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FIDELITY RESEARCH STEP-UP TRANSFORMERS

Dear All
Like many before me I am moving down the multi tonearm route. Amongst the arms and cartridges I have are a Fidelity Research FR 64S and denon DL103. I was thinking about trying out one of the Fidelity research step-up transformers - preferably an FRT 4, or FRT 5 - I hope to get an FR7 cartridge at some point.

I was wondering if someone could:
1. shed light on the hierarchy of the transformers ie was the 4 or 5 the better model
2. would they work well plugged into any MM phono stage
3. what is the general hierarchy of the step-ups
4. Do they work well with modern cartridges - ie my shelter 501, transfiguration temper v, Benz LPS

I am hoping that someone will be able to help me

thanks



lohanimal
lohanimal OP
659 posts
 
@rauliruegas 
I hear what you say, but on the other hand many say the FR7f including the likes of @jcarr have commended it's unique design. Frankly - life's too short to not try one out. It's part of the reason that I am going to have a couple of multi-arm turntables.

That said how did you modify the Denon SUT? out of interest was it more transparent the other SUT's you used?

edgewear
543 posts
 
@lohanimal don’t get too hung up about the supposed problems with FR7 as presented - ad nauseam - by rauliruegas. He’s the ’odd one out’ around here concerning these cartridges.

Most forum members familiar with them love the way they make music. And when you use them together with the FR64/66 tonearms and observe Ikeda’s specified P2S distance, you get none of the alignment or set up problems.

You don’t have to take my or anybody’s word for it. You can buy the FR7 series without much risk. If you don’t like what they do, you will have no problem reselling them at no loss. As you say, life’s too short not to try.....

nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
I agree with bukanona. XF-1 L is better than 4 or 5. As 
Raul mentioned many times the switches for extra impedances
mean extra soldering points and aluminum conductors. 
FR produced  also ''mid '' and ''high'' impedance transformers
despite the fact that all MC carts are low impedance  kinds.
Anyway one should check the output cable and if corroded 
exchange for a new one. There is also an ''silver kind'' but
pretty expensive and difficult to find. 
But one can get the excellent Denon AU-S1 (3 kg) for similar
price which can be used for low and high impedances.
Special for this transformer Denon made an very good MC
cart with modest price: DL-S1  
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
FR-7f and FR-7fz are great cartridges for sure, when you’re using them on FR-64s tonearm you don’t have to adjust azimuth if the arm mounted on flat surface as it should be.

I am not so concerned about silver phono cables, i have them too, but i like high quality copper phono cables.

SUT is oldschool classic solution for LOMC, but you can always try something new like CURRENT INJECTION phono stages. They are designed for low impedance cartridges, 47Labs Phono Cube is magical with my FR-7fz. This is a "current-injection" type o the PHONO STAGE.
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
Dear chakster, May I conclude that you don't own an phono-pre
which can drive outputs of, say, above 0,15 mV? I need my
Denon transformer only for  my Ortofon MC 2000 with 0,05 mV 
output.  However lew(m) also mentioned an ''current injection'' 
type for his Ortofon MC 2000. I asked what this ''current driven
thing '' means but was not ''honored'' with an answer. 
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