Before my damn interconnect broke the day I got the ART9 setup last week, I had configured my phone pre to 56db gain 121 ohms (This apparently is the only setting close to 100ohms on this amp. There isn’t a 200 setting either; it’s a bit over 200) it sounded nice to me! But I’ll be trying different amounts this weekend when it’s back
Yes settled on the EAR MC3 SUT which gave me the idea it should be balanced from TT to SUT not unbalanced.
I thought exactly the same thing when I got my AT and asked about the packaging on the forum too! I've been meaning to write to Audio Technica and suggest they seal their packaging. Your cart will sound even better after about 40 records. I hope it lasts a good long time!
I may be wrong, but I think he's probably asking about the ART9XI, which should be somewhat lower than your XA, probably 6-7Hz based on measurements earlier in this thread ... The Technics SL-1200 GAE/G/GR general questions thread
I guess that must be based on a calculation, so what values did you use for mass and compliance? I'm guessing mass is around 21g and compliance round 27cu, which would give a resonance around 6.5Hz, and a pretty close match to the measured value in the link. But my numbers are just a guess since there aren't any official published values, and yours are probably close enough for most people.
Well, got my TT back from the shop after installing the KAB USA interconnect mod, as my original hardwired left interconnect broke internally, and I had soldered on a new plug (which was not done well). Thought that was the source of the hum; not fully grounded, or something. Got it home, hooked up using new interconnects and NOPE! Still humming. Had the damn phono preamp sitting under my headphone amp and above my DAC. Moved those away and, boom. Hum is gone. Finally been listening, about 5 hours in, and hell yeah this needle is amazing. A BIG step up over the AT150MLX. And this phono pre is impressively silent too. Is there any advantage to increasing gain? Won't that just increase background noise?
Okay, I just tried 243 ohms. Definitely less shrill and a bit more weighty! Also seems the preamp is quieter somehow - less hiss? Not sure if this is what Ohms control here in a preamp. But I'm pretty sure I'm hearing a more weighty sound compared to 120 ohms.
using 17.6 g for mass based on 9.1 measured effective mass of the GR tonearm per a HiFi news lab test. for compliance I used the AT recommended 1.6 x multiplier of the spec'd dynamic compliance of 15. Tonearm Resonance CalculatorTotal T+cart Mass[gr]Cartridge 17.6 Compliance[cu] 24 Resonance Freq[Hz] 7.74
Congrats on solving the hum issue! Increase gain if the sound is not as energetic or dynamic as you like, if it tends to lag or hesitate. The ill effects of too much gain will be a distorted, less refined sound that might be too forward in the midrange. Also volume will be at a low setting but sound will be somewhat loud. The sound will prevent you from wanting to increase the volume. The sound will smooth out and even out at 30 hrs and slowly improve over time after that. Mine took about 100 hrs to the point where I could increase the gain from 56db to 66db. Good luck and enjoy !
Just happened to be listening now and watching the thread. Put on the Beatles 67-70 "blue album" because it's AAA, and I just can't say enough how amazing this cartridge is. The level of separation and air around each instrument is truly impressive. This thread is what convinced me to pull the trigger, and I'm just so glad. Thank you all!
I heard from Steve yesterday. He agreed with me, he said mine was the filthiest cartridge he'd ever seen. He ran it through his cleaning process three times and finally got all the gunk out of it. He's straightening the cantilever, tightening and adjusting the suspension, and replacing the stylus tip. He said the tip was badly worn on one side. The person I bought this cart from really abused it. Why would he spend over 1K for it and then wreck it like this? The stylus tip was worn from waaay too much anti-skate, and it looked like the gunk came from wet cleaning lps with it. That's what I thought as well when I got it but I wasn't aware of the diamond damage as I don't have a microscope. I'm just glad I bought it really cheap as even with Steve's fee I'm still in at a little over half the retail cost. I'll end up with a literally new, or possibly better than new, ART9 for around $650.00 including the purchase price. The thing that amazes me is even in the state it was in it still sounded very good. When Steve gets through with it I should be blown away by it. I can't wait to hear what it really should sound like.
1300 POUNDS when it’s only 1300 dollars USD? Yikes. Granted the 7 is equivalent of the XA model (lower output than the XI) and apparently more suited for classical and acoustic music. if that’s your jam, definitely go with the 7. Specs are nearly identical and for that price diff in UK, why not. in the US the 7 is hard to find, and 9 is sold out everywhere I looked. So XI it was for me.
I've been constantly impressed by the ART9xi over the last week and a half. Tight fast bass, finesse, wonderful soundstage, etc etc etc. But the output had me switching between gain options on my Parasound JC3 jr, 56 was not quite enough and 66 just a little too much at times. I ordered through Amazon and still have time left to return, so I figured if I was unsure now was the time to try the lower output XA. First off the output is a better match in my system using 66db of gain from my phono pre, but more notable is the increased detail between the carts. Micro details are now incredible, and the timber, while very good with the XI, is breathtakingly realistic. The soundstage was truly defined well with the XI, but that too is improved with the XA. I am certain some of this is due to gain using the XI in my system, but for me the XA is the clear choice.
Different stylus shapes too, but curious about what leads you to say that the 66db gain was too much at times? The JC3 Jr seems to have a pretty good overload margin on the highest gain setting of 23dB @ 0.5mV input per the HiFi News measurements, so not likely clipping or high distortion in the phono preamp, though maybe the next stage has an issue? Weren't you using a SUT with a different preamp in the recent past, or was that someone else I'm thinking of? Anyway, sounds cool, that is probably the one I'd opt for since I have lots of gain available with a SUT into my CJ phono pre, though wish they offered it with the MicroLine stylus, I'm a bigger fan of that than Shibata (honestly haven't used or heard a Shibata in many years, so that opinion isn't really founded on anything substantial at this point, but it does irk me a little that they usually charge more for a Shibata cartridge than the MicroRidge, even though the Shibata is generally cheaper from the supplier ). The ART7 is kind of tempting too at $990 from some sources, SLC tip instead of Shibata, lower output, not sure how it compares with the new version sonically, or why they keep both in the lineup.
If I were going MC on the Jr, the 0.5mv does hit the "sweet spot" for this stage as evidenced in the HiFiNews article you linked (we've both touched on this in prior threads - you may not get the most out of the Jr with MC carts in the 0.3mv and below category). Then again, I bet that cart sounds great on the JC3+
But our friend @okc_craft just said it sounds better with the lower output cart. You just lose a little signal to noise ratio, I think still well below the vinyl noise. But I haven't used that preamp or the cartridge, all just Monday morning conjecture on my part
In fairness others who have a great ear heard the XI with the 66db and thought it sounded great. For whatever reason I seem to have an aversion to gain and run a passive Khozmo after the Parasound, so likely the XI is well within an area that sounds nice to most people, I'm probably the outlier here. I do have the RCA 12399 SUT, that you have educated me on before, I may try it with the XA as it's cleaner sound might be a good match the the RCA that sounded a bit thick with my OC9xml.
