Fidelity Research FR64s versus FR64fx

[christensenleif@msn.com]

have spent this spring/summer to compare Kiseki, Blue,Purpleheart, Purpleheart Saphire, Agaat Ruby 2, Blackheart all NOS(NS have Clearaudiomotor and can be recognised by motor hanging below body vs NOS are flush)
also a Koetsu Rosewood Signature Patinum retipped by Expert stylus and an original Koetsu Urushi Wajima
all in Analog Magic direct silver wired FR66s
SUTs have been Consolidated Cardas cu, DaVa ag/cu and cu/cu plus a couple of more
PH Saphire and Agaat Ruby have 42R internal impedance, the rest 5-6R
my benchmark is DaVa Soul and DaVa Reference, however in other arms
so far I´ve sold Kiseki Blue and both Phs....I found the Purpleheart nice tonally but not as much as the Blackheart or Urushi
the saphire cantilevered Purpleheart was on the analytical side but still nice
all in all I prefer the Blackheart for it´s lush harmonics and glorious violin and voices and Agaat Ruby2 for it´s explosive dynamics and drive, much like a stone bodied Koetsu
the Rosewood sig platinum is like a wannabe Soul, but not as fullbodied or clean
the Urushi is like a Blackheart, with even more solid bass and slightly airier hf

 

[Kcin]

I have FR66s and FR64 here both reworked by Rick at Analog Magik- the Rada Ag/Cu SUT and now for about a week trialing the Kondo KSL- Sfz all ag SUT- impressions are forth coming. Rick visited my home this week from Singapore and insisted in taking my FR66s back to modify it with additional wires for the Dava field coil and to change the signal wires to his limited edition silver NOS wire. I should expect it back in a few weeks.

He also picked up the damper diode field coil power supply I built for him.

Dava Soul is on tap as well as Etsuro Gold here. The Koetsu Jade Platinum is a favourite of mine as well. I only have about 10 hrs on the Dava and waiting to put more hours on it so that it fleshes out even more. The Esturo is an incredible cartridge that does dynamics and allows soul to come through. Generally, you get one or the other.

 

[Argonaut]

I found the Purpleheart nice tonally but not as much as the Blackheart or Urushi
the saphire cantilevered Purpleheart was on the analytical side but still nice
all in all I prefer the Blackheart for it´s lush harmonics and glorious violin and voices and Agaat Ruby2 for it´s explosive dynamics and drive, much like a stone bodied Koetsu

Concur … I have a Blackheart mothballed away for another day , fab on jazz and crooner .

 

[Argonaut]

I have FR66s and FR64 here both reworked by Rick at Analog Magik

I would add factory wire SME 3009 and SME 3012 and (R) owners would be rather surprised as to the fidelity that their tonearm is really capable of …

 

[Maril555]

I would add factory wire SME 3009 and SME 3012 and (R) owners would be rather surprised as to the fidelity that their tonearm is really capable of …

For what its worth, I’ve had both complete stock SME-3012R and fully restored/modified Analog Magik silver wired FR-66S with almost identical carts (Ortofon SPU 90 and 95 Anniversary) on the same table at the same time. Very easy to switch between the two.
I could not tell the difference at all, so I thought that my listening skills are not very good.
Then a friend of mine came over, who’s hearing is much better than mine as he is an instrument playing musician with a very high level all analogue system.
I didn’t tell him I was switching b/w two arms and played the same track. He never noticed the switch and actually was surprised why I’ve played the same track twice.
Go figure.

 

[bonzo75]

For what its worth, I’ve had both complete stock SME-3012R and fully restored/modified Analog Magik silver wired FR-66S with almost identical carts (Ortofon SPU 90 and 95 Anniversary) on the same table at the same time. Very easy to switch between the two.

But 90 and 95A should sound different on the same arm as well. Something in the electronics is then reducing the ability to tell the difference. Two carts should sound different

 

[Argonaut]

For what its worth, etcetera .

Yours being the first anecdote that I have read failing to report an audible increase in fidelity post an AM tonearm wire upgrade from the original factory wire …

 

[Maril555]

Yours being the first anecdote that I have read failing to report an audible increase in fidelity post an AM tonearm wire upgrade from the original factory wire …

AM FR-66S wasn’t compared to the stock one but to stock SME 3012R

 

[Maril555]

But 90 and 95A should sound different on the same arm as well. Something in the electronics is then reducing the ability to tell the difference. Two carts should sound different

I did hear a very slight difference b/w 90 and 95 when installed on the same SME 3012R, so I probably internalized the delta to a certain degree. But one could have expected that the delta b/w SME and FR would be significantly more obvious, which wasn’t the case

 

[Maril555]

AM FR-66S wasn’t compared to the stock one but to stock SME 3012R

To be exact I have never heard the stock FR in my system

 

[Maril555]

Now I have TechDas TDC01 Ti on SME and SPU 95Ann on FR-66S and that’s a completely different kettle of fish.
I should move TechDas to FR at some point.

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

FWIW:
I had the new Ikeda IT-407 in B-60 and after a few weeks I started feeling it was in some way colored in the HF...it added a sheen to the sound that got quite tiring
got a FR64s and shipped it to AM for refurb, 12" conversion, new upgraded bearings and direct AM silver wiring
the FR seems a better built arm and sounds better too....I traded away the Ikeda
never looked back

 

[bonzo75]

I did hear a very slight difference b/w 90 and 95 when installed on the same SME 3012R, so I probably internalized the delta to a certain degree. But one could have expected that the delta b/w SME and FR would be significantly more obvious, which wasn’t the case

Difference in arms is lower compared to carts or phono or table, provided carts match to the arm.

 

[bonzo75]

FWIW:
I had the new Ikeda IT-407 in B-60 and after a few weeks I started feeling it was in some way colored in the HF...it added a sheen to the sound that got quite tiring
got a FR64s and shipped it to AM for refurb, conversion, new upgraded bearings and direct AM silver wiring
the FR seems a better built arm and sounds better too....I traded away the Ikeda
never looked back

And the Ikeda is quite better on the Techdas AF3 for the Dava at audioquattr compared to 3012r, though the 3012r suits vdh more and is better than the Graham phantom elite.

 

[Maril555]

And the Ikeda is quite better on the Techdas AF3 for the Dava at audioquattr compared to 3012r, though the 3012r suits vdh more and is better than the Graham phantom elite.

The safe conclusion to make is that the synergy b/w the table, arm and cartridge is the main determinant of the resultant sound.

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

And the Ikeda is quite better on the Techdas AF3 for the Dava at audioquattr compared to 3012r, though the 3012r suits vdh more and is better than the Graham phantom elite.

conclusion:
audioquattr should get an AMFR66 on the AF3 and add a "P" while he´s at it

 

[Maril555]

DAVA is a low compliance design that shouldn’t work the best on the low effective mass SME 3012R compared to Ikeda or FR

 

[Maril555]

Difference in arms is lower compared to carts or phono or table, provided carts match to the arm.

True

 

[Argonaut]

and direct AM silver wiring

I feel that opting for an AM re wire single length from headshell to RCA is a significant factor … as example a friend went for that option with his Glanz which iirc removed a dozen break/solder points in the signal path .

 

[Maril555]

I feel that opting for an AM re wire single length from headshell to RCA is a significant factor … as example a friend went for that option with his Glanz which iirc removed a dozen break/solder points in the signal path .

Also true. I was always curious to hear the stock vs AM FR-66S on the same table