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Fidelity Research FR64 Black Limited Edition

Hello, i have a Fidelity Research Black Limited edition tone arm which came on my Denon DP-80 turntable i bought quite some time ago.
Anyways i cannot find any information what so ever on this particular tonearm, anyone have one or seen one before?
I posted on another forum with no success.
I am thinking i have something that is very very rare and possibly a one of a kind.
I was told from the person i bought it from which got it from a millionaire's estate that the person was friends with the owner of Fidelity Research and traveled to Japan often.
Anyone see one or have one?
Thank you.
x1884
dertonarm
1,042 posts
 
Hi Mike, this is FR-64 black edition. A limited edition from 1980.
This is a fairly low numbered edition which was introduced when the FR-64 model was discontinued in favor of the FR-64s.
In the FR-64 the lateral balance weight is a round blank, while it is a hanging cylinder with the FR-64s.
There are other small alternations coming along with the FR-64s, but this is the most notable difference between the two "brothers".
A rare one - enjoy!
And no - the "s" in FR-64s does not stand for stainless steel or steel.
It just denominates the improved version following the FR-64.
The FR-64 is stainless steel tube too, just with a different finish ( a matte satin finish unlike the shiny polished in the FR-64s).
Cheers,
D.
x1884 OP
26 posts
 
Thank you for the information!
voraratc
11 posts
 
Dertonarm

Does the S stand for silver wiring? I am quite confuse. What is the performance different between 64 and 64s
Thx
lewm
12,553 posts
 
Voraratc, The "S" not only does not stand for "steel", it also does not stand for "Silver". Most of the silver-wired FR64Ss with which I am familiar have a decal on the arm tube that says "Silver inside", or similar words. (Mine does.) Other than that, Dertonearm has told us the difference between an FR64 and a 64S, see above. Dertonearm is probably the most expert in the Western world on FR64 and 66 tonearms.

When I first saw this thread a year or more ago, I wondered whether the black FR64 could have been an FR64fx. All of those were black, or all that I have ever seen. The fx is made of black anodized aluminum (I think) for a lower effective mass compared to 64S and 66S. They are readily available, if one has patience to shop. Apparently, it's not an fx.
syntax's avatar
syntax
2,193 posts
 
Does the S stand for silver wiring?

No. The only advice for silver wiring is a sticker onto the Arm (silver inside leads) or onto the Box when this one has the identical Serial no. (matching box).
Or
when you have two for comparison and one sounds definitely better (deeper soundstage, more headroom, more definition in the higher frequencies, fast Bass...) then that one is silver wired.
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