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
 @mijostyn :

Now If you own a true high quality resolution room system and a bullet proof test/evaluation proccess then you don’t need to measure/oscilloscope.

Please I’m not braging but I have that toom/system level and that test proccess too and in no order here are some of the LPs I use through test/evaluations audio items, I don’t use all the LPs always but depending what I want to evaluate and inside each of those LPs I already have choosed the tracks and which part of those tracks I use.
All those tracks parts I know it better than the fingers of my hands including the tone of its clicks or posps that believe me or not gives my information about.

So I know for sure what to look for not if that music I like it or not but what to look for to know the quality levels of what I’m testing:

Stereophile one side recording, Mercury Firebird ( Dorati ) and the Sheffield Firebird too, RR Dafos, RR Fiesta, RR Berlioz Fantastique, MOFI The Power and the Majesty, Sheffield Drum Track, Sheffield Mikey Ruff, Wind Music Paramita, Jazz at the Pawnshop, Clarity Recording one side Salamandra, Wilson Center Stage, Athena Symphonic Dances, Propious Kabi Laretei ( Piano Works. ),ACT Youn Sun Nah, Audio Fidelity Kate Bush, Sire, Regina Specktor, 3ú Mary Black, AT Music Lyn Stanley, Atlantic Laura Branigan ( single : Self Control. ), Vertigo Dire Straits ( Love over Gold. ) Patricia Barber Cafe Blue, High Fashion Fun Fun ( single 45rpm Color My love. ), Janis Ian Breacking Silence, M&K Flamenco Fever, MCA Records David Bowie ( single 45 rpm. Cat People. ), Geffen Eagles, RCA Red Seal Montserrat Caballe, Audio Fidelity Satchmo Plays King Oliver, MOFI Resphegui ( UHQR. ), Telarc 1812.


I you listen the Telarc 1812 it has at least 4 parts that are the ones that can disclose everything about a cartridge/tonearm combination and obviously any room/system.

One of those parts is at around the first 7 minutes, other when played the tambourine ( that are many cartridge/tonearms that just can’t pick up any information at all about !, third is the part with the Carrillon that tell you many thing because the whole room/system must be differentiate the sound of " hundreds " of bells where each bell has a different sound and all sounds at the same time so some cartridges " speaks " in one way and other in way different way and the last part is obviously the cannon shots.

In that last part ( inner grooves. ) in the Telarc 1812 you can know everything about that cartridge/tonearm combination because here there are cartridges that can track all the 16 cannon shots but this is not ebough because a cartridge can track all but not cleanly and other can do it in better way, some cartridges can track all the shots but the last one or only six of the shots.

Is to long to explain all about each one of all test recordings I have in my self " designed " tests proccess that includes too around 10 CDs tracks where one of them is Gladiator Original Film Soundtrack.

So believe me that for me is really easy if the silicon damping helps or not.

All mt tests are seated at near field position and I do it with different SPL : 75-80-85-90 and 95dbs at seat position and here with peaks in the 107dbs.

All those is not a joke I’m to serious about and learned on this subject through several first hand experiences from many years.

Mijostyn I can go to your place ( or any other audiophile place. ) with 2-3 of my test LPs and I will tell you ( in less than 30 minutes. ) what is really good and what is wrong and why is wrong and what to do to improve it. I really made my job in the last |20-30 years.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.


Btw, you posted a lot of " things " where almost all goes against that silicon oil damping and you posted hypothesis and some technical aspects about but you own a Sota TT ( I owned that TT and is very good. ) I know too your PU3 ( I had in my system several years ago. ) and if it’s the vintage one is not a very good tonearm ( maybe you can remember all the problems that the owners of that tonearm had several years ago where even magazynes puts warning against that arm especially to the PU2. ) but you don’t use in your system the silicon oil paddle so how can you post nothing about when you have not today first hand experiences in your system with not one tonearm but several tonearms and not with one cartridge but several cartridges?

Makes sense to you? because for me has no sense. So you are just trolling. Where are your today first hand experiences in your today room/system?

But no only all those but your analog system is a mess for say the least especially your tube phono stage and because those tubes you can't detect almost no minute changes about damping ( that you don't have ! ) and I can say you can't be aware almost of nothing and not only because tubes but 20 years ago ST made the review of your phono stage and found out the worst ever RIAA eq. deviation high gain stage ever: yes it's a CRAP.

So I don't know how you dare to post nothing not only in this thread as if you were an expert and owner of first class top quality very high resolution room/systemm and with critics to almost all Agon true audiophiles and true lovers.
 You can't talk with true knowledge levels on this thread subjects and almost in any audio subjects no matter what ! ! ! ? ?

What you will own it does not matters and no one cares today because you are posting with out the rigth system: you don't have yet your new audio items but something is really wrong with you: Atlas SL? really? with that crap of phono stage?. Come on ! !

Yes, I know that you think you are an expert because you were and are posting everywhere on everything with out first hand experiences in your room/system. Go figure ! ! You are the new guru: congratulations for that and keep walking.

R.

atmas: I already posted that you are worst than mijo and you deceit your self if you really think your LP sounds the same as the tape with that kind of cartridge, tonearm etc, etc, you own.

You make me laugh and make my day ! ! Go a head.

R.
@lohanimal : unfortunatelly for them is: dead or life. To low knowledge levels, that’s all. A shame and pity for say the least. They have not respect for them him self. Such is life and to each his own.

R.
Atmasphere, I have a very low resolution system so I can not possibly hear what rauliruegas hears. Darn, your system must be worse a you can't even hear the difference between a mastertape and the record.
What are we going to drown our sorrow in. Scotch? Islay or Highland?