    Peter van de Beek Forum Resident

    Davey, that explained why I could not quote your post.

    And WatchNerd, that is indeed where the I and A stands for. I think that they solved it this way since they could have chosen for the ART7X and ART9X, but we in "the west" mostley think that higher is better. In Japan, lower is often "better" or at least more exclusive. (See the Canon camera models. The EOS1 is always the flagship and some EOS1000 is almost a plastic toy).

    That's maybe why they called the first ART the AT-ART1, since it was the best they could produce back then.

    And since the ART7 isn't "worse" then the ART9, they want to sell more of these air-core models. The ART7 here in The Netherlands (and in Europe generaly) was more expensive then the ART9 by a hundered Euro's. That's maybe also why they made them the same price, the XI and XA. You should buy what suits best, not because the number is higher.
     
  23. Davey

    Davey NP: Portishead ~ Portishead (1997)

    Location:
    SF Bay Area, USA
    Sounds right. So I'm curious what lead you to purchase the new XA with Shibata tip instead of the $200 cheaper ART7 with the SLC? I wonder how much difference there really is, any idea why they went with Shibata on the new one? I'd kinda like to try one too, I have plenty of gain for it now since adding SUTs to my CJ preamp, though they wouldn't likely be the ideal transformers for this cartridge. Maybe close enough with some load experimentation.

    BTW, some of the totl Clearaudio carts are air core too, wound with gold wire.
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2020
  24. Peter van de Beek

    Peter van de Beek Forum Resident

    Davey,
    I wrote that somewhere before. At AT carts you hear a lot that the bass is more pronouced with Shibata diamonds (see the AT33PTG/II vs AT33Sa). And since air-core carts are very neutral, they may sound thin on some records. Most of the time it's because of the recording, but I think that they at AT just experimented and just go for the Shibata on the new air-core cart.I changed my platter-mat because of this.
     
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  25. watchnerd

    watchnerd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Because I already have/had the ART7. I mailed it in to Audio Technica USA.

    I'm trading it in for the ART9XA.

    I'd like to have the even lower inductance and improved output voltage.

    The threaded cartridge body is a nice bonus, and will go nicely with the AT-LH13H headshell I have.
     
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