Looks good, yea I now hate the thought of installing a cart that has no threaded holes, especially during alignment. 100 ohms is the recommended setting, but I always found that 121 on my preamp was the sweetspot, if you have more options give it a try. All my AT carts needed about 20 hours, not much really to come in full bloom, especially the bass. Not sure what method u use to set azimuth, but I tell everyone that is critical alignment with MC, you need to get it perfect for this cart to really sing. The mirror method I found is good but with these high end MC that are hand built that stylus may not be perfectly pointing down, so that is when I went the route of a downloaded o-scope program so I can see the voltage output on each channel, I adjust to make them as close as possible....its tedious but the payoff is yuuuge! Have fun!!
One of the advantages of the VPI Uni-Pivot Arm is being able to easily remove it from the table, and initially attach the cartridge to the head shell. Makes the "non threaded" cartridges a little more tolerable...but not much
Looks great! Happy to hear you are enjoying it. Are you using the VPI alignment jig? I've used it on all my cart installs with the Traveler and it's seems good, no complaints. However, I am curious how various alignments and/or protractors differ in sound. I've considered a Mint Protractor or even the Dr Feickert Protractor. I can never get the free protractors to print out correctly
I use the VPI one that came with the table- works well because it's made for the table and lines up perfectly with the cue lever feature. I investigated the mint (seems like they do not make one for the traveler). Also the dr feickert but it relies on lining up to the tonearm pivot center axis- which on the traveler is a judgement call / guess and opens up for error in the alignment. i too am curious about the other alignments (with the wierd names) but so far haven't found a good way to set them up. i would not trust a printed protractor unless you could print it out on thick stock paper or poster board. i may investigate this more, thanks for the idea and good luck.
Update on the ART9's impressions- After a few days of playing lots of records I was about ready to put my Ortofon 2M black back on. Everything sounded OK but I wasn't loving it. I love the 2M but just wished it had more dynamics. the ART9 is supposed to be more dynamic given the boron cantilever and LOMC architecture but I am not hearing that much difference. I do like the tonality of the ART9, a little warmer and sweeter without losing any detail, slightly increased treble detail as well. Jazz horns sound really nice, a little forward and a little bite. But the overall midrange vocal clarity / transparency I heard with the 2M black is missing. The biggest issue with the ART9 is some occasional edginess / distortion in the treble which will hopefully diminish as the cart accumulates hours.
I'm surprised to hear this as well as my AT-33ptg has no edginess. I bought it from a friend who got it to replace a 2m Black and we both felt it was a worthwhile upgrade although my experience with cartridges is one of incremental improvements rather than the "jaw drop " that some experience. He ended up with a Cadenza Black but still enjoys the AT in my system. Hopefully, a little more break in will help. Perhaps changing a phonostage setting would help too. I'd try a couple different settings to bracket your current capacitance to see if that makes a difference. I have read my cartridge is quite sensitive to changes and you may find the same. Best of luck!
Sorry to hear it is not meeting expectations. One thought: Does the phono stage allow for different loading? You may want to experiment with that a little.
What's lots of records translated into hours running in the cart? Don't give up just yet. Here's my concern. My 2M Blk is very dynamic after 3 or 4 years of use....Yours is not, now ART9 isn't dynamic or taking to long to run in. If after 500-1000 hours she isn't as expected, Problem could be else where in system. Check VTF , VTA and Azimuth...play around with those , do you have a few test records...scopes or loupe? Getting it right and double checking..it's painful but rewarding. Some systems require painful set up...some don't. Seeing you have a great phono amp, which I'm very familiar with having spent extended time listing to it at my dealers, it will put out! So next, what phono cables from TT to Phono amp, and from phono amp to integrated amp? You don't want a $1000 cart and $1500 phono amp with under performing cables...cables are a component as well and must be considered as such.....cables must be able to handle, process and put out the technology of components up stream. Just because they are a very popular cable brand means nothing....what metals are in the cables? Do they help to balance the sound and bring the sound back to neutral and life likeness? After that, consider your tubes in the Rogue. This is all were trouble shooting starts. If none of that works and no synergy, you may have a system mis match.
According to the many accounts of the break in process for this cartridge 50 - 100 hrs should give you a good idea of what you have. The Cardas Break In Record comes in handy for this process, it has locked grooves that play white noise.
The cartridge run in records can help.[/QUOTE] Yes I know......but in my experience I find run in times may be a starting point. My current speaker cables took about a month of constant playing. In fact, I called Peter over at Triode Wire Labs to tell him I was returning his cable. He assured me to continue another week and if they didnt come on song he would refund my money including shipping. And after about 600 hours, they were on point!....I've had interconnects, carts, head phones all take way more time than whats published for products to come into their own. Heck...my tube amp kept changing in sound for about a month of constant playing. What most people don't know, after electronics come into what they are suppose to sound like, they are still getting settled in and after about a year, they are so meek that they seem to not even be there...just wonderful music flowing. When the Denon AH-600 headphone first was released they cost $700....the price dropped to $500 and then down to $300 and even cheaper now being out of production. These are some very nice reference headphones.... After I purchased them they sounded OK but after a bout 50 hours they seemed not to be changing in sound. After reading over at head-fi and other such sites, people where discarding them fast soon after they where released...that's why the price kept falling. No one thought they where worth the high price and certainly not reference quality. I saw one member at head-fi had the D600 as well as the D7000 ($1200) and loved them. After emailing with him, he let me know the run in time is close to 700 hours up to about a 1000 before they come on song. But those who purchased them and sold them soon after, had no clue of the run in times. They thought they where just terrible cans. So I continued to run them in and sure enough they where worthy of the original price. I love them and got them at a bargain price too boot!Now I understand that's an insane number of hours......and most people don't have the time....the time to return may run out......but what one should look for is a change in the sound......if you can detect the slightest change in the sound, then she is still running in. You may have to listen through head phones, but if after say 200 hours and he cant hear the slightest change, then it may not get better. Every one is different and every one knows what he can tolerate. So its really up to the person. I think Avanti 1960 has been around the block a few times when it comes to audio, so I think he will know what to do. The cartridge run in records can help.
Just reinstalled my 2M BLK after using the Denon for about a year.....DAM.....DAM....DAM! For a MM Cart this thing is great!
I would not discount adjusting/playing with your loading on the phonopre. As I stated, 100 ohms is the recommended load from AT, I have never found that setting sat with my ears too well. Could I live with 100 ohms, probably. But my pre can adjust to 121 ohms and that is the sweet spot, everything is very open and detailed. At 100 ohms I just found the sound a bit too closed in, the clarity, staging was all good but over all sound was a tad closed, tough to explain I know. Try a bit higher setting, not sure what your next higher setting would be, even try 150 ohms but get off that 100 ohms if you can. And always give your phono at least 2-3 hours to settle in to a new loading. Also play with gain (if you can), its a trial and error situation you are in, you are experienced in audio you know what you can try. It may simply be you don't have enough hours on the cart yet. I probably spent over a month playing with my Lyra, going as high as 550 ohms based on my cable capacitance, using Lyra's formula for loading and cables.....Did not matter, at end of day 121 ohms is the sweet spot for me, everything else sounded constricted/closed up, but that is my system and synergy/matching, you just need to find yours.....Again you know what you are doing, give it another shot, start from scratch and reset everything.
Great info Catcher10! Those number recommend by manufacturer I find to be the starting point...Then one adjust to his liking. I just can't understand how a 2MBLK is not dynamic unless it's defective or not set properly. I feel he may need a little more patience with the ART9 as well.
I can't recommend the Mint Best Tractor enough. Even if Yip doesn't have a Traveler listed, odds are pretty darned good he can make it. Either way, hopefully you get your cart sorted out!
a couple updates- 1) i double checked the alignment and found that the cantilever was not parallel to the printed runway lines- it was actually about 2-3 degrees off. very hasty first install. loosened the screws and rotated the cart counter clockwise and it's on the money. 2) after about 15 hours of play it is definitely sounding better and although not perfect i really like it. most believe that 50 hours is when the magic starts. I have finally been able to tell what this cartidge is all about, where it excels. 3) the edgy treble has all but disappeared. there are traces of it but only on a few recordings that are somewhat edgy to begin with. 4) dynamics. i played my most dynamic LPs to see if this has improved. without question it is a fast paced cartridge. i was listening to a freddy hubbard reissue and the frenetic fast paced trumpet playing just popped out of the speakers. completely awesome! dynamics are superior to my dyanector DV20X2L (which was better than the 2M black). the same thing happened with some other dynamic records- i guess you need to play challenging dynamic recordings to see what the cartridge can do. 5) sound stage. sound stage is still incredibly large and the best i have ever heard in a phono cartridge. 6) tonality / frequency balance. this is a personal preference thing and it seems there are compromises among various cartridges where decisions must be made that affect the tonal balance of the product. cartridges are much like speakers in this area (or so it seems). I will qualify the ART9 tonality as somewhat lush, definitely refined, a warm slightly forward midrange, punchy midbass, very extended and detailed treble / top end and decent bass extension. the bass extension is good, but i am hoping that it improves with more hours. while it is slightly warm, it is in no way warm like certain cartridges can be, e.g. Grado. compared to 2M black, strings and horns sound much more full bodied and less thin. however on certain recordings vocals can sound a little thick when the 2M black gets it just right. depending on the recording, it can be a good thing or not so good. the ART9 makes Elvis Costello sound incredible compared to the 2M black's thinner sound while it slightly muddies up some 60s recordings by the band Love. The Dynavector's tonality does not compare to either the ART9 or 2M black IMHO, it is too bass heavy and too refined / burnished on the top for me. The bottom line is that the ART9 sounds better with the vast majority of records I have played than my other cartridges. Some of my favorite recordings sound spectacular. It is also equally good at instrumental jazz as it is at guitar and vocal based rock. you can turn it up quite loud and it does not become fatiguing- it is an extremely smooth yet dynamic, detailed sound. it can keep up with the fastest paced, most complex busiest music and never lose its refinement, detail, separation or sound over taxed. Playing the few mono recordings I have, they have never sounded better than when using the ART9. The huge sound stage and lush tonality makes them sound much better than any cartridge I have used previously. This was an area where the users of this cart have reported spectacular results and I agree with them. i guess i am in with this one. easily beats the 1K dynavector 20X2L in all categories and the 2M black in all but a few categories on certain recordings. compared to the quintet blue- no contest whatsoever.
Glad its coming into its own.....im sure its not done changing. I think the 2M BLK is a great cart. The ART9 should be a better cart...hows the ART9 with pops and ticks? Once the 2M BLK is set up properly they arnt as loud but still can be heard...the Denon DL-301 MK just never recognized a pop or ticks. I think I read some place you didnt like the Quintet BlK, ...just wondering how the ART9 and Q-BLK are head to head? Any ways...I've boiled it down to the Q-BLK and the ART9....thanks for taking me on your journey!
Yeah. This news that it takes 1,000 hours to break in a cartridge really changes things - just as it breaks in it's time to get a new one.
Only if you give it the faith people ask you to. As I said in another thread, some people even talk about interconnects or speaker wire breaking in. Some things are just myths. And then others are beyond silly. Yeah, right. Like I'm going to listen for 1000 hours to something I don't like in the hopes it sounds good later (assuming you buy into the aforementioned burning-in myth) for 100h of joy only to need to go through the process again? Yeah, OK. That's as silly a concept as I've ever heard. AT is a reputed company with a long history. I have no doubts this cart is very good right out of the package.
