Tonearm recommendation

The FR-66s is close to the very best arm I have heard.....and I have heard many and owned many, both modern and vintage.
The FR-66s is as good as the Continuum Cobra and Copperhead arms with LOMCs and is JUST shaded by them with high compliance MMs......but these two modern arms, whilst being the best I've heard, are a nightmare to set-up and thus changing cartridges on a regular basis is to be avoided.
The FR-66s handily saw off the DaVinci 12" Ref and Graham Phantom II and has the added bonus of interchangeable headshells which should NEVER be underestimated.
Not only for the ease of swapping in other cartridges....but mainly for the ability to 'tune' a particular cartridge to a particular headshell.
This is something all arms with fixed headshells don't allow but IME can make or break the perceived 'sound' of a cartridge.

Just see what you can buy a second hand 4 Point for when it is only 2 years old and then see what your 35 year old FR-66s is worth.
The Market Place is never wrong...👅

If those who are recommending other arms, have not even heard an FR-66s......why are they even bothering?

Hi Crazy Bill,

"Real Data" for tonearms......🙏🏽❓
We do have data for cartridges....and for amps....and for speakers.....and even some vague voodoo mumblings for interconnects and power cords....yet that doesn't negate the need for 'subjective listening' (preferably in one's own system).
Now you want 'data' for tonearms....⁉️
I think this is last bastion of audio componentry which has NEVER had acceptable (agreed upon) objective testing criteria.
I think with tonearms.....'time' is the real Referee and that's why arms like the FR-66s and 64s, Micro Seiki Max 282, SAEC WE-8000/ST, Dynavector DV507/II, 505, 501, are still in demand world-wide...even against the very best and latest modern iterations.
There is a large group of audio aficionados who admire the FR-66s and there is a small band of audio aficionados who perceive some flaws.
Only you yourself can decide.
As Detonarm has written many times....the FR-66s is the ne plus ultra of tonearms in his vast experience, and in the opinion of Dietrich Brakemeier of Acoustical Systems who has designed the Axiom tonearm http://www.arche-headshell.de/tonearms/
the FR-66s is still the finest tonearm ever made.
Now HE is one True Audio Expert I have faith in....👍

Raul’s mantra:-
If I keep repeating often enough that everyone else is wrong and I am the font of all audio wisdom.....maybe someone will believe me...🙏

Yes, the acoustical systems Axiom tonearm is amazing. Why is it so
expensive

Because it's made by someone who actually knows something about audio instead of someone who is a pretender....

Fleib,
Raul and Detonarm had almost constant disagreements about tonearms and cartridge geometry years ago.
Raul had proudly announced he had designed a new tonearm which was to debut at CES 2013.....we are still waiting.
Detonarm (Deitrich Brakemeier) has since gone on to start Acoustical Systems which produces cartridge alignment jigs and products used by Reviewers and professionals the world over, as well as ingenious headshells, tonearms and cartridges.
They have just released images of a new state of the art turntable costing 1/2 million dollars....😱
So while one True Expert Audiophile has gone on to acclaimed success on the back of his undisputed knowledge....the other pretender wallows in ignorant self-adulation....🙈💩

You're welcome Bob,
By the way wrm.....I've listened to that very Denon cartridge
http://i.imgur.com/G7J76w5.jpg
with the FR-66s
http://i.imgur.com/FLmn1Jx.jpg
and as Fleib suggests.....it is a sweet combination..😎

well, any resonance has fundamental frequency where happen that resonance ( it does not matters where it comes. ) and that means that at the same time that is happenuing are created its harmonics exactly as the harmonics in the music and that’s why those " distortions " always affect all the listening frequency spectrum and we have to take in count that those " distortions " happen all over the frequency range not only at 8 hz or 20 hz but at 3 khz too ( for whatever reasons. .

And of course we all know that the harmonics of 8Hz (16Hz,24Hz,32Hz,40Hz,48Hz, 56Hz etc) do absolutely no harm to the tonearm in vibration mode whilst the harmonics of 7Hz (14Hz, 21Hz, 28Hz, 35Hz, 42Hz, 49Hz) render the tonearm a weeping sloppy mess..😱
If we needed more proof of Raul’s ignorance of a tonearm’s Resonance Frequency...he has amply provided it.
Oh...and just one other thing.....a Tonearm’s Resonant Frequency has no effect on the SOUND of a particular tonearm/cartridge combination and there are no peer-reviewed scientific papers which have ever claimed this.
It is ’audiophiles’ who take the fact of a physical phenomenon (Resonant Frequency)...to extrapolate unproven and unsubstantiated properties to accompany this phenomenon.

It's great to see contributions from successful Industry Professionals like Ralph (Atmasphere) and Harry Weisfeld.
HW is always interesting...and might I add sometimes entertaining....but his thoughts on turntables and arms (which he has designed and sold for decades) are not to be ignored..🤓
Any plans on releasing this new 3D gimballed arm Harry?

I ran a TT with a Dynavector DV505 and FR64s - same cartridges MC and MM. I remember finding significant differences in Low Frequencies.

I too run a DV-507/II and FR-64s on the same turntable and identical armpods through the very same same system.
http://i.imgur.com/JEroaY8.jpg
And on dozens of comparisons (in real time)....I find no significant differences in the frequency response (from top to bottom) between the two...😎
The Dynavector is a monster of an arm (1.5Kg) and does not fare well mounted on sprung turntables or those with flimsy armboards. A massive separate armpod is ideal for this tonearm....and is recommended by Dynavector themselves.
I don't know whether you mounted both arms identically Chris....but if you did, perhaps there is a fault with one or both arms?

Regards

OK Crazy Bill....you've piqued my curiosity....
I originally took your Thread at face value as someone, although not at novice stature....seeking the advice of more experienced audiophiles.
But your answers on this Forum, and your descriptions of your equipment and experiences display the fact that you are way beyond novice stature and appear in fact. just as experienced as those to whom you address your query...
And then the question arises.....who on this planet owns a Fidelity Research FR66s tonearm (which today, costs in excess of $8,000 used...if you can find one) other than an experienced audio connoisseur..❓👀 
Are you having a lend of us...because if you own an FR-66s, you KNOW how good it is⁉️
Despite my doubts....I will still continue to treat your Post as legitimate for the time being 🤓

It is impossible today, to audition all the equipment one is considering purchasing, in one's own system.
This is especially so with tonearms and cartridges, and we all become more reliant on Reviews and others' experiences to help guide us to a 'Short List'.
The problem with Reviewers is that with Analogue in particular...there are only one or two who have heard the very best turntables, tonearms and cartridges in their reference systems. And even then.....it is only the latest and current equipment which they have heard because of their employment conditions with Audio publications.
This means that the great vintage analogue equipment of the past 40 years is generally unheard by these two reviewers...and let there be no mistake....the greatest turntables of the past (like the Garrards and Thorens, the EMT idlers, the Micro Seiki heavy belt-drives and the classic uber Japanese direct drives) have not been bettered by modern decks.
The same situation exists for the great vintage Japanese tonearms and also the great vintage cartridges like the Ortofon SPUs, EMTs and Fidelity Research FR-7 series but especially the MMs which reached their zenith 35 years ago and are generally forgotten....not only by reviewers...but also by the great unwashed masses 😂
So who can one rely on for advice about tonearms and cartridges...?
A successful professional tonearm designer/manufacturer would be one I would heed, as he would have listened to many in his pursuit for excellence. That's why Harry Weisfeld's advice to keep the FR-66s speaks volumes despite his understandable attachment to his own brand.

Another course...and one I have followed....is to find an  audiophile so dedicated and unrestricted in his pursuit for the 'best'..that he has listened to (and owned) ONLY the very best audio equipment from every age and manufacturer ever made 👅
And if you find two or three such fanatics via the Internet, you will see a general thread of agreement in their ultimate choices.
http://audiocirc.com
This is the Blog of Thuchan who is a Bavarian audiophile who currently owns 71 cartridges, has literally owned dozens of tonearms and even dozens of turntables.
A close examination of the equipment he owns (and has owned) is convincingly mind-boggling.
He has no agenda other than the pursuit of excellence....and as far as I am concerned, he has done a lot of my audio 'sifting' for me.
There is no possibility that I will ever have the opportunity to hear all the tonearms and cartridges that Thuchan has...so why not take advantage of his experiences.

If you want good objective experienced advice Crazy Bill....you should find yourself a Thuchan 👍

Crazy Bill,
We should all have friends like you do...😜
You have a great arm and in the future, with its detachable headshell....you may like to explore other cartridge options.
For now at least....do what Harry suggests and drive a car or even better....Enjoy the Music.

Regards

LOL Fleib.....

You know, during my Audiophile Turntable Bedlam phase - I found differences between idler, belt, thread and DD in my room.

And you don't find that concerning?
Please explain to me what a cartridge knows about 'drive-type'?

Crazy Bill,
The choice of headshells makes a significant contribution to the sound of a particular cartridge/arm combination.
I find it pointless to waste time on ’theoretical’ speculation on this subject when it is so so easy to experiment.
I have tried every type of available headshell in my FR-66s (except for the Arche) including the FR3, FR5, Yamomoto HS1-AS, Ortofon HS-8000 and various aluminium and magnesium ones.
They can all sound well with the appropriate cartridge.
FWIW I have found a rule of thumb to work most of the time...

• Metal-bodied cartridges sound rather better with wood shells
  
• Plastic-bodied cartridges sound rather better with metal shells
  
• Wood-bodied cartridges sound rather better with metal or ceramic shells

Have fun.....

Lew,

Inject into the cartridge pure tones that span the audio frequency range, say 20 to 10K Hz at log intervals, e.g., 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1K, etc, and at each single frequency, take a look at a spectrum analysis of the output. Absolutely no subjective judgement allowed.

Too sensible and too scientific an idea to take root in this hobby...🤕
Raul prefers to 'imagine' his own physical universe, free of the complications of science.
He says that he's always willing to learn...but that's untrue. 
First he states that the Resonant Frequency of a tonearm/cartridge combination should be 8-10Hz and then attempts to explain 'why'

well, any resonance has fundamental frequency where happen that resonance ( it does not matters where it comes. ) and that means that at the same time that is happenuing are created its harmonics exactly as the harmonics in the music and that's why those " distortions " always affect all the listening frequency spectrum and we have to take in count that those " distortions " happen all over the frequency range not only at 8 hz or 20 hz but at 3 khz too ( for whatever reasons. .

When I point out the absurdity of his explanation

And of course we all know that the harmonics of 8Hz (16Hz,24Hz,32Hz,40Hz,48Hz, 56Hz etc) do absolutely no harm to the tonearm in vibration mode whilst the harmonics of 7Hz (14Hz, 21Hz, 28Hz, 35Hz, 42Hz, 49Hz) render the tonearm a weeping sloppy mess..😱

He conveniently ignores it.
He obviously has no tertiary qualifications in physics, materials' science,
structural engineering, mechanical engineering or acoustical engineering, yet continuously postulates false information as if they were 'facts' without ever presenting scientific evidence for his delusions.
Because he can hear an undamped metal tonearm 'ring' when he taps it....he imagines that this 'ringing' must occur even when he doesn't tap it. A mistake only made by the uneducated.
Not only doesn't he present evidence to support this absurdity....he can't even tell us the 'magnitude' of these imagined 'resonances', nor their frequencies nor where they are supposedly coming from?
His 'evidence' is always the claim of some contributor on a Forum or cartridge designer or reviewer with whom Raul agrees.

In the wake of his delusional view of the physical world and his real inability to listen to others and educate himself.....there is little point in arguing with him.

If I were you Crazy Bill....I'd be investing my funds in better cartridges.
Much greater 'bang for buck' in that department IMHO and your arms are more than adequate to reap the benefits.

Before you spend 'silly' money unnecessary Crazy Bill....can you maybe try something cheap and easy....?
I have had dozens of high-compliance MM cartridges sound amazing in both FR64s and FR66S tonearms so please park that misunderstood audio 'myth' in the corner where it belongs and start enjoying the possibilities 🙈
High cost in audio is rarely a guarantee of 'greatness' but particularly with cartridges....I have constantly been disappointed with the 'über'cost MCs over the last 20 years and I have owned many of them. I find the sound of a current $12,000 multi-awarded MC cartridge to be simply unacceptable.
The world does not "open up" at this price point.....rather, the world opens up when you discover that most of the great cartridge knowledge and design occurred in the 'golden' age of analogue....the 70s and 80s.
This is true, not only for MM design but also, as I've discovered......with LOMCs as well. The vintage SPUs and FR-7 series and Sony X-55 and MIT 1 leave every modern MC I've heard, gasping....
For approx. $200 you can buy a used Shure V15/III from HiFiDo and purchase a Neo SAS from Jico for another $200. A carbon-fibre Yamamoto HS-4S for $140 more will give you an under $600 cartridge/headshell combination for your FR-66s that will leave a ZYX UNIverse (and I have three) sounding insipid.
What do you have to lose?.....😜

Hi Crazy Bill,
FWIW....my two cents on your specific questions......
I haven't heard the AT150MLX but I have the AT-150ANV (which incidentally beat the Atlas and 6 other cartridges in a Fremer readers' shoot-out) 😎
I've heard only hesitation from those who do own the 150MLX and in the absence of enthusiasm....there must be doubt?
Even my new 150ANV, whilst good.....does not have the 'magic' or emotion of the really good vintage MMs I love.
Many make the mistake of thinking that a move to a high-cost LOMC cartridge will change their listening experiences....
This is rarely the case and I have met no audiophile who can tell the difference between a MM and a MC under a controlled 'blind' test.
Most of my favourite cartridges are MM (all vintage) but there are some LOMCs (mostly vintage) which I also highly value.
I have a Denon 103R (with selected equal-channel output) and whilst it is great value for its modest price.....it is easily bested by the modified  Shure V15/III. 
I have both Fidelity Research MM cartridges and LOMC.
The FR-6SE is better than the FR-5 or 5E IMO (although Jonathan Carr likes the 5E).
I have an original FR-7f which did not impress me greatly with its new conical stylus.
When Axel replaced it with a line-contact stylus however....it transformed it and is now one of my favourite cartridges 😘
If you are hell-bent on a MC cartridge.....why not buy an SPU Silver Meister directly from Ortofon ?
With your FR-66S tonearm......this is a combination that is sure to put a smile on your face 😍
Regards

These OK, or did I mess it up ?

Hahaha.....I don't think you messed up Crazy Bill 😎
Whilst you may have paid slightly over the odds for the V15/III....it looks like the one you bought is in 'mint' condition which will allow you to compare the Shure original stylus to the SAS 👐
Looking forward to your reports....
Regards
Henry

Now, I owned almost all FR tonearm models including the 66 

That's not true.....
Raul NEVER owned an FR-66S nor heard one in his system 👺

The 66 is a non-damped tonearm and builded from metal that as a metal is extremely resonant and instead to damps the cartridge/LP/TT self vibrations/resonances/distortions only magnify it.

Raul has been making claims like this for a decade without any supporting evidence, believing that if he says it enough times.....people will believe him 🧐
Here are two YouTube videos showing the FR-64S playing the same piece as the Dynavector DV-507II......a magnetically damped tonearm.

• FR-64S
• DV-507/II 

It should be obvious in this direct comparison....to definitively pinpoint the exact occasions (via the timeline) where these claimed "vibrations/resonances" are occurring.....
Time to face the EVIDENCE Mr. Kraken.......😎 

Dear Raul,
This is not like you.....?
I'm a little worried....
You haven't responded at all...let alone with a list of all the 'resonances' and 'distortions' you're able to pinpoint on the FR-64S undamped tonearm which you've been denigrating for a decade...?
Can you not find any???
But you have the finest 'self-taught' TRAINING (you've been telling us) that allows you to hear within 10 seconds EVERYTHING that is wrong with a system..?
C'mon....you can do it..🤗

But if you CAN'T do it Mr. Bigmouth.....you will never again be able to denigrate the Fidelity Research FR-64S and FR-66S Tonearms because I will Link this Thread to any Posts from you in the future. 
You surely don't want to live your pseudo-guru life like that....do you?

Kind Regards