The Arm/Cartridge Matching Myth

Btw, the gentleman in your link use an accelerometer and a ADC/DAC not a real room/system with phonolinepreamp and the like and using real conditions about SPL for the tests.

R.

I understand the suggestion of experimenting with differing weights and their respective positions in order to ’alter’ the Arm/Cartridge Resonant Frequency. I do have various different Fidelity Research weights to use on all my FR-64S and FR-66S tonearms......and have done so 🤗

Please note one important fact which I think everyone has ignored in my particular case.......

• I have heard EVERY cartridge I have owned (70-80) in a recommended Arm/Cartridge Resonant Frequency range in MY SYSTEM
  

Now let me explain some logistics related to MY situation compared to most others....

• I have 6 tonearms on two different turntables allowing for 6 different cartridges to be heard in rapid succession
• I have another 30-40 cartridges, 10 of which I regularly listen to
• With each change of cartridge (other than the 6 already mounted) I need to firstly adjust VTF followed by VTA followed by Antiskate followed by Resistance and Capacitance (for all MM/MI) followed by listening to my ’Test Tracks’ to ensure maximised performance
• Every cartridge I own has been tested in at least two different headshells and two different arms to find the ’best’ combination in MY SYSTEM

Do I think there is potential for ’tweaking’ and ’futzing’ to MAXIMISE the performance of ALL my combinations....? Of course I accept this 🤗

I simply do not have the desire to add ANOTHER ’variable’ to this constantly performed ritual 🤪

Now ’riddle’ me this Batman........Ignoring all your personal individual experiences.....what would YOU do if...

• You heard better SOUND in your Systems in many cases where the Arm/Cartridge RF was OUTSIDE the recommended range?

Would you...

1. Listen to the combination which sounded the ’best’
2. Listen to the combination which sounded ’worse’ but complied with the recommended Arm/Cartridge RF

In a future Post.....I will attempt to let you hear for yourselves (via my Videos) the results of ’Compliance’ and ’Non-Compliance’ in MY SYSTEM....some of which Dover was involved with.

I predict that within the next 5 years, there will be less and less tolerance for subjective Statements on Audio which are unsupported by science or by the ’audible’ evidence of YouTube Videos.
The days of ’Raul’ are over....🎉🤥😝

Here are two Videos of the same cartridge in the same arm on the same turntable with all the same cables, electronics and speakers.
Because of the simple change to the Headshell employed and the corresponding position of Counterweight....the Resonant Frequency of both these Arm/Cartridge combinations is DIFFERENT.

One complies with the recommended 8Hz-12Hz Resonant Frequency whilst the other is OUTSIDE the recommended.

RESONANT FREQUENCY -A

RESONANT FREQUENCY -B

I specially chose a track with high dynamics and very deep bass cuts.
If the cartridge was going to jump out of the track.....it would do it here 😝

There is nothing more dangerous than an idiot who thinks he knows something. 
Raul, don't waste your time. Not worth it. 

The general opinion is, that it is fine when the result is between 8-12.
It is overrated and I don’t give much for it. Today you have different materials in the Arms (Steel, Aluminum, Wood, Titan etc. etc.). There are also different Tonearm geometries out there, some have less distortions at the beginning, some more in the inner grooves, most audiophiles think, when they buy an "Arm" then it is done perfect in every way but I think, that’s the mistake of their audiophile life. Did no one ask why some arms are straight and some not? And why? (the straight ones are cheeper to make and need no knowledge...) and what the arch angle is good for? .....or..are the magnets or the coils really matched?
These materials all have different resonances. Next, you have different kind of bearings (from construction and from design). these differences can be huge.Or, is the Arm a rigid design or not, what’s with the energy transfer?
How fast is this one? Does it even exist, or does the Arm save it to a momentum and starts to vibrate on its own and reflects this back into the tracking process...long story short: does it allow fast transient transmission?
Back to life
I have (and had) combinations which have been between 9.7 -10.0- 10.4
Nearly super (from that Theory) but I was amazed that some carts performed MUCH better in Arms where the "calculation" showed different datas.
This calculation is more or less a help but after all I don’t give a dime for it. A good designed tonearm is much more important.
I wrote several times about that when I made my comparisons with my Arms and Datas and the result was always the same, the best quality Arms worked best with a lot of cartridges at superior level.
And other Arms only with a few ones.
Btw. Cartridge Design does not stop with compliance.Their reaction with a tonearm can be totally different, but you will never read something about that. The best cartridge is a sold cartridge and based on that you will also find the general "recommendation" about loading: 100 Ω 47kΩ :-)
Example: Lyra Titan / Olympos / Koetsu Stones are superior from sonics in top Arms only (energy transfer via Headshell into the Arm), when used in Arms with cheap or sensitive bearings (SME3012R) or bad geometry or carbon fibre Armtubes you get an boring, less detailed smeared sound which is not a pleasure to listen to.
But to be honest, there are a lot of Audiophiles who prefer that because it was expensive and has to be good...
But let’s not forget: All has to go through a Phonostage and that one can change the results also. Or, even more audible, internal turntable vibrations (Bearing, Belt, Motor(s), Platter, Suspension ...), in my personal opinion, I think, they degrade the possible maximum from sonics more than anything else.