FR66s vs Ikeda IT-407 CR tonearms


Has anyone compared the FR66s to the newer Ikeda IT-407 CR1 tonearm? Any thoughts? In previous years, the Ikeda was available with either copper or silver internal wiring but the recent models don't mention anything about the tonearm wiring. Can anyone comment what type of wiring is used in the latest editions? It would seem intuitive that the later Ikeda IT407 should be a better performer than the FR66s having improved material and bearings over the FR66s but the proof is in the hearing.
ddriveman

Dear both , my beloved ddriverman and Sampsa 55.

First the ''curious'' anti-skate by 345. The picture included

by Sampsa is the version 245 for which I stated to have

similar anti-skate with FX kinds.  To prove my statement

wrong the picture of 345 or 407 would be needed.

Dear ddriverman, I have no idea about ''new Ikeda silver wire''

because I still use the ''old one''. The PR used by Kondo san

to promote his ''matured silver'' can not be ascribed to me.

I only mentioned two , say, opposite opinions about ''silver

kinds''. BTW there are persons who swear by Audio Note

cables , phono-cables included and If I remember well

Dertonarm offered both for his rewire. I like disputes; this

seems to be ''natural'' by my profession (grin).

Dear sampsa, As I mentioned before ''the facts and only the

facts'' count for sampsa. The function of the lever with finger screw

in addition to the lever with scale and (anti-skate) weight is an

enigma to me. By FR 64/66 the ''scale with weight'' is sufficient

for anti-skate adjustment. Is it possible that the old version of

FX kinds missed this extra lever? I can't remember the thing

from my old FR-64 FX but there is/was an mk 2 version. If

so this may explain my confusion.

The function of the knob with the finger screw is to adjust the lever so that it is level when the cartridge is at the beginning of the record. This allows the anti-skate force to be calibrated regardless of how the tonearm is rotated horizontally and to decline at the same rate as the cartridge moves across the record.

 The whole business about whose silver wire might sound better seems to me to be silly. Unless we think that either Ikeda or Kondo or Dertonearm own silver mines. All of these entities must buy their silver wire from some company that makes wire. It’s all very unglamorous. For all we know they all get their wire from the same original source. And Kondo’s claim about maturing the wire seems equally specious to me. All silver on earth is probably as old as the earth or very nearly so.

The purity of the silver and how it’s wound  or not wound, and how it’s insulated, all of those could possibly make a difference to sound quality.