Which pickup do I sell, which do I keep?

tkr,
Many thanks, I appreciate your views on these arm cart combinations. I have an SME V but still in it's box, intended on fitting a London Ref to it, which I may still do, but also like the Koetsu sound which would work well with my system. Your appraisal is inline with my thought's on these, and my exp with FR66s and Kondo + Koetsu.

Re the Nasotec, it may appear quirky but boy it works so well, using an Aidas PanzerHolz Diamond on mine currently, and may well end up just using this only and not fitting the V as a second arm..

Many thanks..

First of all, thanks for the Nasotec- tip. I will try to find out a bit more about it.

I would be ever so grateful if you could describe the SME V/ London Ref sound in comparison to the FR 64s/ Kondo, and if you mount the Koetsu in this how that sounds too, compared to the LR. It is a wonderful system you have assembled there!

Thanks, I´ll try:

1) It shouldn´t be a surprise that the London Ref is a real seat-of-your-pants-ride. It´s extremely dynamic, and makes everything sound exciting. For the heck of it I put on "Elton John`s Greatest Hits", and I have never heard Sir Elton that lively....A fun experience.
I had to increase the damping on the SME V to get rid of some "zinginess", but after that, the LR behaved very well, particularly in the mids. A lovely cartridge IMO, but something of a Paralympics winner. It does some things very well, others not at all. For example, don´t even try to use it on even slightly warped records.

2) The Kondo set up in the FR 64 S is pure seduction! The mids are to die for, bass is very good and it is also hugely dynamic. 

3) The Koetsu Coralstone matches a bit better with the FR 64 FX than with the SME V IMO. Haven`t tried it on the FR 64 S yet. It`s a bit more forward than the Kondo, and it has a bit more midbass bloom in the FR arm. It`s also the deep bass champ, btw.

Long post, hope this helps.

  Regards tkr


    

tkr,

Another headshell you could perhaps consider is the Nasotec Swing headshell, it is an unusual design but my opinion is it really excels in my SAEC we506, and could in either of your FR's too.

I would be ever so grateful if you could describe the SME V/ London Ref sound in comparison to the FR 64s/ Kondo, and if you mount the Koetsu in this how that sounds too, compared to the LR. It is a wonderful system you have assembled there!

Many thanks and kind regards..

Thanks!
I did exactly that. I found an Ortofon headshell, mounted the Coralstone in my FR 64 FX, and tried it out. It sounded better than it did in the SME V, and it won`t be sold anytime soon. 

Downstream equipment: Metric Halo ULN 8 ADC/DAC/Pre/digital crossover- biamped into CJ Premier 350/CJ ET 250S- Overkill Encore loudspeakers

tkr, You seem to have an elaborate system, although you don't mention downstream components.  But I get the impression that selling one of these 4 cartridges is not a matter of economic necessity.  So, I'd say keep them all.  Most of us nuts own more than 4 cartridges and think nothing of it.  In fact, I cannot imagine paring down to only 4.

PS. If you do get a second headshell for your FR64S, try something other than the ones made by FR for the 64S.  By all accounts, they are not so great. (I too own an FR64S but I have never played with any FR headshell; I am just repeating scuttlebutt.)

Now, that is a good idea! 

Why not just get another FR 64 headshell?

I don`t actually have room for another turntable. And I don`t really want to buy a second phono stage.
Apart from that, there is no point in having all that equipment if you don`t intend to use it. There is a limit to how much time I want to spend listening to music. Three different "flavors" (i.e.  Audio Note, London or SoundSmith/Koetsu) is enough.

Naw tkr, you just need a second table ;-). I myself just got one to mount a TransFi Terminator arm with London pickup on.

Haha, will do! 
I like all three arms, and none of them are up for sale.

Whatever you do, keep the SME V.