Theory about Fidelity Research MC & PMC Carts


I have a theory that the Fidelity Research MC 201 and 202 were the US market version of the PMC-1 and PMC-3. They were all produced from 1980 to 1984 and the specs on each look very similar.

Also, I have searched the entire internet and found no evidence of either the PMC’s being available in USA or the 201/202 being available in Japan.

Does anyone have any info to support or reject this theory.

Thanks in advance.


ateal

The question is about identity while identity theory already

exist. Say for someone who does not know that Vienna is

the same city as Wien (German) , Wenen (Dutch), Bec (Serbo-

Croatian), etc. We are used to think that names have unique

reference. But there are different names with the same reference.

This made ''logical conclusion'' about the truth possible :

''whatever is true about Vienna is also true about Wien, Wenen

and Bec (grin). This is called ''substitutio salva veritate'' . One

can substitute any of those names for each other and retain

the truth.

For anyone who's interested here are the specs gleaned from the web and from back issues of Consumer Audio magazines.

PMC-1

Output – 0.17 mV

VTF – 1.1g to 1.5g

Impedance – 14 Ohms

Compliance – 10 @ 100Hz

Weight – 7.5g

Tip – 0.1mm square elliptical diamond needle

Price when new – Yen 25,000 (1981) (Japan only??)

 

PMC-3

Output – 0.17 mV

VTF – 1.3g to 1.7g

Impedance – 8.6 Ohms

Compliance – 8 @ 100Hz

Weight – 7.5g

Tip – “VITAL” refined contact diamond

Price when new – Yen 40,000 (1981) (Japan only??)

 

MC 201

Output – 0.16 mV

VTF – 1.5g to 2.0g

Impedance – 8 Ohms

Compliance – 10 @ 100Hz

Weight – 7.5g

Tip – 0.3 x 2 mils line contact

Price when new – US$300 (1982) (US/Europe only??)

 

MC 202

Output – 0.17 mV

VTF – 1.5g to 2.0g

Impedance – 8.75 Ohms

Compliance – 8.5 @ 100Hz

Weight – 7.5g

Tip – 0.2 x 0.8 mils “VITAL” refined contact nude diamond

Price when new – US$350 (1982) (US/Europe only??)

 

FR-2

Output – 0.1 mV

VTF – 1.5g to 2.0g

Impedance – 6 Ohms

Compliance – 10 @ 100Hz

Weight – 7.5g

Tip – 0.3 x 3 mils line contact

Price when new – Yen 36,000 (Date Unknown??) (Japan only??)


@roberjerman 

I owned a MC201 back in 1980-81. Wish I still had it!  

Then why don't you buy it? This model is not rare and often for sale for cheap in perfect condition. 
Your erudition and wit are fun to read, as always. But I don’t think the question is whether Vienna = Wien (of course it does).

Ateal is asking if the FR MC-201 and MC-202 are the same cartridges as the FR PMC-1 and PMC-3.

If they are, substitutio salva veritate applies. But if they aren’t, it doesn’t. If they aren’t, it would be like saying Vienna = Salzburg.