Glanz moving magnet cartridges

Dear Raul,
I always respect your opinions but.......in the case of the FR-7 series cartridges in their fixed headshells.....I beg to differ?
If one uses these cartridges in the FR series tonearms (for which they were certainly designed) and set the spindle to pivot distance to that recommended by Fidelity Research.......you achieve a perfect Baerwald alignment. Now VTA and VTF are easily adjustable via the tonearm and have nothing whatsoever to do with the cartridge/headshell design.
This leaves only azimuth as the 'missing' adjustment.....but I have found that azimuth, when adjusted by the majority of users......is more often wrongly set?
The proof of the pudding is in the 'results'......and it seems churlish to bemoan the fact that a 'glorious' sound could potentially be better?
I strive to eliminate and reduce distortions in the entire audio chain as far as I can.....just as you do......but the fixed headshell of the FR-7 cartridges is not one of the places that I would select to work upon?

Raul,

I appreciate your restatement of some of your concerns. I have already tried to explain that when considering "the importance of VTA/SRA/VTF/AZ/Overhang and accuracy in all those parameters" the Glanz/AC3300 LB combination has no concerns.

I do not believe in argumentation and, as a minimalist, I don't enjoy repeating myself. Repetition rarely convinces and so I will leave it to others to listen and/or read, consider and decide as they will. Was it ever but thus...

As always...

Dear Professor, Thanks for your advice but my experience is
the other way round. For the low complience carts I use my
Reed 2A, 12'' and 27g. eff. mass. For such carts there
is no other option. But ,as Halcro, for all my MM carts I use
the FR-64S with excellent results. This arm is considered
as a 'havy gun' but the eff. mass depends from the used
headshell (+cart weight) as well from the 'place' of the
counterweight relative to the pivot. Now all or at least
the most MM carts are about 6-7 gr. so the counterweight
nearly touches the pivot. For some MM carts
one need to use heavier headshells to compensate. I also use
the Lustre 801 which is much less(?) heavy but the FR-64 is
much better 'tracker'. My quess is that the bearings by
FR-64 are exceptional. However I also own the Sumiko 800
(aka 'Breuer') and can provide the 'optimal conditions'
according to your opinion for both Signet's.

Regards,

Dear Halcro: I own the FR and I posted that I still own because I like it.

Now, I think I don't posted that VTA/VTF can't be changed because that is something that any one can do it through the tonearm facilities.

No, it is not " only " azymuth as you said ( latter on that. ). I don't know if you really don't care about azymuth or what you posted is only in " defense " ( no sense defense. ) of a IMHO a limited wrong cartridge designs:

++++ " but I have found that azimuth, when adjusted by the majority of users......is more often wrongly set.... " ++++

the main subject is that to make and achieve the best any cartridge can show us we must have the azymuth facility to make changes during the set up/alignment, azymuth changes makes a difference always. So try to diminish its importance makes no sense to me but I respect your " no sense " defense????

Halcro, why in the hell today you own several tonearms and dozens of HEADSHELLS? why? please let me know.
As many of us you already learned the critical importance to match the cartridge not only with the tonearm but with the " right " headshell and this " characteristic " that always makes a paramount differences on performance cartridge level is " deny " in an integrated design.

At least two other critical characteristics that are " deny " on integrated designs: you can't change the internal(headshell wiring for a better today one and you can't make a precise alignment never because you can't align the cantilever in an integrated design.

Halcro, what is all about?....you are aware of all these so why post something like what you posted?
Are you telling me that all what we learn on cartridge/tonearm set up/alignment is not true or important?.

I respect your opinion but not only can't agree with you but with those kind of posts I even am in doubt I really know you as I thought I know you!!!!

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Halcro: ++++ " but the fixed headshell of the FR-7 cartridges is not one of the places that I would select to work upon? " +++

of course not because you can't do nothing about!!!!!

I repeat: IMHO today an integrated cartridge design is a wrong very limited design. That some of us prefer it does not means is a good design and IMHO can't justify that ignorance level/marketing that the cartridge manufacturers had it.

You own or owned the Technics 100C in an integrated version ( MK3. ) and for what you posted on that cartridge performance I remember that you was not " happy " enough because that cartridge can't shows you what really is. Ask any one that own the stand alone version and everybody can tell you its very top performance even one of those Technics owners posted in the MM thread that he prefers the Technics ( MK4 stand alone. ) over the Lyra Atlas that he own and compared in between!!!!

Again, what are we talking about? what are we achieving through this " excercise " in favor of music, in favor to improve our each one system? what???????

R.

R.