Personally, I didn't really like IX as much as VII or X, but it was a good game. I guess I just didn't like Zidane all that much (please don't kill me).

Chrono Cross...I haven't really played through it all, but from what I've seen, it's certainly up there in the charts. If you enjoyed Chrono Trigger, then you should take a look at Cross.

So, I guess it just comes down to what you're looking for, like Dark Dragon Knight said.