[jtsnead]

I have had this a very long time the original cantilever was damaged when it was new.
I recently was able to find a nos sealed Ruby cantilever which I have not installed
because I have heard that these are very collectable. I might sell it if I can
get a decent price. The body of the cartridge looks brand new. I can not remember
how it sounds though.

Having trouble uploading picture but you can see it in my vinyl circle gallery.

[AudioSoul]

  I would check on Ebay and see what others have sold for. If what you find is what you had in mind for a price. List it.
  If there are no other ones for sale at the same time as yours (highly unlikly) you can get a good price for it. There are some
  collectors out there that would pay just about anything for it. One other thing, it is a NOS stylus assy. so dont play it.
  Keep it under wraps. You will get more for it.............

[neobop]

Interesting.
That NOS stylus is impossible to find any more. It's a wonder you got one. I would guess that the stylus alone would be worth some good money. A replacement from Soundsmith could be bought for $250 (ruby/fine line), but an original would be worth even more. Both pieces together is worth a lot more cause it's like a bran new cart.

What's a new TOTL cart going for these days? An Ortofon or Clearaudio is pretty good money. I'd sell it on Audiogon on that basis.

Grace F-9 Ruby mint with nos stylus................................. ..............$600.

For less than the price of a 2M Black you can own one of the all-time greatest cartridges. Blah blah blah.

You can always sell it for less or drop the price.
neo

[pas]

That's one FINE cartridge.  Had an F-9 that got trashed in the mid 80's.  The ruby was even better.  They compete favorably with the best of today's MM.  Very liquid mids.  Wish I still had it...

[jtsnead]

Thanks for the follow ups,
It is interesting to see what this would go for, because of the history
I am so tempted to listen to it.

I got the nos stylus out of Japan, it benifted the earthquake relief fund.
I had been looking for any replacement stylus for a while.

The last mm cartridge I listened to was my Signet TK5E which I still have.
It is good but not up to the standards of the mc designs I use now

Very tempting, isn't it.

[Aerobat]

It was made to play music, not sit in a collection.  I'd mount that sucker up and ENJOY it.

[Scott F.]

There was one up for auction in April at AGon. It didn't meet the sellers reserve. The final bid price was $172.00. there was another one back last year on the Canuck Audio Mart (the E version) for $150.

To me, that seems to be a low value for that cart (I have the F9e mounted on a Grace 707). A realistic price should be about $225-$250 with the new stylus.

Great cart BTW I wouldn't sell it, I'd use and enjoy it. It's quite good.

[SET Man]

Hey!

     I hope the OP, jtsnead don't mind if I jump into this thread a bit. 

    I do have a Grace F9 of which came attached with a turntable that I recently acquired. It is clear in color not green. The cart looks good but unfortunately the sound distorted during the heavy passages on the LP. Not sure but I think the suspension is stiffening up or something. 

    It sound surprisingly good... very good actually when it is not distorted during the heavy passages.

     Anyway, so it is a use still for this? I don't think I will keep it even it is in perfect working condition. So, do you think there is a buyer for this? And what can I expect for it in this condition?

Take care,
Buddy

[parr3n1]

I recently purchased  a f9 ruby and paid $475 . I have not been sorry for the investment and actually will purchase another when the opportunity presents itself. Since I started on the mm kick it marks number 7 different cartridges and I think I will stop the merry go round.

[jtsnead]

Set,
No problem I want to hear as much as possible about the cartridge as possible.

Parr,
I thought they could go for alot of money, well relative to what it cost new.
Where did you get yours, was it an auction?
Are you saying that it is the best sounding cartridge out of the 7 you tried.
What do you like about it?

I am really tempted to listen to it and it seems with what you paid for yours
I probally would still be ahead of the game even with the opened stylus.
However I just ordered a Denon Dl-S1 that should be here this month,
which I am going to compare to my Benz Ace SL so I do not want to play
it right now.

Well if I wait all the more valuable it could become!

[neobop]

I never owned an F9 Ruby but I heard and set up a couple, years ago. What I heard was a surprisingly good cart that left little to criticize. It seemed to me that it was one of those carts for listening to music, rather than the cart.

I knew they were undervalued but I had no idea just how much. Maybe it's not in vogue right now or recommended by the MM guru?  I wouldn't sell it for a couple hundred bucks. But I also don't know how it would do on your Terminator or if you use any other arms, or that sort of thing.

If you're into MCs and you have a DL-S1 on the way, maybe you should think about it rather than let it go for cheap. I always wound up regretting selling something I liked, because something else was working out better at the moment, especially if I sold it for less than it was worth. Even if it's not the cart for you, you might have a friend or relative who would be thrilled to have it. Something to think about.
http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/messages/73/737800.html

neo

[jtsnead]

Good advice Neo,

I read that same story at audio asylum.

Upon further research it turns out that the stylus I bought is
for the F-9D which is not a ruby cantilever but does have the red
colored stylus. The cartridge is a F-9E with a broken cantilever.
Either way I am going to keep it and listen to it with D stylus
and send the E stylus to Soundsmith for a rebuild, it sounds
like it would be something special with a new Ruby cantilever
from Soundsmith.

[Nels Ferre]

Peter at Soundsmith is a great guy and a true craftsman. Prepare yourself for a long wait. It will be worth it.

[starkiller]

I had the F9E Ruby, first in Revox B795 and then in a Rega Planar 3...absolutely superb!  Like everyone else, wish I would have hung on to it but had to sell due to a divorce

[Toni Rambold]

The cartridge is a F-9E with a broken cantilever.

... the green stylus attached to the F-9 cartridge body is not the green Grace F-9E stylus !






Regards Toni