Erocka2000
pfm Member
I posted this on another forum, but thought I'd also share it here, as we all love looking at pictures of gear 
.
I have been using a Technics SL-1200G turntable with a Jelco TK-850S for a number of years now. I love the combo. And the 1200G made me a true believer in direct-drive tables. I don't really see myself upgrading tables, unless I'm able to afford the Technics SP10R, which most likely won't be anytime soon.
With the Technics/Jelco combo, I've been using a Koetsu Urushi Sky Blue. It is an amazing cartridge. It's just so natural sounding. Never harsh or fatiguing. You can listen to it for hours on end. And it worked quite well with the Jelco. If you never heard any other combo and weren't into endless upgrades, it's a set-up you could probably live with forever. But we are all crazy audiophiles, right? If you already own a Jelco/Koetsu combo and really enjoy and don't like upgrading, you may want to stop reading now.
Enter the Fidelity Research FR-64S tonearm. I had been researching how to maximize the sound of a Koetsu cartridge and constantly kept reading about the FR-64S and how a wide consensus concludes it's most likely one of, if not the best, tonearms ever made to match with Koetsu cartridges.
I waited months and months for the right version to come up for sale (original box, all accessories, etc.). Finally, one that matched my specs came up for sale on eBay in Germany. This one had the silver wiring inside, which generally, I'm not that huge of a fan. But people mentioned that any Fidelity Research arm at this point is fairly old and that the wires inside may have oxidized. Oxidized silver is still conductive, whereas oxidized copper is not. So people say the silver version will work, without having to get it re-wired. How realistic of a problem this is, I have no idea.
The arm arrived a few weeks later (customs is a real pain in the ass) and I waited until a Saturday to install it on my table. I had already ordered a new armboard from Ammonite Audio to swap out with the one for my Jelco. Other than a tedious amount of screws on the base of the Technics, the installation was pretty painless. I decided on using an Ortofon LH9000 headshell, as I needed a heavier one than the standard Jelco headshells I had on hand. But before installation I swapped out the headshell wires for some thinner, aftermarket ones I had previously used. The rest of the setup, i.e. cartridge alignment, VTF, anti-skate were also very straight forward following the manual. All the settings feel incredibly solid and the arm itself is buttery smooth to wield. And a huge shout out to the one of the best anti-skate methods I've come across. Rather than bore you with the details of how it works, just look up the manual for the FR-64S (You can get an idea from the last photo on how it works though).
Upon first listen, you could tell this tonearm was on another level from the Jelco. It had this vividness and solidity to the sound that I've never quite heard before on my system. However, the sound was a little more on the neutral side than I had hoped and was wondering if it was a result of the silver wiring in the tonearm, me being a copper acolyte after all. As an experiment, though, I swapped back in the thick stock Ortofon headshell wires and WOW! This was the sound I was after. The same vividness and solidity, now with that oh-so-awesome vinyl warmth.
Everything sounds so alive. The timbre of instruments is spot on, and vocals are crystal clear, yet smooth and inviting. The bass goes down super deep and full, but is tight and spot on. Listening to the Let It Be 50th Anniversary LP Box Set over the weekend, was revelatory. It sounded about as real as it gets.
I now understand why these arms are so revered. If you are a fan of Koetsus and other lower compliance cartridges, I highly recommend these arms. They are considered one of the best ever made (and not just for Koetsus), and rightfully so.
That said, yada yada yada, here are some pics. Enjoy.
.I have been using a Technics SL-1200G turntable with a Jelco TK-850S for a number of years now. I love the combo. And the 1200G made me a true believer in direct-drive tables. I don't really see myself upgrading tables, unless I'm able to afford the Technics SP10R, which most likely won't be anytime soon.
With the Technics/Jelco combo, I've been using a Koetsu Urushi Sky Blue. It is an amazing cartridge. It's just so natural sounding. Never harsh or fatiguing. You can listen to it for hours on end. And it worked quite well with the Jelco. If you never heard any other combo and weren't into endless upgrades, it's a set-up you could probably live with forever. But we are all crazy audiophiles, right? If you already own a Jelco/Koetsu combo and really enjoy and don't like upgrading, you may want to stop reading now.
Enter the Fidelity Research FR-64S tonearm. I had been researching how to maximize the sound of a Koetsu cartridge and constantly kept reading about the FR-64S and how a wide consensus concludes it's most likely one of, if not the best, tonearms ever made to match with Koetsu cartridges.
I waited months and months for the right version to come up for sale (original box, all accessories, etc.). Finally, one that matched my specs came up for sale on eBay in Germany. This one had the silver wiring inside, which generally, I'm not that huge of a fan. But people mentioned that any Fidelity Research arm at this point is fairly old and that the wires inside may have oxidized. Oxidized silver is still conductive, whereas oxidized copper is not. So people say the silver version will work, without having to get it re-wired. How realistic of a problem this is, I have no idea.
The arm arrived a few weeks later (customs is a real pain in the ass) and I waited until a Saturday to install it on my table. I had already ordered a new armboard from Ammonite Audio to swap out with the one for my Jelco. Other than a tedious amount of screws on the base of the Technics, the installation was pretty painless. I decided on using an Ortofon LH9000 headshell, as I needed a heavier one than the standard Jelco headshells I had on hand. But before installation I swapped out the headshell wires for some thinner, aftermarket ones I had previously used. The rest of the setup, i.e. cartridge alignment, VTF, anti-skate were also very straight forward following the manual. All the settings feel incredibly solid and the arm itself is buttery smooth to wield. And a huge shout out to the one of the best anti-skate methods I've come across. Rather than bore you with the details of how it works, just look up the manual for the FR-64S (You can get an idea from the last photo on how it works though).
Upon first listen, you could tell this tonearm was on another level from the Jelco. It had this vividness and solidity to the sound that I've never quite heard before on my system. However, the sound was a little more on the neutral side than I had hoped and was wondering if it was a result of the silver wiring in the tonearm, me being a copper acolyte after all. As an experiment, though, I swapped back in the thick stock Ortofon headshell wires and WOW! This was the sound I was after. The same vividness and solidity, now with that oh-so-awesome vinyl warmth.
Everything sounds so alive. The timbre of instruments is spot on, and vocals are crystal clear, yet smooth and inviting. The bass goes down super deep and full, but is tight and spot on. Listening to the Let It Be 50th Anniversary LP Box Set over the weekend, was revelatory. It sounded about as real as it gets.
I now understand why these arms are so revered. If you are a fan of Koetsus and other lower compliance cartridges, I highly recommend these arms. They are considered one of the best ever made (and not just for Koetsus), and rightfully so.
That said, yada yada yada, here are some pics. Enjoy.
