Probably not.
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Dear @vinny55: "
Is FR14 a really good sounding arm? " , well that's is not easy to say because a tonearm is not a transducer as a cartridge. Its quality level performance depends mainly on a well matched cartridge couple. By its design characteristics looks fine and with advantages against the 64 because the F14 is static balanced design and does not need the ringing VTF mechanism that comes in the 64. The offset between the arm wand and the pivot/counterweigth is something " weird " in the 14 design and difficult to say if it's an advantage or disadvantage during play tests. The 14 bearing friction is very low and this could has a meaning of its quality level and design excecution. Even that this link comes from 2008 maybe you can contact this F14 owner whom could gives you first hand information: https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/gallery/image_page.php?album_id=30&image_id=5731 Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
Dear @vinny55 : Jelco is better tonearm that many of us could imagine and is a well damped design and you can get some kind of warranty if something is wrong with. Warranty that you have not with that vintage tonearm that additional is not a well damped design an vintage internal wiring where the Jelco is a " fresh " one about. Could be that @noromance is right. R. |
Vinny, I'm afraid that the FR14 is rather a rare bird and was never accorded the attention given to the FR64 or FR66, in S or FX versions. Therefore, you are probably not going to elicit a lot of opinions from persons who actually have owned and used it. This is not at all to say it is not a good tonearm. Jelco tonearms get a lot of positive comments on this and other forums, and they are in the same price range, more or less. Add to that the new-ness of a Jelco, and I would have to agree with the other guys. Anyway, I would be leery of anyone's opinion on a tonearm, unless it's very negative and the negativity is justified by specific statements. Most of us have a strong listener bias, a tendency to at least "like" what we paid for, whether we admit it or not. |
We've been down this road before. There is no such thing in audio as "the best", in any category. It's safe to say that the FR14 is not the best at the price limit of less than $1500; you've mentioned that you can buy one for $550, which is roughly fair market value for it. So if you're really searching for Nirvana for less than $1500, why did you ask about the FR14? Also, you might do better by asking for the best or optimal tonearm to match a particular cartridge. Do you use MM or MC type cartridges, for example? Cartridge weight and compliance are key factors to consider in selecting a tonearm. |
"Is the FR14 as good musically speaking as FR64 or better than a Jelco 750 series? " My answer is respectively No and I don't know "whats the next step up from a Jelco? I want the best or close to the very best ever for under 1500." The best tonearm I owned in that price range was a pre-owned (NIB) Basis Vector 3. A great tonearm if you can find a deal. |
Dear @vinny55 : These are very good alternatives inside your budget: https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis8h6dg-ortofon-ta-210-tone-arm-tonearms here the Ortofon info: https://www.ortofon.com/ta-210-p-432 https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis8i4bd-origin-live-encounter-mk3c-9-inch-rca-terminations-great-... Origin live as Ortofon needs no presentation. Both tonearms comes with phono cable interconnection cable. Your choice. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
