09-08-2015 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree Paul S San Diego, California, USA Posts 2,660 Joined on 10-12-2006 Post #: 26 Post ID: 21962 Reply to: 19061 Well??? fiogf49gjkf0d N-set. you dropped this thread. How did the Mafia-endorsed FR cartridge wind up working out over time? Best regards, Paul

09-09-2015 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree N-set Gdansk, Poland Posts 617 Joined on 01-07-2006 Post #: 27 Post ID: 21963 Reply to: 21962 War imbalance fiogf49gjkf0d Paul, I haven't done much audio in the past 1,5 year. The main reason is a war in my motherland which got me pretty out of balance, but I'm coming slowly back.  To try the Fr7, I made a slate/lead tower for the SME3012 caring it. Now I need to convince Tribute Pieter to use the silver wire we have to finally wind me a dedicated SUT and after some soldering within my RIAA (oh, how I love it!). I should be listening the fr7. Hope somewhere within a couple of months. Cheers, N-set Cheers, Jarek STACORE

09-09-2015 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree Paul S San Diego, California, USA Posts 2,660 Joined on 10-12-2006 Post #: 28 Post ID: 21964 Reply to: 21963 Serious Stuff fiogf49gjkf0d N-set. I am sorry to hear that you have in any way been itouched by the greedy, filthy, heartless assholes who keep coming up with justifications for wars. May thay live forever where everyone is exactly like they are. As for the SUT, this seems like a great opportunity to match input and output as you like, rather than compromising on a "one-size-fits-all" "solution". However, if you go with Pieter, it might be another LONG wait before you get to listen to your ideas. I was also thinking it would be nice to make a "stand alone" SUT, and you could add to that dedicated, hard-wired input and output wiring. My own Ortofon T-3000 is quite heavy, and it has a nice Mu metal case, but I have not wanted to crack the case to hard wire it, because the silver wire inside is VERY thin. I suppose only some Japanese would know if Ikedasan made "dedicated" transformers for the FR7 series, the way Ortofon once did for their highline cartridges. I do know that the "Japanese market" offers a whole range of SUTs that we never see in USA. Perhaps you will just buy a top Cinemag (Bob's), Auditorium, or Audio Note SUT - or something - to play with while you wait for the Tribute SUT? Best regards, Paul S

09-10-2015 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree N-set Gdansk, Poland Posts 617 Joined on 01-07-2006 Post #: 29 Post ID: 21969 Reply to: 21964 Power war fiogf49gjkf0d The most terryfying thing is that the war was still possible in Europe...and this kind of war with heavy indiscriminative shellings... Yes Pieter needs time, but I haven't been pushing too much. We have bought silver wire so it sits there and waits. I was also thinking about hardwiring with bell ends but Peter says no way with 0.17mm silver. Having a cheaper SUT may be an option for teh moment, however I firts have sometjing differet on my agenda: dedicated power lines. After hearing what vibration controll can do, I want to have +/- clear power before proceeding with FR7. Cheers, Nset  Cheers, Jarek STACORE

03-18-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree Paul S San Diego, California, USA Posts 2,660 Joined on 10-12-2006 Post #: 30 Post ID: 24757 Reply to: 21969 2 1/2 years later? Jarek, did you ever use/develop the cartridge?  If not, WTF?  If you did, surely you are obliged to share? Best regards, Paul S

03-18-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree N-set Gdansk, Poland Posts 617 Joined on 01-07-2006 Post #: 31 Post ID: 24758 Reply to: 24757 Comming soon Hi Paul, WTF is probably the right question. The time has been the problem - in the past 2,5yrs Ive set up my own audio company and only recently came back to working on the front end of my system.I changed the concept and bought the FR64S arm together with a custom silver wound SUT from Tribute Audio. I'm now getting together last the bits - the cable, protraktor (thanks Syntax for the help) and the mouting collar that I have to machine myself to fit my EMT930. Then some soldering to install a sut switch in the phono pre and should be done. It will be compared against my current setup: spu meister silver on 3012R. CheersJarek Cheers, Jarek STACORE

07-03-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree N-set Gdansk, Poland Posts 617 Joined on 01-07-2006 Post #: 32 Post ID: 24945 Reply to: 24758 FR7f journey started again! Fi-analy started listening the FR combo! The setup is somewhat haphazard: * P2S unknown - trying to get 231.5mm recommended by the Germans, took the pains and the cost to design and make a special collar but missing a laser engraved protractor to see where am I * VTA the lowest possible again as recommended; managed to get the tail slightly down, using 6mm acrylic disc on EMT, moving the arm up by one division seem to lose some of the bass detail in complex passages (using an operatic duo Caballe with someone EMI LP from 1971) * azimuth crap with 6.4dB unbalance, no idea how to  set azimuth on FR64s, waiting for some help here * load now at 26.4R (3R cart impedance) *2.60g VTF The initial impressions: There is a certain magic to this combo (I'm directly comparing to my other arm 3012R+SPU Silver Meister). This presence I came across  some years ago when using the cart on the SME briefly. Very convincing, direct picture but not through an orgy of details. Through something else I cannot name. The upper mids and heights a class in its own: liquid, detailed, refined. Bass so far a bit shy, perhaps need a yet lower load. I keep listening and optimizing with the azimuth being the most important now. Cheers, Jarek Cheers, Jarek STACORE

07-03-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree Paul S San Diego, California, USA Posts 2,660 Joined on 10-12-2006 Post #: 33 Post ID: 24946 Reply to: 24945 Alignment Here's a link to a copy cat alignment tool: https://www.audioadvice.com/pro-ject-align-it-cartridge-aligment-tool-black.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-ZSy3ZmE3AIVxF5-Ch3G2QttEAQYBSABEgLQ3vD_BwE Don't know if it's any good, but it appears to be the "correct type" Here's the one I use.  Not as easy, but accurate enough if you go into it with a clue: http://www.tweakshop.com/dBProtrac.html Keep us posted! Best regards, Paul S

07-04-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree N-set Gdansk, Poland Posts 617 Joined on 01-07-2006 Post #: 34 Post ID: 24947 Reply to: 24946 No use Paul, thank you but it's of no use. Pls look at the FR combo. The only thing I can do is P2S. To set it correctly the best is laser engraved arc on a mirror surface - waiting for one. And I have a copy of the Dennesen too. But the big problem is the azimuth, apparently the arm does not allow for a correction :/ Cheers Cheers, Jarek STACORE

07-04-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree N-set Gdansk, Poland Posts 617 Joined on 01-07-2006 Post #: 35 Post ID: 24951 Reply to: 24947 Continued Today I continued exploration despite the azimuth problem which starts to look serious (either the arm or the cart has a problem and no az adjustment, researching this). Added some VTF to reach 2.70g to give it a bit better tracking conditions despite skewed azimuth. Lowered the load from 26.4R to 21.8R. Great! No big change but the bass articulation is now  easily comprehensive (HM Bruckner).  This presence element is freaking fantastic! So are the operatic coloraturas (Caballe, Sutherland). I still have to digest what I'm hearing as it's all very complex and refined. Sutherland (Decca 1965) has this HF glare to her highest notes, prob the VTA is too low for this old record but cannot lower the arm more due to contraints on EMT930. In light of this, the idea is to optimize it for post 70's LP's. Alignment - I want to try two options 1st the Germans 231.5mm. I'm waiting for the MintLP arc to see how far am I from it. 2nd a custom Wally Malewicz he developed for me (229mm P2S, Baerewald). Unfortunately this turned out to be his last work before he passed away a month ago. Cheers, Jarek Cheers, Jarek STACORE

07-04-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree Paul S San Diego, California, USA Posts 2,660 Joined on 10-12-2006 Post #: 36 Post ID: 24952 Reply to: 24951 Baerwald vs Lofgren vs Schwarzwald Sorry to hear Wally Malewicz passed away.  I guess his health was lousy for many years, but the lucky few who got his "tractors" have by all accounts the best cartridge set-up tool available. I ass-u-me you made provisions to adjust pivot to spindle vs pivot to stylus, and once you have that the dB grid seems to "work".  As for azimuth, I suppose you can be sure the vertical pivot points are parallel to the platter and from there work at the headshell and/or cartridge. What's up with "putting the rear of the arm down as far as possible"?  The center line of the arm should be parallel with the platter. Ultimate VTF will only be decided when the arm/cartridge geometry is finalized. You can eff with loading forever! Best regards, Paul S

07-05-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree N-set Gdansk, Poland Posts 617 Joined on 01-07-2006 Post #: 37 Post ID: 24956 Reply to: 24952 FR7f ride Paul, not sure if you are familiar with the combo. There is nothing one can adjust apart from VTF, VTA and P2S. Even with the latter I'm bound by the EMT930 arm hole. Smart collar design by my business partner gave me some +/-1.8mm freedom there and that's it. Anyway, my cart has a geometry problem. Mounting it in 3012R and correcting the azimuth, the cart lands quite rotated in the collar. I'm looking now for a cart specialist to correct that, hopefully without much fuss. Either I was taken for a ride by the Bavarian seller or I did it somehow. Strangely the 6dB crosstalk imbalance is not audible with a good soundstage and great tracking. Cheers, N-set Cheers, Jarek STACORE

07-05-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree Paul S San Diego, California, USA Posts 2,660 Joined on 10-12-2006 Post #: 38 Post ID: 24959 Reply to: 24956 6 dB is "Not Audible"?!? Well, this is the sort of potential problems we talked about, up the thread, so many years ago.  If the damned motor is skewed in the shell, or if the cantilever is twisted or punched wrong, or the stylus is attached wrong...  It could be anything.  Hell, I sent my cartridge back to Denmark to have it re-built by the manufacturer.  Does yours have to go back to Japan, or back to the Scwarzwald? Best regards, Paul S

07-06-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree N-set Gdansk, Poland Posts 617 Joined on 01-07-2006 Post #: 39 Post ID: 24960 Reply to: 24959 I'm perplexed myself But I'm not an imaging or a soundstage freak. I'm looking for a cart specialist in EU to try to correct the geometry. Any reasonable suggestions welcome. Thanks, Jarek Cheers, Jarek STACORE

07-06-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree Paul S San Diego, California, USA Posts 2,660 Joined on 10-12-2006 Post #: 40 Post ID: 24961 Reply to: 24960 Omerta Regarding soundstage (and everything else, for that matter), who knows what you can get from the cartridge if it's optimized? Surely, the Bavarian experts will step in now to set everything right?

07-26-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree N-set Gdansk, Poland Posts 617 Joined on 01-07-2006 Post #: 41 Post ID: 24992 Reply to: 24961 That's it My FR7f has been examined by a Dutch master and the cart is f*cked up thoroughly: -boron cantilever glued angled with non-solvable epoxy resin -high tracking dist even when azimuth rotated - someone tried to manipulate the generator and/or suspension by putting pressure on the bobine, damper and tension-wire - too much internal deformation to do anything I wrote the Bavarian seller who sold me that but after 5 years not sure if he's still alive. Bad day. Cheers, Jarek Cheers, Jarek STACORE

07-26-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree Paul S San Diego, California, USA Posts 2,660 Joined on 10-12-2006 Post #: 42 Post ID: 24995 Reply to: 24992 Salvaging What You Can Jarek, that really sucks!  Are you sure no one in Japan might salvage this cartridge for you?  Has Stitch not offered more sage advice? And what about your Super Deluxe Tribute SUT?  Is there a way you might adapt it for use with something else?  I remember you said your arm mounting collar had very little play.  Will you be able to use another cartridge in some sort of "universal" head shell, so you can listen to LPs while this cartridge is down? As demoralizing as this episode is, there has to be a way to get your phono going, once you get back on your feet again. Paul S

07-26-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree N-set Gdansk, Poland Posts 617 Joined on 01-07-2006 Post #: 43 Post ID: 24997 Reply to: 24995 Recycling Paul, its all welded and filled with non-dissolvable epoxy. I've convinced Kilian to try to get the cart as close  to the optimal technical specs  ass possible. Let's see how much he will be able to do.  Stich asked for s/n perhaps he can trace where the cart comes from. Of course the whole setup: FR64s + Ag Tribute SUT is perfectly usable with any other cart that matches the arm, I even have a selection of headshells to try. As this is 2nd arm, my phono is actually up and going with 3012R+SPU, so fortunately I'm not cut from vinyl. Cheers, Jarek Cheers, Jarek STACORE