Cartridge ISOLATION; What Say You?

I gather you do not advocate adding a soft layer under the tonearm base, or adding a soft layer above any cartridge, correct?

Nor do I. So what happens around here over and over again, someone says something perfectly clear and uncontroversial, then someone else comes along twists it around to resemble nothing even close and fifteen immediately parrot the distortion. Here is what I actually said:

The cartridge however is very low mass and has to track a violently undulating groove. It cannot just be free to move. It must be held rigidly, but yet also in a way that facilitates some vibration to dissipate into the more massive arm, while damping cartridge vibration, and all of this at the same time as not reflecting vibration right back down into the stylus.

The Cartridge Enabler is not soft. Went out of my way to make clear it is not felt. Not soft. Engineered material. Not at all what people are talking about.

millercarbon

aside from full understanding of the ugly thing, it's ability to dissipate Jitter without being considered Soft:

I thank, and not thank you, for the link and my learning about the essentially Jitter Free Strain-Guage Cartridges. Maybe I'll spend that much for my 75th Birthday in 2 years. Of course, that will lead to what Tonearm?

I found these Strain-Gauge discussions here:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/live-concerts-and-studio-sessions-despite-covid-soundsmith-st...

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/anyone-have-experience-with-soundsmith-s-strain-gauge?highlig...

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/live-concerts-and-studio-sessions-despite-covid-soundsmith-st...

2pm, time for breakfast,

Elliott

I have an Enabler in house, haven't used it yet. I understand everyone's argument for and against. There's many positive reviews. Heard of Funk Firm Houdini? The designer says it's his most important achievement yet. Thinking about getting one to compare with the Enabler.

There very well could be benefits to limiting vibrations through cartridge isolation. I’m not sure this should be categorically dismissed as snake oil. What I was reacting to incredulously is how MC believes that addressing these types of vibrations is important while also asserting that vibrations caused by poor tonearm/cart matching can be ignored.

Even his audio heros over at Soundsmith believe compliance matching is important - because vibrations are indeed harmful to sonics.

https://www.sound-smith.com/articles/how-choose-cartridge

Meanwhile MC rants about why anyone should worry about compliance. Apparently F=ma only when convenient to MC.

https://i.postimg.cc/t70jjFHV/MC.jpg

As Emerson once said: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds..."

Of course, that will lead to what Tonearm?

Origin Live Conqueror, or Enterprise. I had the old Conqueror MkIII and now have Enterprise MkIV. These are awesome arms! Among the many great features are the hard-wired phono leads. I’ve had both and there is no doubt all the extra connections of an interconnect is not good. Also the quality needed at this level costs a small fortune. Whatever you do go with an arm with integral leads.

Please ignore the gnats. Any time you see someone twisting things around or even making stuff up out of whole cloth that is a sure sign of a weak mind and even weaker argument. Ignore them.

The truth is when using a properly designed tone arm then compliance and other cartridge matching becomes moot. Therefore, whenever you see someone stressing the importance of understanding compliance, mass, etc and talking about matching what you do is make note of which arm they are talking about and cross it off your list.

Then if you really want to save a lot of time and effort do the same for the person telling you how absolutely essential these things are. All you have to do is look at my system, read the listener comments, or heck even come and hear for yourself to get it.