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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
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
Dear chakster, I was only teasing you. On the Balkan we have very
exciting folk music. It is more popular than classical or jazz. 
But what do you mean with ''My age is also way different''? 
 I see that you admire many carts which I also admire. Those
are primary MC kinds but our consensus suggest no relation to
age (grin). 
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Discovered an interesting sample of the Fidelity-Research FR-7f

The cartridge body is silver color just like older FR-7, but the model is FR-7F (which is normally black). 

Silver body version of the FR-7f must be rare, probably from the first bunch with low serial numbers. 

The difference is only color (since visually it's FR-7f) ? 

Anyone ? 
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Diggin’ deeper in Fidelity-Research products from the past I finally received the latest models. It’s MCX-3 designed by Ozawa-San for FR in the 80s, later in 86 Ozawa established Shelter.

Look at the images of my NOS MCX-3
This New Old Stock sample has been stored for over 30 years and I’m a second owner. Opened the box yesterday, what a beauty!

Some interesting facts from his webside:

“Born in Tokyo Ozawa-San was fascinated from boyhood by the timbre of music instruments and started self-designing audio products to realize high fidelity sound reproduction. He designed many tube amplifiers when he was in junior high school age, and majored in electrical engineering at the university with aiming an amplifier designer, but he found the charm of analog pickup which can practice the whole design of sound reproduction that he imagines. In 1982 he joined Fidelity Research (FR) and started his career as a phono cartridge designer. He participated to design MC phono cartridges of MCX-3, MCX-5 and other products during his work at FIdelity-Research.”

Few month ago I bought my first Shelter, it’s model 5000. Same style of packaging, very nice display case (similar to PMC-3, but bigger).

So many great cartridges in the vaults now. I’m excited
More to discover