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RE: Another top 10 list - phono cartridges

Posted by Ron AKA (A) on September 20, 2011 at 13:24:49

In Reply to: RE: Another top 10 list - phono cartridges posted by Satie on September 20, 2011 at 08:23:17:

"I keep thinking the ruby is too stiff to have any self damping - which is an iffy idea for a cartridge carefully designed around another cantilever material... How did the retip work out on your FR? Did you end up getting the same stylus shape? How did the sound characteristics change?"

The original FR1-MK3F I recall used a hollow aluminum cantilever. It is very soft, as I found out when I tried to straighten it after one of my young children put a right angle bend in it. However, while soft aluminum gives you a gut feel of having some damping, it is operated well within the elastic limit, and should contribute no damping to the cantilever. The big difference between aluminum and ruby is that the E value or Young's Modulus is about 5 times higher. That means for the same cross section it is about 5 times stiffer and will have a much higher resonant frequency. I would hope it is well beyond the audible frequency. FR claimed a response of the original cartridge out to 40 kHz. I would expect it is even higher now. Value?? Ruby should give a flatter response, but perhaps only at the frequencies that don't count much anyway.

Since my cartridge went through a transition stage where it played (but not very well with the self straightened cantilever) before it was rebuilt properly, I don't really have a good before and after comparison. Given that, I don't notice any significant change. Perhaps it has a slightly lower output, but that is just by ear, no measurements to back it up. I think Peter does good work, but it did take months to get it done. I went for the nude line contact diamond. Peter said it matched the original FR one the closest.
Ron

Edits: 09/20/11

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