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Anyone familiar with Ikeda 9 series (cantileverless kind) MC cartridges?

Impressed by the series FR-7 kinds , more in particular the FR-7 fz, I wanted to try some of the

9 C(?) kinds. I was able to buy the 9 C, mk2 but was not able to find much info about other

versions.  There are later versions so I am interested in their possible  ''added values''.

128x128nandric
ddriveman
129 posts
 
There is Ikeda 9C Mk3. I have this. Very nice.
After this, Ikeda started calling them 9R. And started making them as integrated headshell carts. The final one was called 9R MUSA in a wooden body integrated headshell.
The new Ikeda compnay is using the 9R model number but all of these have cantilevers.
nandric's avatar
nandric OP
3,263 posts
 

Thanks dear ddriveman, My only problem with 9C,mk 2 is the

(very) low compliance. I can hardly  get 50 microns ''pure''

with tracking capability test records. Speculating or rather deducing

from VTF 2 g by R versions in comparison with 2.5 g for my 9C,2

I assume that R versions have higher compliance (?).

BTW I recently purchased Ikeda 9 TT with aluminum cantilever.

Nice but not equal to the cantileverless kinds.

edgewear
119 posts
 
It seems there was a wide range of different requirements for each member of the original Ikeda 9 family. I own Ikeda 9 Rex, but I'm not sure if this is the R version ddriveman is referring to.

The Rex supposedly was one of the top models in the range and according to the spec sheet the recommended VTF is 1.5 gram. I prefer it slightly higher at 1.75 gram, where tracking capability does seem to improve a little. But more importantly bass notes go deeper, are more solid and more tuneful. The soundstage also seems to blow up like a balloon, both in width and depth. A remarkable effect!

Calling it low compliance is an optimistic description, it's actually more like a no compliance cart. So alignment and SRA really need to be spot on. That's impossible to accomplish visually, so you just have to trust your ears. Feickert+ software (or something similar) would probably be very helpful here. I don't have access to it, so patience and a little luck are my only companions.

You will also need to limit yourself to perfectly flat discs, or it will jump all over the place. Definitely not a cart for everyday use, but when serendipity is in the house, there is nothing quite like it.


nandric's avatar
nandric OP
3,263 posts
 

Hi edgewear, Do you mean by your first sentence different

versions of the 9 series or different treatment of ''each member''

of the family? I am searching for the  9 REX for a long time but

in hope to get a better ''rider'' than my 9C, 2. Your denial of

even my ''very low compliance'' does not look very promising.

I don't understand difference in VTF without compliance .

Is the thought that the last version is the best wrong?

If this make sense than the question is which one is the

latest? (grin). My both FR-64 are adjusted according to Bearwald

so I can't use those with headshell. BTW I don't like any

Ikeda headshell.  Deed you ever ty some other version?

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