TONEARM DAMPING : DAMPED OR NOT ? ? USELESS ? ? WELCOMED ? ?


Dear friends: This tonearm critical subject sometimes can be controversial for say the least. Some audiophiles swear for non damped tonearms as the FR designs or SAEC or even the SME 3012 that is not very well damped in stock original status.

Some other audiophiles likes good damped tonearms.


In other thread a gentleman posted:


"  If a cartridge is properly matched to the tonearm damping is not required. " and even explained all what we know about the ideal resonance frequency range between tonearm and cartridge ( 8hz to 12hz. ). He refered to this when said: " properly matched to the tonearm ".


In that same thread that a Triplanar tonearm owner posted:


" This is the one thing about the Triplanar that I don't like. I never use the damping trough...... I imagine someone might have a use for it; I removed the troughs on my Triplanars; its nice to imagine that it sounds better for doing so. "


At the other side here it's a very well damped tonearm:


https://audiotraveler.wordpress.com/tag/townshend/


Now, after the LP is in the spining TT platter ( everything the same, including well matched cartridge/tonearm.  ) the must critical issue is what happens once the cartridge stylus tip hits/track the LP grooves modulations.

The ideal is that those groove modulations can pass to the cartridge motor with out any additional kind of developed resonances/vibrations and that the transducer makes its job mantaining the delicated and sensible signal integrity that comes in those recorded groove modulations.

 That is the ideal and could be utopic because all over the process/trip of the cartridge signal between the stylus tip ride and the output at the tonearm cable the signal suffers degradation (  resonances/vibrations/feedback ) mainly developed through all that " long trip " .


So, DAMPING IS NEED IT AT THE TONEARM/HEADSHELL SIDE OR NOT?


I'm trying to find out the " true " about and not looking if what we like it or not like it is rigth or not but what should be about and why of that " should be ".


I invite all of you analog lovers audiophiles to share your points of view in this critical analog audio subject. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT?


Thank's in advance.



Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.






Ag insider logo xs@2xrauliruegas

@rauliruegas If you have mistracking problems with the tonearms you are using you need to try different arms or maybe try increasing the VTF. You do not want to know what I think about Townsend. I assure you that I am VERY sensitive to that type of distortion and I am well experienced with it having had bad cartridge tonearm combinations in the past. Maybe you have owned to many Decca cartridges? I assure you, none of my current cartridges mistrack any record I have played, mounted in the Schroder CB as long as the stylus is pointed in the right direction. If you want to mess up your life with silicon goo mixed with dust and flies, have fun. 

The solution for dust is proper record management, a dust cover and control over static. If you clean your records stay away from methods that air or fan dry records. However, perfect control over dust in the typical home environment is impossible. I still use a conductive sweep arm during play and clean the turntable at least once a month. 

@rauliruegas, @dogberry AB testing damping methods is easy. You make a 24/192 recording of each condition you want to compare then have a friend do the switching so you are blinded. Digital recordings at that bit rate and frequency are invisible. Pure Vinyl, a program by Channel D is an excellent vinyl recording program and once set up it is a breeze to use. Many reviewers use it. 

 

Dear @mijostyn : " I assure you, none of my current cartridges mistrack any record I have played, "

 

All your today and past cartridges has that analog jitter and you can’t avoid it. That you just don’s accept it is only your attitude or " ignorance " because evidence are there.

 

Shure, Stanton, Pickering and the like knew about and thta’s why its cartridge stabilizers to help a little on that regards.

 

If you are happy with that analog jitter in your system it’s fine with me but that you post after post tell that you don’t have that problem is just something " stupid for say the least: the day is nigth as not the other way around.

 

Btw, what you don’t understand yet is that that specific regards has nothing to do with which tonearm which kind of tonearm are you using and if it’s good matched or not: THE ISSUE BELONGS TO THE CARTRIDGE/GROOVE /FRICTON riding.

 

Till you understand that you will stay in trouble.

 

"  You do not want to know what I think about Townsend. "

What you think about has no importance what has importance is that you can prove it that what Townshend and his surrouded external enginners measures and all the science behind them tha are facts. You have not facts and you know that I respect you but what you are posting in this specific regards is only you ignorance levels about because you don't belive that could happens then you never tested.

 

Now you are very shilled working with wooooood and mayvbe metal too and own all the necessary tools to make a tray and test in your system.

 

Your posts does not help you till you experience as first hand in your system. This is not about our believes, this is about reality and again it's not a tonearm issue.

 

R.

@mijostyn  : Cranfield Institute of Technology is whre everything were do it where Townshend was the manufacturer who was interested to go a head with.

His take was about the tonearm and overall developed " distortions " in TTs but through the time I learned about and my take is a little different and relationed to the cartridge groove ridding it self.

From the point of view of cartridge/tonearm perfect resonance frequency level you are rigth but thast is not my take.

Even that we can be out of that ideal resonance frequency level things happened and happens that goes against what we all learned about. The Ortofon MC 2000 real time measures under its review confirm that because its tonearm/resonance frequency was below 5hz and the reviewer can't detect any trouble with and was not any reviewer but an engineer/audiophile/music lover and proffesional reviewer.

R.