9-10" tonearms: Denon DA305, Fidelity Research FR24 MkII, FR54, FR64fx and Grace G540L

Tonearms are like violin bows...

When I posted the above picture + caption in my 2020 preview, I was drawing an analogy in which the turntable is a violin, the tonearm is the violin bow, and the phono cartridge is the violinist. Due to unforeseen circumstances that year, I was only able to cover 11-12" transcription length tonearms contained within the Garrard 401 + Alfred Bokrand AB309 essay. Even if I'm committed to transcription length tonearms for ultimate LP reproduction, below are capsule reviews of 9-10" tonearms I also like and use. 

Denon DA305

Spindle > pivot = 230mm

Although not the last word in terms of detail retrieval, the DA305 has the ability to recreate the atmosphere of a fine concert hall. Aside from bringing out the best from the Denon DL103, it also partners well with low compliance magnetic cartridges like the Shure M3D. Musically, very honest!

Fidelity Research FR24 MkII
Spindle > pivot = 230mm

The FR24 displayed excellent synergy with medium to high compliance magnetic cartridges. It was the perfect mate to the Nagaoka MP10 and is equally at home with the high compliance Shure SC39ED. The sound was not as exciting when paired with lower compliance cartridges. A beautiful design with a bejewelled feel!

Fidelity Research FR54
Spindle > pivot = 230mm

Tonally, the FR54 sits in between the DA305 above and the FR64fx below. I love this tonearm because it sounds detailed yet musical - a combination of virtues that's not easy to achieve. It is best paired with low to medium compliance magnetic and moving coil cartridges. Although at the limit of its range, it can handle an Ortofon SPU and does quite a fine job on playback! 

Fidelity Research FR64fx
Spindle > pivot = 230mm

This is the most massive tonearm in this group and the only dynamic balance design. Top flight low compliance moving coils like the SPU are its natural partners - definitely not designed for high compliance cartridges. It allows the proper cartridge to trace every micron of detail from the LP groove. However, there are moments when this virtue gets in the way of musicality, since it can also sound analytical and dry. It's the antithesis of the Denon DA305. Could this be the reason why its FR64S sibling is more sought after? 

Grace G540L
Spindle > pivot = 222mm

In the mid 90s, the G540L proved to my ears that the concept of a removable headshell being detrimental to good sound was a myth. So I unloaded my Rega RB250, RB300 and Sumiko FT-3 and started collecting tonearms that accepted IEC headshells.😊

Happy listening! 🎵

Old Flame - Rogers LS3/5A

As I mentioned in my reply to a reader's query in Snell Type J III, Part 1, I'm the temporary caretaker of a pair of 15 ohm Rogers LS3/5As while my buddy Jose's basement is getting sorted. 

ca. '93

Long time readers know that I was a BBC LS3/5A user. A pair of 15 ohm Rogers replaced my Magnepan SMGas in '86. As a partner in a company that distributed Spendor speakers in the Philippines in the early 90s, I also owned a pair of 11 ohm bi-wireable Spendors. 

ca. '94

In the preceding two pictures, my pair of DIY PP2A3 monoblocks struggled to drive the Spendors in my tiny apartment. Despite that, the BBC near field monitor opened my ears to the virtues of directly heated triodes. Alas, they were superseded by Altec 755s because I needed more efficient speakers to pursue flea-powered single ended directly heated triode (SE DHT) amps.

The Bextrene cone KEF B110  5" woofer + the complex crossover/EQ network = 82 dB/1W/1M, very inefficient! But kudos to BBC engineers, IME, the speaker is still a relatively easy load for low-powered tube amplifiers because of its high(ish) impedance across the audio band. 

Just as I remembered, the LS3/5As are very capable of portraying the midrange magic of an SE300B or even an SE2A3 at near field distances. However, to get some boogie factor out of them, they need the power output of at least a Dyna ST35. But as good as the ST35 amp is, a catch-22 situation ensues because it sounds veiled compared to the aforementioned SE DHT amps.

Snell Type J III + Rogers LS3/5A

I was viewing the past through rose-tinted glasses when I posted (#3) in HiFi Haven - mea culpa! There's a greater similarity in tonal character between the Rogers LS3/5A and Snell Type J III. The Altec sound is another entity altogether!

Given my post SE amp/High Efficiency transducer expectations, the Altec 755As in Dr. Bae/Silbatone cabinets are tonally more lifelike across the audio band, offers better resolution, has more low frequency extension, greater micro and macro dynamics and plays at higher SPLs in a package that's not significantly larger. 

Listening to the LS3/5As was like seeing a former flame. The familiarity is there but the chemistry and fireworks are gone. (◞‸◟)ﾉ