I haven't read thru this entire thread.....sorry but been listening to music. Have a question. Why doesn't the new Kuzma Safir 9 arm not use damping fluid like 4POINT? Also have seen on other sites where people that own the 4POINT have actually removed the top dampening trough that they say improves sonics. Curious others thoughts.
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.
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.
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- 318 posts total
Raul, in alluding to the fact that “some” of the respondents have conflated tonearm to cartridge matching based on the standard resonant frequency calculation with how tonearms control energy put into them by the act of playing an LP, I certainly did not mean to include you. But I do maintain those are two different phenomena. Which might explain why occasionally a tonearm to cartridge mating that seems ill advised based only on the resonant frequency math can actually sound very good, if both elements are isolated from those frequencies below the audio band that might excite the pairing. I hope I’ve made my thought more clear. |
Dear @rsf507 : In theory the sapphire used in the arm wand Kuzma tonearm could helps for the tonearm been " well damped " but those 60grs. in EM goes against the cartridge needs matching resonance frequency inside the ideal frequency range: 8hz-12hz and in the other side that really high inertia moment is nothing good for the cartridge ridding and its suspension in higher ways than in more normal tonearms. Kuzma says that is the best ever tonearm arm wand by its rigidity and low resonant figures but the Technics EPA 100MK2 was and is in reality the best one about by its boron arm wand that has better characteristics than sapphire and not so weigthy and for that synthetic sapphire arm wand Kuzma ask 20K for its tonearm.
I can say that " on paper " I do not buy even at 2K tag price.
R. |
Wrong. The Technics EPA 100MK2 is predominantly a titanium arm tube with a boron coating. Titanium is not rigid, it flexes, you can bend a titanium tube with your bare hands. How do I know this - I use to work for the largest manufacturer of titanium tubing on the planet. On the other hand the high mass of the Safir would be a concern to me.
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The question is whether boron nitride coated titanium (if that’s what Technics used) is superior to other materials for dissipating energy, not so much whether it can be bent by a human exerting strength to bend it. I doubt many arm wands of any kind except maybe steel ones could resist such an effort. Certainly aluminum, wood, and CF wands could be easily bent. |
- 318 posts total