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Fidelity Research FR-1Mk3F

Digiverse

Digiverse

Active Member
Hi Guys, Any thoughts on a Fidelity Research FR-1Mk3F cartridge with a broken stylus ? is it worth fixing ? or can I buy a new replacement original for it ? and will it suit my TechniCs SL1400 ? and Sansui AU 101 ? All opinions considered and thanks. Groovetube.
 
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Fidelity Research FR-1Mk3F cartridge is an excellent moving coil cartridge.

It does not a user replaceable stylus.

You can have it re tip.

You know that the Sansui AU 101 does not have a moving coil cartridge phono input, correct. :scratch2:
 
Sound-smith will $150 to $350 retip that cartridge or there are others that do this word, too. Not many.

Well worth having this one retipped.
 
Hi Guys, Thanks and yes I know Sansui will need a transformer for mc as far as the cartridge goes I am thinking about buying it but the actual stylus has broken off so can it still be fixed and would it be worth it ? Thanks. Groovetube.
 
As Blue Shadow has already noted there are a number of options for repair of the cart. It is deserving of a level 2 or 3 Sound Smith upgrade or the folks over in England (name escapes me) with the Paratrace tip. The original had a nude line contact diamond.

The FR-1MK3F I believe is the first cart to use silver wound coils and was used by MoFi along with a Fidelity Research FR 64S tonearm as part of their QC for evaluating their pressings. It is highly regarded to this day.

*edit: Forgot to comment on compliance. Your Technics arm wouldn't be a great vehicle for the low compliance of the FR cart. It would be better served by higher mass arms like the FR's, Audio Technica Pro arms, Jelco 750D and L's etc.

If you decide not to rebuild it it does have value to many of us to pursue so you could consider selling it as is.
 
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The cartridge database shows that this cartridge is high enough compliance to work with a mid-teens arm mass.
 
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Thanks

Hi Guys, Thank you for the info and suggestions I will have to think about what to do with it if I acquire it but great to know that it can be fixed I will keep you posted. Thanks. Groovetube.
 
Blue Shadow said:
The cartridge database shows that this cartridge is high compliance and will work with a mid-teens arm mass.
Click to expand...

It most assuredly is not a "high" compliance cart; at best it is on the low end of mid compliance to my way of thinking. I currently have my FR1 MK3F running in my recently acquired FR64S wonderfully. Sounds much better then in either my JMW 10.0 or 10.5 and even the Jelco 750L.
 
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Muddywaters said:
It most assuredly is not a "high" compliance cart; at best it is on the low end of mid compliance to my way of thinking. I currently have my FR1 MK3F running in my recently acquired FR64S wonderfully. Sounds much better then in either my JMW 10.0 or 10.5 and even the Jelco 750L.
Click to expand...

I would tend to believe you as the FR-64s is such a high mass arm and they would make a cartridge to work with the arm.

The 10 cu compliance and 10 gram mass of the cartridge gives you an 8 Hz resonance, just right, low end. Using an 18 gram effective mass arm will raise that resonance to 10 Hz again just right.

I've had the FR-64s arm and used it successfully with the Koetsu Black and Ortrfon MC30 Super. Nice tonearm.
 
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Thought I'd follow up after doing some testing/measuring of my FR1 MK3F in three different arms. The sticks were a Technics 1200 with KAB damping, a jelco 750L and a Fidelity Research 64S. Knowing that the Japanese typically rate their compliance at 100 Hz the FR should be higher at 10 Hz. It appears my sample is in the range of 14.5-16. I used the resonance calculators at vinyl engine to come up with the estimate. Hopefully that will be helpful to others.

With that guesstimate groovetube your Technics 1400 arm is fine for the resonance range results. When I had it in the 1200 it was fine too around 8 Hz with a higher than stock weight headshell.

As an aside plotting the resonance result of the FR1 MK3F was interesting. I found it quite different than other carts I've tested, in that the audible warble using the test record, (HiFi News latest version) doesn't produce a noticeable amplitude peak in the graphs. All three arms have a very similar plot almost a shelf rather than tall peak. These FR carts must have some serious internal damping. Curious...

Blue Shadow isn't your avatar pic an FR arm?
 
groovetube should pick up the cartridge, find a moving coil phono preamp or step up and get it retipped. When he hears the difference between this and the Empire OP2 he picked up, he will be a happy camper.

Yes, it is an FR-64s.
 
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