FR66s vs Ikeda IT-407 CR tonearms
Dear driverman, If I am well informed Dertonarm used Ikeda silver wire for his rewire. Ikeda himself also used ,uh, Ikeda silver wire while the original FR-66 was also wired with Ikeda silver wire. So no wonder you was not able to hear any difference. BTW our ''dispute'', if it is an dispute is pure academic. Ikeda sold his company and is probably enjoying his pension while Dertonarm is enjoying his success as producer and would be crazy to spend his time with tonearm rewire (grin). |
Nandric, Dertonarm told me that he used Ikeda silver for my rewire. I ordered Silver wire for the rewire by new Ikeda company. I could not hear a difference between these 2. But I heard a clear difference between original FR silver wire versus Dertonarm's rewire. I told Dertonarm about this and he told me that the Ikeda Silver wire he used is better than original FR silver wire. As I mentioned before, I used the new Ikeda company to rewire my second FR66s because Dertonarm was now busy making tonearms and TTs etc. I use the term "new" Ikeda because Mr Ikeda is clearly no longer with the current Ikeda which is making the new Ikeda tonearms and offering service for FR arms. As a final summary, I just want to share with FR64 and FR66 owners that 1) Rewiring the original FR internal wires brings significant improvements. In my opinion, it's a worthwhile exercise. 2) Dertonarm's rewring service is highly recommended. Alternative is the rewiring by the new Ikeda company which is also highly recommended. |
A bit off topic, but i've managed to get NOS Lustre GST-801 yesterday and this particular sample is much better than my previous used sample (which i sold to a friend). I’m happy because my brand new Lustre GST-801 has properly working magnetic tracking force and anti-skating. Also this NOS Lustre has an original RCA-DIN Silver Wire, Headshell Silver Wire and Internal Silver Wire. So now i can try your silver bullets too. My old sample was rewired with discovery copper wire, i will not touch my brand new NOS sample, but i can experiment with external wire by using both (original cheap looking silver or modern high-end copper). |
What are the 345 & 407 made from? The construction overall looks closer to FR64fx & FR66fx than to FR64s & FR66s. This review says 345 & 407 are made from stainless steel: https://www.stereophile.com/content/listening-128 This review says they're made from "a combination of aluminum, zinc-bronze, stainless steel and brass": https://www.dagogo.com/ikeda-sound-labs-it-407cr1-long-tonearm-review/ The anti-skate provision by 345 is an enigma. It looks identical to the one in FR64fx & FR66fx. I use the term "new" Ikeda because Mr Ikeda is clearly no longer with the current Ikeda which is making the new Ikeda tonearms and offering service for FR arms. It’s the same company that Osamu Ikeda founded after Fidelity Research went bust in the 1980s, but I think he himself retired recently and there is a new owner. He is here said to have been 35 when he started Fidelity Research in 1964. That would make him ~89 this year. http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/vinyl-lp/30-turntables/165-eat-forte-turntable.html?start=2 He is here interviewed in 2009 saying he is 83 and was still building tonearms and cartridges, like he had been doing for 60 years. That would make him ~92 this year. http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/high-end-audio-in-japan-part-five-analog-from-ikeda-sound-lab/ He is here in 2012 said to have retired and IT Industries is now managing the company: https://www.dagogo.com/ikeda-sound-labs-it-407cr1-long-tonearm-review/ |
@sampsa55 , What an revelation in time of fake news and propaganda. The facts and only the facts. Facts are true statements. But I have some addition. As I mentioned in my post in the context of the German Magazine production from (hardened) steel become to expensive so the next series FX is made from aluminum . According to my ''devaluation theory'' it would make no sense to use steel after FX. J. Carr explanation was that meanwhile Ikeda understood resonance problems better and used an, say, mix of different metals for 345 & 407 as solution. From my ''theory'' it follows that each next model should be cheaper (made) in order to keep the business profitable. A kind of ''opposite proof'' is the price of the new B-60 (grin). Now the ''curious'' anti-skate provision by 345&407. This is not even similar with FX kind. The forgotten ''child'' the 245 however has similar to FX anti-skate provision. Samsa deed not mention any kind of silver. According to our beloved ddriverman ''new Ikeda silver'' was better then ''old'' (aka original). But the most of us have at least heard of Kondo san. According to him the ''matured silver'' (20 years?) was the best and preferably from Italy. I thought about analogy with French wine but the Italian is also very good. |
