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  I use the two Jelco 850 arms which are not damped. In fact I also ran the 750 without oil.
lewm, yes, damping will broaden and lower the resonance peak which is why you want to use it in the situation where a tonearm is too heavy for the cartridge. BUT, if the tonearm is properly tuned to between 8 and 12 Hz you don't need it at all. Why? SIMPLE, nothing happens there. Warp frequencies are below. Rumble and record noise are above. There is nothing there to excite it. Don't forget that the suspension of cartridges has a certain amount of damping built in. They don't just keep bouncing around. The only time I have ever seen damping in a very useful application was with an air bearing straight line tracker. It definitely decreased the amount of lateral cantilever movement during play. Because these arms have a very high horizontal mass the horizontal resonance frequency can be very low resulting in horizontal cantilever wobble which you can easily see. There is no question that damping quieted this down but, I would still never buy the arm. Don't like crutches.
Raul use to fix his tonearms with chewing gum. They were in dire shape and the chewing gum made them sound better. Is why he likes damping.
Next he'll tell you that he like Double Bubble best. I'm a Wrigley guy myself.
Post removed 
noromance - there is major difference
750 - ball bearings
850 - knife edge bearings
if to look into all knife edge bearings - SAEC, SME and new Jelco series all of them looks ok without extra damping.
Ikeda/FR uses spring  + weight for that purpose
Dynavector uses magnet
Alfred who modifies cheap Ortofon tonearms from the past uses balsa inside the tube