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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
Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas OP
13,066 posts
 
@cleeds  : I said we can use it and can works for a test and if we don`t like it then we can take out with no single trouble and with no sign in the arm wand that there was that electrical tape.

Why such big deal?  my command? you certainly are joking because I don't command to any one of you and certainly not cleeds that not even test it with the ASK by Sumiko.

R.
lewm
13,070 posts
 
The thing about capacitors in speaker crossovers is that they generally operate without a bias voltage across them.  Thus, (1) they may take a very long time to "break in", if you believe in that sort of thing, and (2) it is not advisable to predict their sonic qualities based on their performance inside electronic equipment, where they almost always do operate with a bias voltage across them (and therefore usually break in faster as well). It is not surprising that cost may not correlate well with performance in a speaker.  Raul, where you use a capacitor at the input of your amplifier, have you tried the Russian SSG silver mylar capacitor there, assuming it is available in the needed size?  (They go up only to about 0.13uF.)  In my experience, the SSG is the single most transparent capacitor, even including the VCaps, which I also do like very much and which are made in a more useful range of values..
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rauliruegas OP
13,066 posts
 
Dear @lewm  : about caps everything was in the long " run " time, no issue because of that.  I know exactly what you mean and I do not made the change of caps in speakers after the electronics but the other way around.

The 20.6's are coupled by cap at its input and several years ago, when I added my two Velodyne's, I took advantage of that input cap to made there the high pass filter ( along the amp input resistor. ) to the main speakers signal been untouchable by an external high pass electronic crossover.
 
In that way the signal to the main speakers and to the subwoofers goes directly from my Phonolinepreamp outputs ! !

No I don't tryed those Russian silver caps but I tryed the expensive Duelund silver ones: Wima outperformed too.

In the caps thread are wider explanations of what to do to go with Wima/Kemet caps.

R.
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rauliruegas OP
13,066 posts
 
Dear @bukanona @stringreen  FRIENDS: 

"  As I do have this Jelco 750EB with "top cup" - I can say that if not damped it's rather inferior with high compliance cartridges (no silicon oil in cup)

With heavyweights/low compliance like SPU difference isn't so obvious, it takes time to understand that damping (silicon oil in cup) is better.

With high compliance difference is night and day. "

Very important and critical  use of the key in those statements:

"  it takes time to understand that damping (silicon oil ...) is better.  ""

Damping always will works is we give its time to settle down in our ears/brain and important our each one attitude: we have to be willing to test it with out earlier judgements.

R.




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rauliruegas OP
13,066 posts
 
Dear @bdp24  : I found out the Cransfield patent on the tonearm/TT design that was licensed to M.Townshend. I don't read it yet.

Btw, when Max started to sale it the owners read it as manufacturer name: Cransfield and not Townshend.

R.
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