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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
bukanona
174 posts
 
if tonearm is FR64 S version FR-7f will be better match.

in case of FR 64 fx both are good match.





parrotbee
103 posts
 
It is fr64s
my only fear is buying such an old cartridge...
i normally buy new carts ever since I got an OC7 with a wonky cantilever 16 years agos
bukanona
174 posts
 
Yes it is a lottery.
Although 35 grams of effective mass is a lot for majority of modern cartridges. 
I don't own FR-F7f but my Ikeda 9 CV is low compliance. So low that I think it's close to  Ortofon SPU and compliance figures are quite equal  of of 6 CV and F7f at least on paper.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@bukanona

if tonearm is FR64 S version FR-7f will be better match.
in case of FR 64 fx both are good match.

What do you mean? Could you explain in details why do you think one FR tonearm is better for certain FR-7 series cartridge than another ?

For FR-7f or 7fz we must have optional W-250 counterweight for 64fx toneam for optimal performance in terms of tonearm effective mass. As you can see in this catalog the compliance of both FR-7f and FR-7fz is the same, tracking force is the same too.

The 64s has a higher effective mass and made of steel while the 64fx has lighter effective mass and with default (smaller) counterweight was designed for cartridges like PMC-3 for use on conventional headshell, or any other cartridges with higher compliance and lighter weight.

bukanona
174 posts
 
Question was about Benz and FR.

7f and 7fz looks the same from compliance point of view. 

Although do you believe in these compliance figures?

If to multiply compliance of given for 7f roughly by 2 in order to get 10 hz data we are getting 14 cu.


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