FR66s vs Ikeda IT-407 CR tonearms

@montesquieu are you talking about FR-64 or FR-64S ? The "S" is different and it’s not about silver wire, it’s slightly different design. I use FR-64FX which is also different from 64 and 64S.

@syntax 

The FR-tonearms can only be perfectly aligned with the Dennesen Soundtracktor.
Try with any other alignment tool of today - no matter if Bearwald or not....... no matter if IEC standard - and it will result in a misaligned cartridge and too little overhang thus in a pretty bad tangential curve with the zero-error points being too close together.
Do align them with a Denessen Soundtraktor and precise - absolute precise spindle center to bearing center of 231.5 mm for the FR-64s and 295 mm for the FR-66s and you will get sonic results which will open up your ears and minds.

Dennesen is just a  predecessor of Dr. Feickert protractor ?
Or there is any fundamental differense between them? 

Here is an old review for Dennesen by B. V. Pisha (Source: Audio magazine, Mar. 1980)

Seems like Dr. Feickert is much better tool today. 

@ddriveman nice, what is the price for Ikeda service and how did you contacted them, have you shipped to Japan?

BTW which cartridges do you have on those arms ? :)  

A bit off topic, but i've managed to get NOS Lustre GST-801 yesterday and this particular sample is much better than my previous used sample (which i sold to a friend). I’m happy because my brand new Lustre GST-801 has properly working magnetic tracking force and anti-skating. Also this NOS Lustre has an original RCA-DIN Silver Wire, Headshell Silver Wire and Internal Silver Wire.

So now i can try your silver bullets too.

My old sample was rewired with discovery copper wire, i will not touch my brand new NOS sample, but i can experiment with external wire by using both (original cheap looking silver or modern high-end copper).

@montesquieu

@chakster
FR64S

I don’t have FR64s, i use FR-64fx with its heavy counterweight for my FR-7fz cartridge. I can let my FR-7f go if anyone interested, nice cartridge, it was on my FR-64fx before i upgraded to FR-7fz last month.

Rest in Peace the legend

Dennesen looks like Dr.Feickert, but with much less options!
have you seen a Feickert protractor @rich121  ?

Read the manual regarding anti-skating and buy Hi-Fi News TEST LP to adjust it.
I think you have to use it, but don't add too much

@montesquieu

I have an early IT-407 and a post 2011 IT-345 CR1 and both seem to me to be far better arms than the FR64s. I put this down to the additional vertical bearing - the FR64s has only one, on one side, whereas the 407/345 have two, one each side. This has many advantages not least longevity. Other than that the designs are pretty similar and indeed many bits are interchangeable (I had an 64 and 345 at the same time for a short while and was able to compare directly on a well sorted TD124 with Miyajima Madake, Zero mono, assorted SPU cartridges and an Ikeda 9C.
Never found either of them that hard to set up either - using SPU standard distance (which I use for all my cartridges) the 345 is spot on at recommended 230mm, the early 407 need set back about 1.6mm, job done, no need to fuss any further.

Great, as a new Miyajima Kansui proud owner, i was thinking about Ikeda tonearms after all. I know @nandric will kill me, because i already have FR-64s which i did not even mounted yet and using FR-64fx instead :))

The FR64s is a very good arm but there’s a strong case (which happens to be my opinion too) that the Ikeda-branded arms are better - improved vibration control, significantly improved bearings, similar (slightly but not massively) less mass for a more expanded list of compatible cartridges, and in my view more successful aesthetics. If your preference is for the FR arm then fine make the case all you like, but for all the shouting in the above post, it’s a matter of opinion, not in any way ’case closed’.

We have different opinions here regarding Old vs. New in this thread, this is all very interesting. I was fascinating about Ikeda IT-345 in early matte finish (definitely not in mirror finishing). I can’t even thing about FR-66s because of the price, no way. But a used Ikeda IT-345 is more realistic, finally i will be able to compare 64s (with B60) & 64fx (with N60) to Ikeda IT-345 since i have some nice cartridges for them all (Miyajima Kansui, FR-7fz, Ikeda 9 III). I even sold some killer spare copies of my best MM to invest in Ikeda tonearm, today is a good day. What a hobby? Damn 

Am i correct that IT-345 and IT-345 CR-1 are two different versions?

The Ikeda IT-345 is from the mid 90's:

■ Price: 210,000 yen (in 1996)
■ Model: Dynamic balance type
■ Total length: 326mm
■ Run length: 245mm
■ Over hang: 15mm
■ Tracking error: + 2 ° ~ -1 ° 21 '
■ Steering pressure range: 0 ~ 5g (0.5g step)
■ Arm Height adjustment: 25 to 60 mm 

■ Arm base hole: 31 mm

■ With anti-skate device
■ With arm lifter
■ Lateral balancer　
■ Cartridge self-weight: 6 to 38.5 g
■  sale April 1996

■ Maximum mounting thickness 35mm
■ Arm pipe is stainless steel.

BTW here is the manual for IT-407 CR-1

Anyone can explain me what is "CR-1" ? What does it mean ?

My Ikeda IT-345 tonearm has arrived, matte finishing, not a CR-1.
Arm tube is stainless steel.   

Everything about this model is great, my first impression is very positive about every part of this tonearm. Actually i feel that it is better made than my FR-64s sample. It is a third model of FR/Ikeda in my collection: 64fx, 64s and now IT-345 

@gallus I have B60 replica base with my FR64s, it can be used with Ikeda too.

@nandric

Dear chakster, Ikeda IT-345 ’’armwand’’ is not made from steel.

I remember Carr’s comments, but ...
There are at least two versions, the latest/modern is CR-1 (i have no idea what does it mean), but my version is earlier from the 1996 and if you will translate it here then you will see "arm pipe made of stainless steel".

My IT-347 is not glossy mirror finishing like those modern Ikeda tonearms, but a much better old school matte grey finishing (except for the arm pipe which looks just like the arm tube on my FR64s). The price for my version was 210 000 Yen in 1996. 

Santa came early this year with some stuff i could only dream about. This is Ikeda IT-345 dynamic balance tonearm in rare matte finishing. Another pearl is a brand new Miyajima Kansui cross-ring MC cartridge in Tanzanian hardwood (known as ‘mpingo’).