FR66s vs Ikeda IT-407 CR tonearms

Halcro,

Thanks for the link to the WE-800/ST. $8K though is a little too steep for me now but ... LOL! Won't it be funny if I buy another and it's the same one I sold years ago.
A nuded TT-101? Woo, you tempt me. But I already have too many TT's. I have 2 SP10MK3 already. But ...

Lewm,

Understand where you are coming from and I can agree with your comments in general.
I had Dertonarm (Daniel B) change the wiring in my FR66s (Thuchan's recommendation). Wanted someone who knew how to work the FR66s and builds arms himself. I had him send the stock cabling and connectors back to me so I could see what they look like (I still have them). The condition of the stock wires and connectors (more than 30 years old) due to oxidation/age and the quality of the wires help convince me that it is a good thing to do. We changed to current generation Ikeda Silver wire so as to try and stick as close to Ikeda house sound. Daniel suggested that perhaps using Kondo Silver wire might even be better but I decided to stick with Ikeda.
I believe the stock wiring was also Silver since that is part of the original FR66s package (S standing for Silver). The FR66 is using OFC. (Unlike the FR64 which is aluminum and FR64s which is steel. Many confuse the FR64s as meaning silver. But silver in the FR64s was an optional extra. You get a label stating Silver on the armtube which mostly falls off unfortunately. I know because I once had 3 FR64s and only 1 had the original Silver label).
So, my opinion about the sound being better is not merely because of the material improvement (which is possible) but also because it removes the gung/oxidation build up over the years. I just get a little better detail coming through. Of course, we now have to also burn-in the new cabling.

Ddriveman, What wire was in your FR66S to begin with, copper or silver? What wire did you use to re-wire? I don't mean to disrespect your observational powers, but listener bias is such that I doubt anyone is capable of "hearing" that the sound is "worse" after he or she changed the tonearm wire, or performed any of many many other audiophile tweaks, for that matter. On the other hand, it's possible....

Hi Ddriveman,

I bought my WE-8000/ST from Otoman Vintage in Japan..and believe it or not....he has another one 😜
There is an already nuded TT-101 with armpod available from a friendly Dealer in Melbourne is you're really interested....❓👀

Halcro,

Thanks for chipping in and agree with your comments. Everytime I see your TT-101, I get sorely tempted to hunt one down in Japan. I did see a TT-801 on sale but could not pull the trigger because I already have too many audio projects on hand. I had a SEAC WE-8000/ST too. I traded it in for a Micro Seiki MAX237. One of those things you wished you did not sell. Even rarer to find the SEAC WE-8000/ST than a FR66s. Where did you find yours?

Thanks Lewm and Syntax. Guess I will just stick with my FR66s then. BTW, has anyone rewired their FR66s? I did mine and it sounds better.

Sometimes an instrument is designed which is well-nigh perfect and is hard to improve upon.....see Stradivarius violins...😎
The FR-64s/66s tone arms are possible examples of this phenomenon...❓😘
The price for a 35 year-old FR-66s has doubled in the last five years to $9,000 and above....yet every one which appears on the market (and fewer and fewer are doing so) is snapped up...👀
As Syntax says....the test of time has been passed...👍

Most people who have heard both would tend to agree with Syntax. As to the wiring, whether it is copper or silver in the Ikeda, I think it is explicitly sold according to the internal wiring chosen; the silver wire version is more expensive than the copper one.

I made the comparison 2012 with the recent IT-407 model. I can't say anything about quality differences....but who knows. Gordon Holt (founder of Stereophile) said a remarkable sentence in an Interview some few years ago:

J. Gordon Holt 2007

No audio product has ever succeeded because it was better, only because it was cheaper, smaller, or easier to use.

The 66s was outstanding expensive, sold in low numbers compared to other Arms and even after 20 years it is hard to get one and when someone looks for a full Box, he has to pay thousands of $ in auctions. That Arm (and the FR-64s) passed the test of time.

Syntax. Thanks for your input. Did you compare previous generation Ikeda IT-407 or a recent model? I have heard that current generation arms are not as well built as earlier ones although they look the same

I did that comparison. I thought, the newer Design has to be better but that was a mistake. The FR-66s is so much better in soundstage, detail and holographic "picture", it was (or, still is) amazing. The 66s is dynamically balanced, maybe that is the difference, or it has something to do with different design solutions...anyway, after that experience I went for 66s (and 64s btw.).