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Who owns/owned a Fidelity Research FR1 MK3F & what is similar but better

To say that I love, love, love this cartridge is a gross understatement. In fact I love it so much I now own 2 - one I had rebuilt and one I just bought which is virtually unused.

The sweet tone of the music and the life like performance of both instruments and vocals is outstanding. The delivery of music is totally immersive and mesmerizing. Whilst the high frequencies are detailed yet silky smooth and the bass is low reaching but solid, it is the midrange where everything comes alive.

It is in this midrange zone that the voices of Nancy Wilson, Jacintha, Vanessa Fernandez, amongst others, become incredibly real, intoxicating and seductive. It is also in this range where trumpets, saxophones, snare drums, bass guitar & piano sound so palpable you feel like you can reach out and touch them.

To give the above statements some context I should point out that I have owned and / or demo'd some reasonably desirable cartridges such as Technics EPC-310MC, Audio Technica OC9 III, AT 32e II, AT 150 MLX, Denon 103 with aluminum body and soundsmith rebuild, Signet TK 100LC, Linn Adikt & Grado F1+, and I can honestly say that based on my taste, none of these cartridges come anywhere close to providing the sheer enjoyment I get from the Fidelity Research.

So what do I do now??? Have I reached vinyl nirvana???? In the short to medium term I say yes wholeheartedly and I am content to focus my $$$ on expanding my record collection with a massive smile on my face.

However, and there is always a "however", what happens when I am ready to consider going to the next level or I get that itch that we all get no matter how high up the food chain we get. What cartridge, (vintage preferably), would offer a similar sonic flavor but provide a little more of everything I love about this magical cart.

This request for information is purely out of curiosity at this stage as I have no desire to spend more $$$, but I am keen hear from those members who have owned the F version of this cartridge and find out what they did to take it to the next level. 

Thanks in advance for any observations y'all may have.


 
ateal

Showing 11 responses by chakster

chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
It is in this midrange zone that the voices of Nancy Wilson, amongst others, become incredibly real, intoxicating and seductive. It is also in this range where trumpets, saxophones, snare drums, bass guitar & piano sound so palpable you feel like you can reach out and touch them.


Believe it or not, but i have the same feeling with my Fidelity Research FR-5E (low inductance MM cartridge designed by Ikeda San). Jonathan Carr was right about this forgotten gem when recommended to try it. This is my first experience with FR cartridges, but very unique experience compared to more expensive vintage MM cartridges i’ve tried/owned before. I will keep my eye on FR products from the past.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
I wonder, does the modern Miyajima Kansui or Miyajima Madake easily fills this category of the top Japanese cartridges with this kind of "real" peresentation?

Another one is old Miyabi Standard (aka Krell) or earlier Miyabi MCA ...


chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
What's the difference between F and FZ models, Nandric ?
Seems like FZ are the rarest and more expensive.

I believe those FR-7 with spherical tip is not interesting compared to F and FZ with advanced stylus profile (which some with different coils as well) ?

Tonearms designed for low compliance Denon or SPU should be good for Fidelity Research F7 cartridges?  
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
I'm waiting for my Fidelity Research FR-6SE which should be fine MM for heavy tonearms. 
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@nandric well, i have not heard FR-1 mk3, but i think Fidelity Research MM design is also interesting and worth to try for those who addicted to FR sound. I was very imperred what can do FR-5E compared to Victor X1IIE, Ortofon M20FL Super etc. This is very musical cartridge. Hope i will find Ikeda's MC cartridges in the future, but for Ateal my advice is to try Ikeda's MM. 
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
No i don’t have FR-64/66 tonearms, i still have Schick tonearm for low compliance cartridges (i’m gonna try with FR-6SE), for the rest i use Reed 3p. The FR-5E mm cartridge was recommended by J.Carr, not by Raul. I believe Halcro has both FR-5E and FR-6SE.

However i ’m fine with Raul’s recommendation when it comes to cartridges like AT-ML180/OCC (even AT-ML150/OCC is great).

I like MCs as well, the one i like seems nobody even tried: Argent MC500HS (sapphire cantilever, line contact stylus, high output, from the 80s).

P.S. FR-1 mk3F seemed to be more universal to mate with different arms than headshell integrated FR-7. Never seen FR 702.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Yes, this is a LINK to t_bone's Fidelity Reasearch thread. 

And this is what J Carr said:

"The PMC-3 is far less popular than the FR-1 or 7, but was influenced by the FR-7's thinking, and is certainly worth searching out."  - J.Carr

FR also had quite interesting MM designs. I'm not too fond of the electrical characteristics of most MMs (nor how they sound), but the low-inductance FR-5E is a notable exception." - J.Carr
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
This is why the most valuable FR LOMC cartridges today is only FR-7 series (no one never noticed any issue with its sealed suspension), but i must say the closest is PMC-3
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Interesting @edgewear

What’s the hype about 702 by the way ?
I never tried this model, but looking at the specs for the rest of FR-7 HERE and comparing to the specs from my the scan of the FR catalog i see there is not difference between 702 and FR-7f

**Specs for Fidelity-Research MC-702:

Output: 0.2 mV
Playback frequency response: 10 - 45 000 Hz
Channel separation is better than 28db
Channel balance: 1dB max
Coil Impedance: 2 Ohm
Load Impedance: 3 Ohm or higher
Tracking weight: 2-3g (optimal 2.5g)
Stylus shape: Refined Contact type solid diamond
Dynamic Compliance: 7cu @ 100Hz
Weight 29g

P.S. there is no 702 in the Japanese catalog, but there is a 702 in English (export) catalog. Was it just FR-7f branded FR-702 for export sales outside of Japan ?


chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
There is a hype because it is one of the rarest version of FR 7 family.

@edgewear You’re right about shorter cantilever, as i can read in the English catalog about model 702:

"Newly developed short cantilever reduce the effective mass of the moving parts to approximately two thirds that of previous MC cartridges to faithfully reproduce the wide dynamic range of the highly modulated groove cut into today’s best audiophile discs."

I must say there is no FR-7fz in this catalog, while the rest of the models such FR-7 are there. Probably FR-7fz indeed was the latest model.

Mystery!

chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Coincidentally I recently discovered that they shift another gear if you use them with a silver wired step up transformer.

I've been using them with Luxman Toroidal Silver SUT 
But the recent discovery is Current Injection phono stage, it's so nice with FR-7fz 

More to discover