FR-64S on EMT 930

[phixphi]

Hi all!

I'm decided to try this classic arm on my EMT 930 esp. that I have FR7 cart. The installation instead of the original 929 seems possible (minus the suboptimal anti-skate). Any ideas where to look for this arm apart from the known auction site?

Thanks,
Jarek

 

[Tony L]

Judging from searching eBay most still seem to reside in Japan, so that is where I’d look. Would be worth making enquiries at HiFiDo etc. It is a really nice arm IMO.

PS I’m rather curious about the FR54 or FR12, they seldom get mentioned, seem to go for a lot less and I think a 54 might look good on my TD-124 if it would fit!

 

[phixphi]

Thanks Tony! With HifiDo I always seem to be too late - all items I tried fishing there appeared already sold.

Of course if someone here wants to pass one into good hands in an exchange for a decent amount of euros/pounds I'd be happy to help

 

[monstrous lie]

PS I’m rather curious about the FR54 or FR12, they seldom get mentioned, seem to go for a lot less and I think a 54 might look good on my TD-124 if it would fit!

Yes, the FR54 does rather live in the shadow of its more butch sibling, doesn't it? I confirm though that it is a gorgeous piece of kit that is lovely to use and sounds terrific. Here's a couple of pictures of mine. Aside from being a good deal cheaper to get hold of, they are - in my opinion at any rate - a great deal better looking. I dislike arms that look like they have got Sputnik mounted around their pillar - all arms, dials, wires and springs! It's all a bit "look at me!". These days I find that the pleasure I get from my hi-fi is as much about aesthetics as "ultimate sound". Maybe my ears are duff, but in my experience you can spend a lot on an upgrade - and hear a real improvement too; but after a distressingly short time you no longer notice it. It just sounds like your good old record player (CD player, radio, whatever) doing what it does. The sound is familiar and pleasing, but you are more interested in the music than in listening for whether your highest frequencies are suitably extended, or whether the choir is hanging in a soundstage as big as a barn door or all the other stuff that it is too easy to obsess over. I'm not sure that the level of musical enjoyment is any greater once the upgrade novelty value has faded. What does endure, though, is the pleasure of owning something that is beautifully designed and made, the tactile pleasure of handling and using high-quality engineered items and the hard-to-pinpoint satisfaction inside when the aesthetics, functioning and sound of a piece of equipment all just come together and chime with what hi-fi means to you. That is the sort of satisfaction I get from using and listening to my Garrard/FR54 combination.

ML

 

[phixphi]

Just got a nice specimen of 64s thanks to our member disco (thank you Mike!).
To put it on the EMT930, the lift assembly must be removed.
The plan is to ask Audio Origami John to do the job
Hope to have it done soon and will be able to comment more on the combo.

Cheers,
Jarek

 

[phixphi]

So, 2 things are obvious apart from removing the arm cue mechanism.

1) I need to machine a new collar to mount the arm. I want to be able to change the P2S distance to align with Loefgren B as suggested by Wally Malewicz. It requires 227.6mm P2S and assuming EMT929 is centered at its nominal 230mm, I need 2.4mm flexibility. This is doable as the EMT arm hole is 31.5mm and the FR64 is 25.4mm. The idea is to make the collar that can be turned and bore the arm shaft some 2.5mm offcenter. Will post the pic of the collar when settle on the design.

2) The platter has to be rised as described here http://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=12150.msg234595;topicseen#msg234595 I already machined a 10mm thick acrylic platter. Of course the break will be lost ;( But I figured out that one can posibly machine a subplatter which would still allow the EMT break to be used. Will experiment and post drawings if it works.

All this is in progress, hope to be done mid Jan. The only missing thing is a good cable. Wanted to try Audioquest Leopard. Anyone wnats to sell his good used well broken in ?

Cheers,
jarek