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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
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.
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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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rauliruegas OP
13,106 posts
 
Dear friends: I was making several tests all these days " playing " with the silicon viscosity and using different compliance cartridges.

I used from 50Kcst to 600Kcst and what I found out with all cartridges is that the more significant changes belongs between 100K to 300K and this does not means that at 500K-600Kcst there are no changes but are subtle changes where you need very high resolution room/system and a good evaluation process to be aware on it.

So, the ones of you with a tonearm with trough it's worth to test different silicon oil viscosity and the amount of deep you most place the rod/paddle in the tray.

The tonearms with out trough we have to damp the arm wand in some way, the rewards/benefits are more important that what you could think.

As I said somewhere in the first page damping everywhere in the room/system is critical and a necessity to achieve the best top quality sound reproduction levels and increment our MUSIC listening enjoyment times.

Btw, your findings or ideas on the whole subject are welcomed and appreciated.

R.
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rauliruegas OP
13,106 posts
 
" More subtle " if you pass from 300Kcst but if you pass from 100Kcst is truly high.

R.
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