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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
13,093 posts
 
Dear @lohanimal  : well, the VDH advise and my self experiences that even that advise can helps with any tonearm with trough/paddle that normally has it at the tonearm pivot distance and this fact makes things different with the Townshend that does exactly at the source/cartridge and here it does not need it so high viscosity.

Anyway, at the ends test it is a must with. Appreciated that you share in the thread your coming experiences, thank's.
R.
lohanimal
659 posts
 
@rauliruegas 

I must say that I don’t think I understand fluids and thermodynamics like professor Jack Dinsdale who was responsible for the trough - and viscosity... 

but I will fiddle - it is a hobby at the end of the day 
kps25sc
149 posts
 
After mixing different viscosity silicone oil, and comparing it to the oil Townshend sells as " Trough fuel" i think his oil is somewhere in the 50,000 CST range. 100,000 CST is much thicker than his oil, and 10,000 CST is much thiner. The Maplenoll Ariadne Signature that i use was copied and modified by Walker when he made his first TT’s, he did move the silicone trough to the back of the arm, some people are not comfortable with the oil filled trough hanging over their records, and the extra step that using it entails.
And yes the original pumps used on the Maplenoll TT,s where noisy and smelly, they where modified refrigerators pumps. My arm runs best with about 45 PSI and the bearing uses about 5 PSI, i use a oil-free shop compressor with a 100 L tank, its starts up and runs 1 min every half hour, and is noisy as hell, but is in its own isolated room far away from the listening room. 
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rauliruegas OP
13,093 posts
 
Dear @kps25sc : Yes, that's was I figure out due that in the Townshend the damping is applied at the source and not at the back of a normal tonearm trough.

R.
fusian
129 posts
 
I have made and use tail fluid dampers on my three cheap tonearms (Grace G-707 with Victor MC100 EB II, Rega RB300 with Ortofon OM20, and Thorens TP16 with Benz Micro Wood SL).

They don’t look good, but the sound is better with them. At It’s a very satisfying DIY trick.

S you were, expensive tonearm people. And Happy Thanksgiving weekend to you all from Canada!
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