Fidelity Research FR-64x

@nandric 
Awesome info!! Thanks a million.

@nandric

... the first recommendation was to change Stevenson in Baerwald geometry. I have no idea why the most Japanese tonearms followed Stevenson. To get Baerwald the spindle-pivot distance need to be increased to 231.5 mm which result in eff. length of 246 mm.

In my case it’s the other way around, to set-up Baerwald (instead of Steventon) we have to move the arm closer to the spindle for a few mm (or to move the cartridge forward in the shell). Pivot to spinde distance on FR-64FX is 230mm, i use Dr.Feickert protractor, so i can chose Baerwald, Loefgren or Stevenson. Ikeda-San use Stevenson for this tonearm by default with correct pivot to spinde distande (230mm). The Stevenson points are closer to the spindle than Baerwald points. So when i put the needle to the Baerwald, without changind pivot to spinde distance, i have my needle a few mm behind the Baerwald points, which means the 230mm is too much (and must the shortened by a few mm).

You said it must be increased from 230 to 231.5 as your German reviewers said, but it must be shortened to about 228 as i can see to set up tonearm by Baerwald with Feickert protractor (which is a great, precision tool).

P.S. I use Stevenson by default with several tonearms, no problem with that.

Dear chakster, You and Feickert are wrong.

Dear @dover : """ Copper mat on aluminium platter dampens the aluminium. """

and how damps the copper surface where the LP is seated?

R.

Dear @chakster : " I use Stevenson by default with several tonearms, no problem with that. "

I don’t know what you mean with no problem with that/Stevenson.

Always is a real problem to align any tonearm with Stevenson A choice and the problem is that even if you can’t detected or if you are quite satisfied with Stevenson A alignment is the alignment choice with the higher distortion levels that the other standard alignments ( and by a wide margins. ): Löfgren A or B all over the LP surface but the last 3mm of the inner most IEC groove standard distance that normally comes with out recorded grooves.
Makes no sense to use Stevenson A: higher distortions all over the LP surface in favor of WHAT.

FR alignment specs comes for Stevenson A alignment and Mr. Ikeda as other Japanese brands that use Stevenson A are plain wrong. They have no idea about, they just did not understand how theose different alignment choices works. High ignorance level in this regards.

But those Germans are not only ignorant but stupid too when said that Löfgren A alignment for 246 effective length the P2S distance is 231.5mm. Totally wrong, it’s not.

If we want Löfgren A alignment in a FR tonearm using the FR effective length 245 spec then the P2S distance must be: 228.137mm , overhang : 16.863mm with an offset angle: 22.421°

But we can make Löfgren A calculations for a little longer effective length, say 247mm. This little change improves/lower the distortion levels.

Of course your Feickert protractor is rigth, no problem with. Dr. F. is not a stupid gentleman as other ignorants.

@mulveling , you can choose the P2S distance is convenient in your TT that permits the cartridge stylus to achieve the Löfgren A alignment.
If you choose 247mm for the FR effective length then the Löfgren A/Baerwald gives you a P2S distance of: 230.283mm with 16.717mm on overhang and  22.23° on offset angle.

That is a way way better alignment than the Stevenson A choice or the ignorant " germans ".

You only has to send Yip MINT LP that build the Löfgren A/Baerwald protractor for that P2S distance and the TT spindle diameter measure.

Avoid to use FR/Orsonic/or the like headshells and you can improve that tonearm / cartridge sounds quality levels not only with that kind of alignment but re-wiring the internal tonearm cable and setting up the VTF in static way to avoid the ringing mechanism in that FR balanced design.

@chakster this last sentence is one of the advantages in the GST 801 over almost all the balanced tonearm designs but the MS. You left go a way superior tonearm in favor of your " new kid " FR. Well, I know that you are a seller too. Good.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.