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Foil damping tape as a tonearm tube wrap?

There has been a couple sporadic posts recently about using a product called 3M foil damping tape to wrap tonearm tubes. The tape is normally used in applications to reduce unwanted vibrations in the product to which the tape is attached. In the particular tonearm wrap applications, users claim a noticeable improvement in sonic qualities of vinyl playback. I created this thread to catalog impressions of others who have used this material, their particular tonearm wrap applications and their take away stories. Who has used this product for tonearm wraps? Thoughts?
128x128celander
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,865 posts
 
Michael Percy (Audio) sells an EAR product named TAD Damping Foil. It's a composite damping sheet comprised of a viscoelastic pressure sensitive adhesive constrained by an aluminum foil layer, 0.005" thick. It's very light and flexible, perfect for damping tone arm tubes. Cheap too, $3.50 for a 9" x 12" sheet. Percy has a $25.00 minimum order requirement, but he has lots of other cool stuff, including other EAR damping products. 
analogluvr
859 posts
 
I use plumbers Teflon tape. Light thin and stretchy with excellent damping properties. 
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
I’m personally not a big fan of EAR damping productsl having had very mediocre results (I.e., poor) with their blue damping sheets 🦋 and blue footers 🐬 but I say, “never say never” as I haven’t tried the EAR viscoelastic tape. The EAR stuff seems like it would be great for audio, not too hard, not too squishy. Oh, well.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,865 posts
 
Geoff’s dislike of EAR damping products reminded me that he also dislikes lead, and that rolls of lead tape are also available. A roll of 3/4" cost less than $10, for those wishing to give it a try. However, lead is relatively heavy (in relation to EAR foil), and will substantially increase the effective moving mass of any tone arm whose tube it is wrapped around. Perhaps just one layer at the back end of the tube, right in front of the bearing housing?
celander's avatar
celander OP
1,503 posts
 
I reviewed the E.A.R. foil product at the Michael Percy Audio site. (To be honest, I was surprised to learn he’s still using a journal-styled product catalog—hasn’t changed in like 20+ years!) Only downside is one has to cut a strip from the sheet. I’m not great with exacto knives or scissors. 😬
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