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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
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rauliruegas OP
12,852 posts
 
"  we can assume its compliance is stiffer than original, and I also pointed out that I used a very light weight headshell on the FR64S.. "

WE?, wrong because is you whom assume it and in the other side even with a low weigth headshell the resonance frequency is really low.

""  I don't know this to be true, but it is a possible explanation, because the mass can dissipate energy as heat. I took your (dismissive) response as evidence you disagree with the idea of mass damping .. ""

That is always the " problem " with you: always are assuming " things " for other people. Obviously those were not my words but only what is your hyphotesis with no true value at all.

Ignorant?, you can read my posts in this thread and I did not use that word in reference to some of the audiophiles that posted here.

Enough, period.

R.


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rauliruegas OP
12,852 posts
 
Dear @tyray : Appreciated and that was not my intention. I posted with any attitude to insult japanese people, I took as an example and the regards is a fact and that's why manufacturers took Stevenson alignment as its holly grail.

Anyway and as I said appreciated.

R.
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rauliruegas OP
12,852 posts
 
Dear @bukanona : "  Tonearm superiority isn't meant by tracking everything with all cartridges. It should do it also proper way controlling resonances and going fluently via deformations. "

Please tell me if those statements are the reasons why you posted about my poor tonearm knowledge levels?

R.
tyray's avatar
tyray
562 posts
 

@rauliruegas

I really, really didn’t think you meant exactly what you wrote. Sometimes others who only speak one language don’t understand how hard it is to speak and write in others language. I respect that you don’t even use a translator too!

Believe me, I’ve insulted many a spanish and portuguese native speaking people in my life time and it definitely was not my intent!☺
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rauliruegas OP
12,852 posts
 
@tyray : Thanks' again and for clarify to me too because many times I don't understand in precise way thetrue  meaning of what other gentlemans tell me.

R.
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