Isamu Ikeda’s passion for the perfect analog sound began in the 1940’s when, being dissatisfied with the production at a previous audio company, Mr. Ikeda decided to form his own company – the world famous Fidelity Research Inc. Its products have been welcomed by audiophiles and music fans the world over, including the Imperial Household Agency and the Imperial Family. By the time the company released such systems as the FR-7 and FR-64s in 1978, it had grown to be a world-class audio manufacturer, developing the world’s first air-core quadropole structure for FR-7.

“Nevertheless, Ikeda’s enthusiasm for the revival of analogue records continued unabated. In the same year (2000), he established the Ikeda Sound Laboratories Company. For Ikeda san, this company was a place where he was able to do things that had been impossible under mass production at Fidelity Research, that is, enhancing the precision of manufacturing, pursuing handmade production and experimenting with new ideas freely. Of course, all the products were designed, built and inspected by Isamu Ikeda himself. He also accomplished such feats as realizing air-core structure and developing the world’s first MC cartridge without a cantilever, both of which had been his long-sought goals. As cutting heads used in manufacturing of analogue records have no cantilevers, he thought a MC cartridge without a cantilever could be created. Ikeda is a perfectionist. All Ikeda Labs. products, including those sold overseas, are repaired by Ikeda himself in Japan.

For the IT-407-CR1 SS model, the exterior is covered with stainless steel, but the inside of the rotating part uses brass and bearings, and the inside of the stainless steel pipe is a combination of aluminum pipe and brass. In addition, each contact is plated with bright rhodium, and the internal wiring uses a hybrid stranded wire of 6N copper and 4N copper.

Since stainless steel has high rigidity and little resonance, the bass range is particularly stable in terms of sound quality, and it brings out a clear sound accurately one by one.

Shown below with the arm base "IT-VTA-06" with an elevation function that allows fine adjustment of the height of the tone arm even during playback.

Specifications:

Model: Dynamic balance type tone arm

Overall length: 388mm

Effective length: 307mm

Tracking error: + 2 ° to 0 °

Weight: 1.02kg (single unit), 1.68kg (including IT-VTA-06)

Needle pressure application range: 0 to 5 g (0.5 step)

Arm height adjustment range: 20 to 60 mm

Cartridge shell balance: 6 to 38.5 g / Attached head shell IS-9SS (own weight: 23.9 g)