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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
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. 😬
lewm
13,165 posts
 
celander, Regarding your proposed use of the damping tape with the London cartridge, if you think about the physics of the situation, is it not possible that by wrapping the tonearm wand, you are inhibiting its capacity to dissipate energy transmitted into it from the cartridge, by inhibiting its capacity to vibrate?  This would result in the energy moving either to the pivot or back to the headshell, both of which are to be avoided.  I guess, best case, the energy is dissipated as heat in the arm tube. Anyway, let us know how it works out.  We toss these terms around, but in fact most of the time the physics is complex and requires a deep understanding to predict.
celander's avatar
celander OP
1,503 posts
 
@lewm while I’m the OP, this particular application was reported by @nationalbar. I have no experience with his setup to offer an opinion. Please review my post of a private message that includes his findings. He’s happy with the resolution to his concerns.
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