Audio-Technica ART1000X

[Bill Demars]

I am curious if anyone here has tried or owns the ART1000X cartridge? I haven't seen much coverage other than a couple of reviews.

 

[Ron A.]

I am curious if anyone here has tried or owns the ART1000X cartridge? I haven't seen much coverage other than a couple of reviews.

Bill,

I have the ART1000X cartridge installed in my system for less than a week. I replaced an Ortofon a95 that had seen it's better days.

I would like to let you know that the first cartridge sent to me was defective due to a large (16%) zentith error, which I sent back to AT under warrantee. They sent it back to Japan to replace the stylus tip and cantilever. This took 4 months.

As for the sound, my initial impressions are positive. The sound is really vivid and fast like the Ortofon but with a bit more relaxed and for me, immersive. This is after 3 days of listening to mostly classical music so far and remembering the Ortofon after not having it in my system for 4+ months.

Hope this helps

 

[Bill Demars]

Bill,

I have the ART1000X cartridge installed in my system for less than a week. I replaced an Ortofon a95 that had seen it's better days.

I would like to let you know that the first cartridge sent to me was defective due to a large (16%) zentith error, which I sent back to AT under warrantee. They sent it back to Japan to replace the stylus tip and cantilever. This took 4 months.

As for the sound, my initial impressions are positive. The sound is really vivid and fast like the Ortofon but with a bit more relaxed and for me, immersive. This is after 3 days of listening to mostly classical music so far and remembering the Ortofon after not having it in my system for 4+ months.

Hope this helps

Great Ron! Thank you for that information. How did you detect the zenith error? Send it to J.R.? Also, what is your impression of the tracking ability?

 

[Ron A.]

Great Ron! Thank you for that information. How did you detect the zenith error? Send it to J.R.? Also, what is your impression of the tracking ability?

Bill,

You are correct, I sent my original cartridge to J.R. When I got it back from the AR repair, I did not send the repaired cartridge to him, took a shot and mounted it. Enjoying the sound.

So far the cartridge has had no issues tracking what I have played so far. Initial impressions it's as detailed as the A95.

Thanks

Ron

 

[Mike Lavigne]

i've owned the limited edition Audiotechnica 60th Anniversary MC2022 cartridge for 2 years now and am very impressed. it holds it's own with my high flying DaVa Ref and Etsuro Gold in my system. it's unified cantilever/stylus delivers a purity and balance hard to beat. not sure how the ART 1000X compares as it looks quite different and does not have the unified cantilever/stylus.

of course, consider also that the list price of the MC2022 was $9k, 50% more than the ATR 1000X. and i considered that the MC2022 solidly delivered above it's price point IMHO. likely the ART 1000X does too.

 

[Balle Clorin]

I would like to let you know that the first cartridge sent to me was defective due to a large (16%) zentith error, which I sent back to AT under warrantee. They sent it back to Japan to replace the stylus tip and cantilever. This took 4 months.

That is quite horrible quality control from AT, only few users will have the tools or take the effort to find a faulty manufacturing like this. Glad it worked out for you, but I cannot help myself thinking about what others might be playing with without knowing. My OC9 is 1 degree off Zenith.

 

[Bill Demars]

That is quite horrible quality control from AT, only few users will have the tools or take the effort to find a faulty manufacturing like this. Glad it worked out for you, but I cannot help myself thinking about what others might be playing with without knowing. My OC9 is 1 degree off Zenith.

Very likely, there is a good percentage of cartridges whose zenith angles are off by more than 15% according to J.R. These folks have no idea that this is the case. Other than sending it to J.R. or having a really good microscope, and a lot of patience, one is at the mercy of the manufacturer. You are fortunate to have only a 1% zenith angle error. Probably just luck of the draw.

 

[Balle Clorin]

Probably true, one period I returned 3 of 4 cartridges due to angular errors outside the spec of 3-5 degree error. Both AT and others. Having A useful USB microscope and focus stacking software pays off very fast.

Very cheap usb microscope, no focus stacking

 

[hb22]

I've been working on a test record for a long time that would relatively easily fix this error.

 

[Balle Clorin]

How can a test record fix an error in a cartridge?

 

[Bill Demars]

This is a photo that I grabbed as a screenshot from a video that Joseph Long posted on his website. He zoomed in and out for quite some time and I paused at this moment. I find it fascinating to be able to see the actual stylus mounting patch quite clearly and how far off it is. Joseph said this was about 5 degrees off. Imagine 15 degrees?

 

[Balle Clorin]

Finding SRA is relatively easy, but Zenith is really hard to photograph, focus stacking helps
My ATOC9MLii, 1 degree off

But thinking about it it is the angle and movement of the boron rod and not the diamond itself that generate the electric signal from the coils.
So I maybe think “correcting “ the diamond angle by offsetting the boron rod angle ( is cantilever the correct term?) may not be a good thing or right thing to do, even if the touch points for left and right wall is not optimal without correction.
- a conical tip will of course not have a zenith problem, but still the cantilever should be tangential at the null points-
Any thoughts?