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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
13,106 posts
 
Dear @lohanimal : Great, I think that all of us appreciated.

The Cranfield Institute of Thechnology made a true deeep reasearch and measurements about rigth what @bdp24 and you posted, it's not just bla bla bla.

Well, here and in other threads I posted " similar " way of thinking ( bla bla bla. ) on the whole necessity of tonearm/cartridge damping where several audiophiles first don't cares enough about and second don't makes to them " click " my empirical/common sense way of thinking, well maybe not only common sense but first hand experiences even with out scientific measurements.

A critical issue in that patent information that again I always talked about is that every kind of developed noised and distortions at any frequency develops harmonics/overtones that modulates/colored all the frequency range and in that patent they remarks that the frequencies developed even been to low: 0.56-3hz its harmonics goes to 20hz.
Damping puts at minimum that problem either that the damping trough stays at the front or back in the tonearm.

That's why I always state that as better the room/system bass range quality level as better will be the whole room/system quality MUSIC reproduction. From here came my first hand experiences with a pair of powered subs that I shared through my subwoofer thread.

So, a tonearm needs at least to be designed and builded choosing the materials not only by its rigidity/stifness but taking in count the necessity to be well damped even with out using the silicon oil trough.

Well there are many things to comment on that patent and the damping benefitial effects and for me is a learning lesson that I hope could be that way for other audiophiles.

I know that always exist the audiophiles that no matters what they are entilted to that horrendous: " that's how I like it " even if he choosed the " wrong " road.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.




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rauliruegas OP
13,106 posts
 
Dear friends and @lohanimal  : The ones that use the trough fron/back in tonearm/cartridge combinations coincide in that the bass is truly improved and this fact gives " ligth/shine " to the other frequency extreme and obviously at the middle range too.

Some audiophiles here or in other thread acused me to insult japanese people and vintage manufacturers as FR/SAEC that desifned very bad damped or non-damped tonearms when I posted that they just like things different and I understand this coming from an audiophile but coming from a tonearm manufacturer only means very low knowledge levels about that's what I posted not as an insult but a fact.
Even SAEC in its information puts pictures on how heavy mass damps almost " everything " and puts that information with out any tonearm research on the issue.

Several manufacturers do not design with the trough but their designs have a good level of damping in other ways.

R.  
lohanimal
659 posts
 
I find audiophile discussions hilariously boils down to this.

Many talk about bloom, je ne cais quoi, inexplicable. Thee science has not caught up to explain what i can hear so science must be wrong. The mathematician once said that his maths were from gos and were always a discovery. There is always an explanation for why things are what they are.
Flat-Earthers clearly refer to facts and figures - DD lovers ought to be from this camp - strangely not...
But remember this @rauliruegas isn't it always more important to simply enjoy what it is you have? distortions or not - they can both be great fun.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas OP
13,106 posts
 
Dear @lohanimal : Of course, at the end is what you have and you can’t enjoy nothing but what you own and normally you have it because you are satisfied with.

But in the tonearm damping we are not talking to invest thousands of dollars when you can damp your tonearm arm wand ( tape or O-rings, etc. ) and inside your same system you will detect a quality improvement.

Yes we can be a little lazzy to do it or just do not like how the tonearms looks with but these is another matters.

Many audiophiles made or make by their self modifications in their speakers or electronics that are way more dificult and expensive and some of these gentlemans own non damped tonearms as the FR ( only an example. ) where they can do it. Yes it’s up to them but remember that tonearm damping lower distortions and this fact is important, at least to me.

R.
lohanimal
659 posts
 
I strongly recommend that you source a trough from a rock 3. I happen to have a spare. I have kept it with a view of fitting it to my Sony TTS8000. The trough on the 3 was plastic and can therefore be cut. There's no reason one can't fit a trough to their own turntable.

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