Fidelity Research cartridges

@rauliruegas 

Dear @edgewear : """ but I don’t hear the sonic benefits compared to Stevenson, so I decided to stick with Ikeda’s original specifications.."""
It’s weird, for say the least, that you can’t be abble/aware of the quality performance in cartridges running with Lôfgren A alignment and Stevenson alignment when the last one has way higher tracking distortion levels in all recorded LP surfce but the lAst 3mm.

The reason @edgewear cannot hear the difference between Baerwald & Stevenson on his set up is because Ikedas original specifications are not Baerwald.

@rauliruegas 

unfortunatelly Ikeda was a follower of the ignorance of almost all tonearms japanese manufacturers whom choosed by ignorance Stevenson alignment, was like a wrong " fashion " in those times

Ignorance is like beauty, it is in the eye of the beholder. Ikeda did not use Stevenson.

@rauliruegas 

additional to that fashion Ikeda made other mistake when left fixed the AZ alignment parameter too.

Have no idea what you are trying to say here. I did ask Brenda, but even though she laid 3 eggs today, I still could not understand what point you are making.

@nandric 

No wonder Ikeda returned to the ''old kind'' in his latest 9 series.

Actually Ikeda never returned. As far as I am aware, Ikeda had nothing to do with the current range of Ikeda cartridges.

Thanks dover, Do you mean that the ''new owners'' produced this new ''9 series carts''? So I can still admire our ''old Ikeda'' (grin).
BTW what is your opinion about those ''cantileverless kinds''?
I am wondering why  those Decca  admirer never discovered 
this MC kind of dynamic wonder?

@nandric 
As you know I have an Ikeda Kiwame, having previously had the original Ikeda 9. I like them very much, they are quick and very open through the mids - easily the best cartridge for me back in the 80's.

The Decca London Gold with Garrott Microscanner - very quick but the Ikeda at its best has more flesh and bones through the mids.
I first had the Ikeda back in the 80's - at this time it was very rare outside of Japan and certainly no magazine had reviewed it. This is why it is relatively unknown. Rowland Complement was the only version known in the US.

The main issue was variability, some tracked beautifully, others were difficult.

Subsequently, my Dynavector Nova 13D which I have owned since the early 90's, has more resolution than the Ikeda particularly in the mids to upper mids and tracks beautifully since it was last upgraded by Dynavector Japan with Microridge stylus and other tuning.

I dont have much experience with the new Ikedas, I have heard the Kai, preferred it to the Air Tight cartridge on the same TT. In some ways I think the Ikeda 9TS is more musical than the more expensive models - but thats only an impression from very brief listening in desparate systems.

Ikeda-San passed away last year, find all his legendary cartridges here.
There are 14 different versions of the cantileverless Ikeda 9 handmade by Isamu Ikeda himself.