Refurbish Fidelity Research Tonearms

@mijostyn, you say there is nothing special about ’boat anchor’ tonearms and low compliance moving coils, but exactly what modern technology and wisdom are you referring to that have rendered them archaic? The only real advance in cartridge design is the availability of more powerful magnets, enabling a better output/impedance ratio that potentially translates to better sonics. As you say modern technology and wisdom move on, but in vinyl playback it’s mostly towards ever more ridiculous pricing.

Also, your comment that high mass arms and low compliance carts induce accelerated record and stylus wear is a myth. My own record collection consists almost entirely of previously owned records from the late 50’s to the early 70’s. What do you think these records were played with in those days? Yet well kept copies (in NM to EX condition) have survived these guerrilla circumstances admirably and usually sound infinitely better than records pressed today, which 'benefit' from this latest technology and wisdom.

Of course you are entitled to believe that new is always better, but please don’t try to sell it as fact. And what’s the purpose of doing this in a thread about refurbishing one of these boat anchors you obviously don’t care for?

You say you want the best sound and don’t care what it takes. This suggests an open mind, but in the same sentence you contradict this by saying you try not to go backwards. Which suggests a closed mind towards anything not new. Why?

Dear @edgewear : " Either way I’ve found that static balancing sounds slightly better,...."

I own/owned at least 7 tonearms that were/are balanced design. All of them but 2 use the spring to set up the vtf that always is a resonance source.
This happens with the 66 and 64 ( I still own the 64. ) and the SME IV/V the other 2 balanced tonearm designs that I owned were the MAX 282 ( great really great tonearm ) and the GST 801 that been balanced designs do not use that spring and has not those resonances.

For years I posted that all balanced tonearms vintage or today designs must be used in static way to set up the vtf and it’s not only because that distortion resonance source but because the LPs are not totally flat and is better to use the gravity for handled in better way those waves and the other important issue is that in static way the tonearm will stay nearer to the tonearm pivot given it a better control to horizontal and vertical extremely fast movements demanded for the grooves tracking along those imperfections in the LP as off-center/waves and the like.

So, yes I agree with you.

In the other side around 40grs. of EM in the 66 is not the best for any cartridge because at the end the cartridge cantilever/suspension are looking that dynamic mass during playback.

Any medium mass tonearm can handled any cartridge in way better way than a heavy one as the 66 or 64. Yes, I know that some die for it, good for them.

Btw, for your last post seems to me that you are the other way around from what mijostyn posted and in some ways is true that today analog advancements maybe are not so spectacular over the years against vintage items but in tonearm exist many advancements not only in the use of build materials or pivoted LT designs but today tonearms are best damped than the vintage as the 66S and this is an important issue to achieve better quality levels of LP reproduction.
No I don't think that in the future " things " in analog changes to much due that this alternative is way limited and one way or the other it's at its limit. Anyway we can enjoying it.

.Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Each his own opinion…. But none of those „experienced“ ones did own such expensive cartridges like Lyra Olympos ( i had 3), 2xTitan i, Delos, Kleos, Atlas, several Koetsu Stones with/without Diamond cantilever, Benz, Transfiguration, Air Tight, Zyx and a lot more I forgot and did use them side by side with most modern Arms and SME 3012R, Kuzma, several Graham Arms and FR-64s / 66s Arms witch each of them. Same with my former Denon 103, 103R etc.
I did and still do. And the FR Arms are superior to any other Arms. With all cartridges named above. You hear more from what is in the groove. More believable…
Probably some have problems to hear differences, well. Not my problem. When someone has opinions and produce that as facts, well, nothing new… Forums are loaded with such „ experts“
Best is, go out, listen to different units and do your own learning. It is all brain and part of the designers ability. Some are better than others…..


and yes, FR-7 carts are outstanding, they are still better than most modern ones, also own FR-7f, FR-7fc, FR-7fz and they survived all named above…

@rauliruegas I’m neither in the ’new is always better’ camp, nor the ’vintage rules’ one. There are great designs to be found in both. In phono cartridges there’s little real design innovation, yet ’archaic’ technologies are shamelessly reintroduced as new innovations. For example, several years ago Audio Technica presented the ART1000 as a major breakthrough. Of course the identical direct couple design was already issued by Victor in the 1980’s with the MC-L1000 (so they even ’paid hommage’ to the model number). As far as I know AT never acknowledged this, nor did any reviewer bother to mention it. Similarly, diamond cantilevers are now marketed as an innovative feature, but in the 80’s were commonly used in top end cartridges. These were certainly not cheap back then, but current pricing is just absurd. Last time I checked Namiki sells diamond cantilever/stylus assemblies B2B for ca. €1000, yet Koetsu charges its customers €4000 extra for this privilege (which is no more complicated to fit than their standard boron cantilever).

I agree with you that more innovation has happened in tonearm design. While the somewhat older Audiocraft AC-4400 is still my favorite tonearm, I can appreciate my ’modern’ Reed 3P for its refinement and versatility and certainly the 5P for its audacious design (unfortunately never had the chance to hear it). But for some of those ’archaic’ low compliance cartidges like SPU’s, FR7’s and yes, even current Koetsu’s and Miyajima’s there’s a special synergy with boat anchors like FR64/66. To each his own, but there are cases where those with a closed mind on ’old stuff’ are really missing out.

@syntax mostly agree with your post (which I hadn't seen before posting mine), except that I slightly prefer my 'modern' top carts like vdH Colibri XPW Blackwood (platinum coils, nla), Transfiguration Orpheus and Proteus, Ortofon A90 and A95 in the Audiocraft. But with SPU, FR7f(z), MC702, Ikeda 9 Rex, Miyabi Standard and Kiseki Lapis the FR64 rules!