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Fidelity Research FR-64 vs. FR-54

In a prior discussion, I had asked about tonearm suggestions for a Luxman PD-441 table that currently has a Denon DA-307 tonearm and Grado The Reference high output cartridge.  Many suggestions were provided.  A Fidelity Research FR-64 was suggested as a simple replacement.  I'm wondering if the FR-54 would also be good, being that it is mentioned in the Luxman manual in the same category as the Denon arm on there now?
bdunne
dover
2,177 posts
 
Lewm,
The original W170 is hard to find. Best place is Japanese market.
This company makes copies....  
http://www.vcyoyo-mitsuke.jp/shopbrand/034/O/
dcbingaman
93 posts
 
The FR 64fx is anodized aluminum where the FR 64S is steel.  The big difference is the moving mass - 20 g for the 64fx vs. ~ 30 g for the 64S.  The 64fx and the 66fx are the most expensive arms FR made.  They are specialized arms intended for low compliance MC cartridges.  (If you don't like them, it is probably because of cartridge compliance mis-match.)  I am using my FR-64fx with a Koetsu Urushi and it is a match made in heaven.  My Koetsu guy says the Koetsu cartridge was developed to match the FR-64 arms and I believe it.  They also work really well with Ortofon SPU cartridges.

lewm
12,459 posts
 
In my post of 01/31/17, the one preceding Dover's last post, I should have written "because of", not "even with".  It is because I am using a lighter than OEM headshell and a very lightweight MI cartridge that the CW has had to be moved so close to the pivot.  Don't want to confuse anyone any more than necessary (heh-heh).

dcbingaman, Wouldn't it be the case that the FR64S and 66S are better suited for lowest compliance MC cartridges, because they are, respectively, higher in effective mass than the fx versions?  So, you might say that the fx tonearms are best suited for low/medium compliance cartridges.  I own an Urushi, too, and one of the reasons I bought the FR64S was to suit the Urushi, because I have read that the two are well matched.  So far, I haven't gotten around to trying that combo, however.

I accidentally came upon the posts by J Carr, in which, like Raul, he mildly criticized the FR64S/66S tonearms for their resonant properties.  Raul was not wrong in mentioning that he had J Carr on his side in the debate.  J Carr seems to prefer the later Ikeda tonearms and some others, to the FRs, and he mentioned that Ikeda himself prefers his later tonearm designs to those he designed for FR.  I think, in audio as in other pursuits, context is everything. I still have to go by what I hear in my system with the particular cartridge that I am using.
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 

Dear Lew, whatever the context we have our own preferences. J.

Carr mentioned in the same post that Ikeda 345 is his best arm.

Even Ikeda and his mechanics agreed that the 345 is their best.

I own the 345 but prefer my FR-64 S.


lewm
12,459 posts
 
Nandric, Thanks for filling in the model number of the preferred Ikeda tonearm.  I've never seen an Ikeda arm of any type, but in photos I don't see any evidence that they incorporate damping any more so than the FR tonearms.  But I reckon the arm tubes may be internally damped, whereas the FRs are not.  Just a guess.
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