Audio Technica ART9 MC Cartridge- The Real Deal?

Do you find the sound of the DL-103 changes drastically based on tonearm mass? I heard it on several modern medium mass tonearms and thought it was grainy and lacking resolution. Then I heard it on some monster tonearm, (heavier than an FR-66!!) and it sounded very good, almost Ortofon SPU-esque and then I totally got why people liked it.

 

Yes, it does.
I was never able to achieve perfection with the 103 on the Technics 1200G tonearm but I managed to improve the sound significantly by using a heavier Yamamoto headshell and extra headshell spacers.

 

Have you re-checked your VTA? My ART9 didn't settle in until about 40 hours. However, at no time did it sound too polite. I had to adjust the VTA several times to get it right.

 

Good suggestion. I had adjusted the vta after I installed it originally and it sounded great but I guess now, after 10 hours, the suspension has loosened up and needs re-adjustment. I have a usb microscope that I am going to use at the weekend to try to get the sra as close to 92 as I can.

 

for my system the 9 sounded best at 1/2 mm tail up from level, minimum VTF after break in. it keeps changing right up to 225 hrs or so. loading at 200 ohms if possible. stick with it. it will not sound better than the 2x as much cadenza blue but it will beat anything less..,

 

Thanks, I 'll try these suggestions.

 

I've been very impressed with the sound of the AT33PTG/II on my SL1210GR. Has anyone here compared these two cartridges? If so, how much better is the Art9?

 

It’s s thousand dollar cartridge!!!!

Ok

 

Ya, like twice as much as my table...

 

My three TTs were each in the one thousand dollar range when they were brand new (in 1975 or 76 dollars).

 

I seem to recall there is someone with a VPI Traveler and the ART9 on this board. I have a 1st gen Traveler and was wondering if he/she wanted to chime in on the sound. I have only used AT carts with my Traveler and love the sound. Currently I have a OC9/II and I have been quite satisfied for years. The cart is getting long in the tooth so I am looking to upgrade, and AT has intermediate options before you get to the ART9. Since I'm happy with the OC9/II I'm not sure I need to jump all the way to the ART9 rung...

 

$550 is near tops I wanna spend this year or next on a cart. A grand sounds too much like a down payment on a new car not cart.

 

I think it's worth every penny I spent on it.

 

well my old ART-7 has had its day,ive just pulled the pin on a new ART-9.........

 

It all depends on one's perspective, one's means, and one's priorities. I too have a problem with spending that much money on something which has such a short lifespan. But if the sound impressed me enough, and if I had the spare cash, I might be persuaded to get one.

However if you do have that budget for a new cartridge, I would highly recommend considering the AT33PTG/II. I'm amazed at how good this cartridge sounds. I've heard $1000 cartridges which sound worse. I know that the Art 9 is supposed to sound better. But I can state for a fact that its little brother sounds fantastic.

 

The 33sa is the much more expensive version of the 33PTG, close in price to the Art9, and the Art9 wins that one.

The ATOC9iii is virtually a toss up to the 33sa in my experience. So if you are looking for most bang/buck I'd go with the OC9iii, under $600 and should be better than the 33PTG (haven't compared them directly)

 

someone on this thread upgraded to an ART9 and was quite pleased

 

i had a last gen traveler and the ART9 sounded apectacular once dialed in. dynamic, clean smooth and warm. a great combination.

 

It's about $450 for 33PTG/II, $750 for 33SA and $1000 for ART9, so SA falls roughly in the middle in price. Haven't compared them all myself, but the 33PTG/II does seem a relative bargain right now.

 

That or the OC9iii, are both a lot for the money it seems.

 

The ART 9 sounds more refined and clean than the OC9iii. The increase in refinement is greater than the increase in cost because the ART9 can compete with ~$2K and higher cartridges.

 

I agree it sounds better than the OC9iii. I believe you get a lot of the "goodness" in the OC9iii and it competes evenly with their highest level 33 style cart, which is more expensive. Might be something going on with this body, the Art9 and the OC9iii share the same body style.

As you go up in price you generally get more, but it's less more. Diminishing returns on increasing investment, that's how the audio thing works. I think AT in general, and in their lineups the Art9 and OC9iii are beating the curve.

 

Now I have 17 hours on the ART-9 and I am happy to report that it sounds great.
After I posted my disappointment when the cartridge had around 10 hours, I experimented with the VTA and different loading but at the end I decided that it sounds the best (at the moment) with the VTA ring on 0 and loading in 120, which was how I had set it up originally.
The only difference from my original settings is that I increased the gain from 56db to 60db and that gave the ART-9 a little edge that I like. Also, I configured the antiskating, first with a shure test disc and the analogue sounds, and then by ear.
Interestingly enough the antiskating dial is on 1.8 which matches perfectly the vtf. Some other cartridges needed significantly less than their vtf but not the ART-9, I guess.

Here's a picture of how the vta/sra looks with the dial on 0 on the Technics 1200G.

 

Mine is set up the same, down to the 120 ohm loading. No complaints.

 

I'm still leaning towards the OC9/III - I think it's at the right price point that my setup, and heck they sell them on Amazon. I still can't get over how good the OC9/II sounds but it's getting old. But I could get an ART9 in a moment of weakness. It has been known to happen.