JP
Major Contributor
Any error messages?
Lots. I've been trying different stuff for a couple hours. I tried to debug in Spyder. No idea if that is a good way to go about it, but most of the bug messages there say I have a bad directory or it can't find the file. I suspect it might work if those two lines were correct. In the prompt, it isn't recognizing the plt. commands.Any error messages?
Looking Good!The MM vs MI vs MC thread is getting a bit long, and covers several subtopics on measurements, so I am making this thread to focus on the cartridge I got when I took interest over there.
First, I figured a microscope inspection would be a good predecessor to ripping sweeps for measurement. Here's how my AT-OC9XML looks right now:
View attachment 121603
Obviously, my theory that the silver stuff around the stylus tip was protective packing grease or something like that was incorrect. It hasn't changed much with a couple hundred hours of break in and corresponding cleaning with melamine foam and a carbon fiber brush... anyway, looks clean enough, so time to rip some tracks and see if I can process them into useful data.
I just don't see anything in this review that makes me think the ART9XI is worth the money:Recently I got an ART9XI and I was going to do head to head rips vs the ART9XA.
But as I was futzing around with azimuth tweaking using the Puffin, I destroyed the ART9XI's stylus.
So I can trade it in for a replacement ART9XI for $650 (ouch! expensive tuition).
Or I was thinking I could trade it in for an AT-OC9XML, hopefully for less money.
Thoughts?
Which would you guys do?
I just don't see anything in this review that makes me think the ART9XI is worth the money:
Audio-Technica AT-ART9XA and AT-ART9XI Moving Coil Phono Cartridges Review - HomeTheaterHifi.com
Audio-Technica is a name that’s been around in audio for a long time. This review covers their new moving coil AT-ART9XA and AT-ART9XI...hometheaterhifi.com
Sorry, I forgot the second part of that: personally I would go for the OC9XML and sleep well knowing that I have something as good as the 9XI. I think the biggest difference would be half a dB at 14kHz, which is likely inaudible or at the very least barely perceptible added "air."Okay, although I thought the review was fairly accurate and subjectively favorable.
And I'm rather fond of my remaining ART9XA, tied for favorite cart with the Nagaoka MP-500.
But that's not really the question at hand.
The question is whether I should swap my damaged one for an AT-OC9XML.
(or even a different member of the OC9 family, as I have options)
Sorry, I forgot the second part of that: personally I would go for the OC9XML and sleep well knowing that I have something as good as the 9XI. I think the biggest difference would be half a dB at 14kHz, which is likely inaudible or at the very least barely perceptible added "air."
I would get OC9, but I am biased. I have not heard the more expensive ones and I already spent money on the OC9XML. If you get OC9XSL we could compare rips.
Well go ahead and get the ML then. I can always get the other ones myself if I really want to hear them.But I'd miss out on the Iron Man colors.
I'm not sure why AT has been pushing Shibata on their latest offerings. Last I checked it didn't seem to bring anything to the table other than shorter life than ML.