It's now time to ditch your Sound Hi-Fi/Herbie's mats...

[Marco]

Yeah, if you set it on fire!

Marco.

[MartinT]

Marco - isn't the FXR based on a Rega? Interesting, as I thought you disliked Regas

[Alex_UK]

Marco - isn't the FXR based on a Rega? Interesting, as I thought you disliked Regas

It appears yes, Martin: You can either buy one complete or have your own RB250/300 upgraded. The mods do appear to move it way up the league though compared to a standar one, according to this Hifi Choice review http://www.techradar.com/reviews/aud...-703707/review

[Marco]

Hi Martin,

Marco - isn't the FXR based on a Rega? Interesting, as I thought you disliked Regas

Yes it is, but it looks bugger all much like a Rega, and has a totally different arm tube and headshell (and also much higher quality wiring) - I suspect it'll sound nothing like one, too!

Marco.

[prestonchipfryer]

Indeed... He also compared the FXR to an SME V, and apparently it pissed all over that, which doesn't surprise me

The SME V is probably the most overrated arm on the planet! But some folk will insist on jerking off over owning 'desirable badges'...

I'm looking forward to listening to the FXR - it's design philosophy is right up my street, as I love 'race-tuned' products with no undeserved pretentions, so I'm expecting it to be another 'giant-killer', high on SPPV!

Marco.

Overrated eh, the SME V is better than any Rega, Rega-based, Rega modified, etc. imo

John

[Marco]

Hehehe... Each to their own, Johnny boy!

Didn't know you used a 'Shmee'.

Marco.

[DSJR]

The FXR is really a TUBE of some material with a cross brace internally as in "+" Like many out there, a Rega bearing block is the donor (I'm told Rega are getting a bit peed off with third parties taking their excellent tonearms and bodging the life out of them, but obviously can't do anything about used tonearms), as is the Techie bearing block - now THAT is a very interesting proposition.

The one thing that could be labelled a "weakness" in the SME and Rega tonearms is the solid, "one piece," type of construction, where everything has to be tightened up and closely coupled for optimum performance. Done wrongly, this utter neutrality can make for a straight-laced quality of sound, although the RB300 used to sing when mounted on NAS decks with their adjustable collet mounting. Interesting that adding severe resonances and downgrading the finish supposedly makes for a "better" product (I'm thinking of another Rega bodger here). Now the genius behind SME has passed on, I wonder whether the Series V will be their final statement???

Arthur does seem to have the talent for lateral thinking and the FXR promises to be the first affordable development in tonearms since the RB series of tonearms came along nearly thirty years ago now (yes, it's THAT long ago). I wish him well with it.

As for "vastly superior" wiring, I don't think Hitachi (who make the internal wires) would be very pleased, as the internal (and external) wires of standard RB arms suffers from one thing only - they don't look posh enough. The copper used is very good and when stripped back, is nice and bright and shiny and easy to work with. Rega offer the Klotz alternative in the 600 series upwards and they certainly look the part...

[Marco]

That'll be why then, Dave, any Rega arm I've heard or owned is significantly transformed for the better with a rewire... Just ask Johnny from Audio Origami what he thinks on the subject (who's probably upgraded, via Cardas rewiring, amongst other things, more Rega arms than you've had hot dinners)!

Marco.

[DSJR]

I think we have to define "significant" and "expectation bias" here Marco. I've been there, remember.

The thing is, Rega could quite easily have used the Cardas Incognito style of tonearm loom in their more profitable and "better" products. I'm sure it wouldn't cost them much more when we're talking of tonearms costing three or four times that of an RB300 series, itself a supremely profitable product for them. I didn't find the company that dogmatic in refusal to try new things..

For me at any rate, setting up an RB300 on a Spacedeck was a revelation, the sound appearing to "free off" in a way that this arm on a Linn or Planar 3 never really achieved. An RB300 on a LPT and an SME V on a Pink Triangle Anniversary was sort of similar as well. Once heard, never forgotten and I can assure you this transformation is an order of magnitude above re-wiring. Different experiences and different feelings of "significant" I suppose

[colinB]

Hey Marco. Could you ask Aurthur to make a special perspex Funk plinth for the Techy! I would pay good money for one of those crazy designs