91r100gs
Lunatic Member
I felt the AT 440 mla was a bit bright on the VPI but I had it loaded correctly at about 180pf. The ART9 sounds nothing like it.
Anyone Familiar With the Audio Technica ART Series of Cartridges
- Thread starter Mister Pig
- Start date
mjw21a
Super Member
Thank goodness. I've spent some time comparing rips I did with the ART9 and my previous top cart, the Philips GP922. The ART9 is more detailed and nuanced, with deeper bass, better treble and more slam and punch. Sound stage seems about the same. Can't wait till the cart breaks in
I am considering the ART9 now that I've read a lot of positive comments about it here and elsewhere. But I'd have to sell my Dynavector off first (XX2 Mk II). I like it, but want to try something a bit different, and the 17D3 has jumped in price from the last one I owned (which I preferred over the XX2). The higher gain of the ART9 is also a plus, since the XX2 is 0.2mV. Alternately I had thought of waiting for a worn or damaged wood-bodied Grado to come along, and have Soundsmith work their magic with their best retip.
mjw21a
Super Member
Yes, the ART9 is amongst the very best carts I've heard. My 4x favourites are currently the Audio Technica ART9 Fidelity Research FR-1 Mk3F (FGS retip) and FR-7, and Klipsch MCZ-7 (retip with ruby cantilever + micro tracer 2 tip)
The Fidelity Research carts are more rich and full bodied, while being less forward sounding though ultimately less detailed though with a hint of warmth where the ART9 is a touch bright and forward. Basically the ART9 is a more modern sounding cart. The Klipsch is basically like a Supex SD900 though with superior detail , bass and treble extension.
I consider all 4 of these to be on the same level though each with a different presentation.
The Fidelity Research carts are more rich and full bodied, while being less forward sounding though ultimately less detailed though with a hint of warmth where the ART9 is a touch bright and forward. Basically the ART9 is a more modern sounding cart. The Klipsch is basically like a Supex SD900 though with superior detail , bass and treble extension.
I consider all 4 of these to be on the same level though each with a different presentation.
91r100gs
Lunatic Member
Still happy with my purchase of the ART9. It makes it perfectly clear what is in the grooves of the record you are playing. On ordinary records this cartridge unlike others, as I have worked my way up the cartridge quality ladder, does not penalize these records, only presenting what the pressing has. It is still stunning when I play a 1st class pressing. Clear, deep, focused bass. Piano is clear and distinct from the bass keys all the way up to the tink,tink keys. Mono recordings sound natural with a wide soundstage.
The most impressive aspect of the cartridge is how it makes 50 yr old records sound new. The uber tiny diamond is playing a different part of the groove than previous styli have, therefore surface noise has vanished to the point it is not noticeable. Many records are being listened to again, that have not seen a needle in years.
The most impressive aspect of the cartridge is how it makes 50 yr old records sound new. The uber tiny diamond is playing a different part of the groove than previous styli have, therefore surface noise has vanished to the point it is not noticeable. Many records are being listened to again, that have not seen a needle in years.
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91r100gs
Lunatic Member
Still lovin' mine. If there is one word to describe it, IMW that word would be "Class"
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plastico
Active Member
Well I got 6hrs on this cart so far. It has very similar dimensions to the Dl-301 so instalation was a snap. Oh, I stuck a little dab of blue tack on the nuts and stuck in place on the cart so screwing the screws from the top was a breeze! Oh man, the magnet on this thing could pick up nails from a roofing job! Anyways the first thing I noticed was the soundstage; how huge it is! And the soundstage on the DL-301 is no slouch. The ART9 has better highs, detail and bass than the DL-301. But then again its in a different snack bracket! And everybody kept asking me how much better can it get? It was hard to imagine cause the Denon is a great cart for the price. I just wanted a cart to end my quest for a great table/cart combo; to retire with. I read that it takes up to 100hrs to fully break-in. Oh, the first thing that I noticed when I played a old Nancy Sinatra record was the BLAT from the horns! Just great!
Cheers, Doug
Cheers, Doug
I can sort of vouch for that. I found the 440 to be very bright in the system I heard it in. I could not live with that, hence I never bought one (nor did I feel like dinking around with the loading to force it to sound right). Kind of funny that back in the 70s, my grandfather replaced his Shure with an AT and I had that very same reaction when I heard it!
I now have an ART7 and it is nothing like the AT MM carts--mine has been breaking in and has a nicely balanced frequency range. This thing is musical and picks up many fine details, like my Dynavector XX2, yet it tracks better than the XX2. I am now looking to upgrade away from the noisy Phonomena II+ phono stage and get a proper phono stage and SUT to use with the MC carts. I'll probably swap the Dynavector (or sell it) to get something better.
plastico
Active Member
My Art9 is breaking nicely. Got about 13 hrs on it. Had some guys over last night and when I played a older regular pressing of Valdy (Cdn folk singer), one of the guys told me that he has heard him live several times; 5 rows away at one time, and this playback was better! And this cart is still breaking in!
Cheers, Doug
Cheers, Doug
mjw21a
Super Member
I definitely recommend the Valab LCR-1 phono. I found it best used with a SUT though:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com.au/ulk/itm/302762772011
plastico
Active Member
I have found that as well. Man, it just keeps getting better!
Cheers, Doug
It is only fair that I contribute to this page. I had no experience with Audio Technica cartridges prior to a little over 2 years ago. After a close call medical emergency I resolved to spend a little of my retirement money on myself. Inspired by Mark B and jblnut's praise for the ART cartridges I decided to buy an ART9XI. Whilst browsing a Japanese ebay seller's listings I saw that he was selling a new ART model that I had never heard of. There was as near as nothing in the way of reviews of it anywhere. Nary a mention other than stuff lifted straight out of the Audio Technica press release. Being true to form, never being one to follow the herd and always the one who ventures off in search of new horizons, I decided to dive in and buy it.
Boy was that a great decision. Right from the first needledrop, immediately I was going "Woah". Gut reaction. They say first impressions count. It only got better. This is the best cartridge I've used in this system and the best I've personally heard to date. My best previously was my Soundsmith The Voice(ebony) medium compliance model. The Voice is a superb cartridge make no mistake. The ART20 just does something that few audio components do; It imposes itself less and exposes more of the nature of the grooves it is reading.
Since there are two GT 2000 owners on this thread, both of whom inspired me to take the leap, I'll give an example of the ART20 via its bass response. For all the non-GT 2000 owners: One of the highlights of the overall competency that the GT 2000 brings to vinyl playback is its bass insight. The bass is both clearly defined, quick to start and stop and really dynamic with the combination of speed and real punch that probably are the icing on the 2000 cake. With the ART20 on the GT 2000 the bass was quite something else. The Soundsmith was excellent in the bass. The ART20 in my system was at another level again. The entire presntation of the ART20 is a step further away from sounding like a recording and a step closer to sounding like less between the listener and the recording. In practice every recording sounds better and the better recordings sound much better.
I wrote a long thread at another site which any search for information about the ART20 will provide. If you like your ART of prior generations and are pondering the ART20 amongst others I'd simply say that there are few components I have ever heard that affected me like this cartridge. I have a brand new ART20 spare in case i damage the one on the arm. If I'm breathing I want to use this cartridge.
Boy was that a great decision. Right from the first needledrop, immediately I was going "Woah". Gut reaction. They say first impressions count. It only got better. This is the best cartridge I've used in this system and the best I've personally heard to date. My best previously was my Soundsmith The Voice(ebony) medium compliance model. The Voice is a superb cartridge make no mistake. The ART20 just does something that few audio components do; It imposes itself less and exposes more of the nature of the grooves it is reading.
Since there are two GT 2000 owners on this thread, both of whom inspired me to take the leap, I'll give an example of the ART20 via its bass response. For all the non-GT 2000 owners: One of the highlights of the overall competency that the GT 2000 brings to vinyl playback is its bass insight. The bass is both clearly defined, quick to start and stop and really dynamic with the combination of speed and real punch that probably are the icing on the 2000 cake. With the ART20 on the GT 2000 the bass was quite something else. The Soundsmith was excellent in the bass. The ART20 in my system was at another level again. The entire presntation of the ART20 is a step further away from sounding like a recording and a step closer to sounding like less between the listener and the recording. In practice every recording sounds better and the better recordings sound much better.
I wrote a long thread at another site which any search for information about the ART20 will provide. If you like your ART of prior generations and are pondering the ART20 amongst others I'd simply say that there are few components I have ever heard that affected me like this cartridge. I have a brand new ART20 spare in case i damage the one on the arm. If I'm breathing I want to use this cartridge.
Here's an excerpt of what I wrote elsewhere:
"Here's the thing about the ART20's bass. I have records where the bass just slams with impact. Even to the point where I think that I might need to dial it back a bit in the interest of frequency balance. Then I put on a different album and the bass is reticent and soft. Follow that with a different album and the bass kicks almighty butt. That put into perspective whether the bass I was hearing was excessive. No. It wasn't. When the recording had been produced and recorded to convey impactful bass, the ART20 takes the baton and sprints. When the recording intends to convey a more laid back less forward bass region, the ART20 correctly conveys the intent that the grooves define. Not boosting every album. Rather having the ability to accurately portray nothing more than an accurate reflection of the actual album balance.
That for me was a very interesting sequence of records. I did have a bunch of LPs there which are renowned for standard setting bass/ excellent bass. A mix of Sheffield Direct to Disc and a great pressing of Dire Straits Communique plus a couple of other bass references(Trio Of Doom rates a mention here. Jaco and Tony Williams together!). Then I put on a Crowded House LP and the bass almost disappeared and was so softly defined that it was like a completely different system. Next LP, another bassmeister and we are loosening the structural materials of the house again. The difference was like night and day."
"Here's the thing about the ART20's bass. I have records where the bass just slams with impact. Even to the point where I think that I might need to dial it back a bit in the interest of frequency balance. Then I put on a different album and the bass is reticent and soft. Follow that with a different album and the bass kicks almighty butt. That put into perspective whether the bass I was hearing was excessive. No. It wasn't. When the recording had been produced and recorded to convey impactful bass, the ART20 takes the baton and sprints. When the recording intends to convey a more laid back less forward bass region, the ART20 correctly conveys the intent that the grooves define. Not boosting every album. Rather having the ability to accurately portray nothing more than an accurate reflection of the actual album balance.
That for me was a very interesting sequence of records. I did have a bunch of LPs there which are renowned for standard setting bass/ excellent bass. A mix of Sheffield Direct to Disc and a great pressing of Dire Straits Communique plus a couple of other bass references(Trio Of Doom rates a mention here. Jaco and Tony Williams together!). Then I put on a Crowded House LP and the bass almost disappeared and was so softly defined that it was like a completely different system. Next LP, another bassmeister and we are loosening the structural materials of the house again. The difference was like night and day."
A short review of the ART20 by Herb Reichert:
www.stereophile.com
Gramophone Dreams #93: The Kalman R Experience, Audio-Technica ART20 Phono Cartridge Page 2 | Stereophile.com
Kal's renovated listening room features three KEF Blade Two Meta speakers. Holding that thought, I asked Kal to demonstrate his meticulously executed 5.3 channel system. Which he did by playing original five-channel orchestral recordings using JRiver's Media Center and Dirac Live.
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Good for you my friend! The AT-ART20 is in a different league than the AT-ART9 i have.