Fidelity Research cartridges


Any FR cartridge experts out there? Raul? Dertonarm? Syntax?
I have had an FR-7 which I bought a while ago. I tried it ever so briefly when I got it on an arm I now recognize as not being able to handle that weight (close, but no cigar). I just now pulled it out for kicks and after getting it adjusted with the big counterweight, I am VERY pleasantly surprised. Actually, I'm feeling kind of bubbly. It does not dig out the utmost in detail, but it just sounds very right.

Are there any other FR carts out there which are real steals if still in good condition? I know the MC-702 and the FR-1Mk2 and Mk3f by name, with good reps being assigned to the Mk3 and the MC-702. Given that the MC-702 and the FR-7 look quite similar, and they were offered at about the same time, what is different? And is the FR-7 just an integrated headshell version of the FR-1Mk3?
t_bone
@ausliebesurmuzik, please let me know what you think of the 407/Yamamoto/Koetsu combo.  I just received an HR-6s headshell and mounted a Koetsu RSP on an FR-64S.  I was interested because it is unclear to me how to fine adjust the zenith given the headshell’s fixed mounting holes. Luckily I can adjust my tonearms position relative to the spindle for overhang.

Dear chakster, I am not the right person to give you advice about

phono-pres but I own two highly regarded samples: Basis Exclusive

(gold) with battery power supplay and Klyne 7 PX 3.5 which is

praised even by Raul . That is to say one of the few next to his own

(grin). Considering your extended interest and not so extended

means I would recommend Klyne which can be obtained with

modest means. Typical pre for your experimetal nature because

the pre has 4 amplification stages (from 40 till 68 dB) as well

''high frequency contour'' by which each MC cart can be corrected

in its resonance region . Besides there are loading recommendatios

by which 47 K plays important role.

For this pre you should check regular the German HIFI market

(aka ''audio-markt.de'').  



Currently runnin my Fidelity-Research PMC-3 with zyx cpp-1 (125ohm, additional 26db gain) headamp paired with JLTi 47k MM input with very good result. This compo sound better than another mm phono stage with build-in suts, also better than JLTi relatively high gain MC input. So this god damn zyx pre-preamp is a good device, i have not used it for a long time. The nest device for comparison will be Luxman 8030 silver SUT for low impedance FR-7f. 

The ''paradox'', the more one read the more one forget. The less

one read the less one forget... I have read this thread at least

5 time but discovered many valuable contribution by my present

reading. I obviously forget what Dertonarm, Carr and other has

to say. I hope that chakster will be as impressed with his FR-7f

as I was with my first FR-7.