Thoughts On Turntable Clamps And Weights


I have a Pro-Ject X2B and am curious about turntable weights and clamps. I perused the web and discovered that, like so many audio related items, prices range from modest to stratospheric. What are your thoughts on clamps and weights? Do they provide a notable improvement in sound quality? Does price equal quality? What should be avoided?

 

Thanks,

 

John Cotner

New Ulm, MN

jrcotner

Terry, no, I am not talking or thinking about a loss of high frequencies in the audible range. Suffice to say I prefer the L07D without its peripheral ring. Any adjective I choose is bound to give someone somewhere the wrong impression. Language fails us.

@lewm  Understood. Thanks.

@pindac  The factory will sell to you directly, at least, they sell directly to me. Also, they give free advice. I find it easiest to buy everything from them: air fittings, shafting, end blocks to support shafting, etc. I also use their 20mm air bushing for my LT tonearm - there's a picture of it in the DIY audio thread on air bearing LT's.

IF you go air on your TT, it's natural to go with air for the TA. You'll need a good compressor - I use a stainless steel commercial unit from Werther (Italy), model CWF100 TC INOX. Only disadvantage is that it's noisy and has to go in it's own shed, outside the house. If noise is a consideration, consider the Val-air series, also by Werther.

Good luck!

@pindac If you are interested, it's on page 25 of the DIY Air Bearing Linear Arm thread at DiyAudio. The whole thread is worth reading. I learned a lot that was very useful - like the importance of 1/32" Tygon tubing.

I will be digesting everything I discover on this subject.

I am also to look into if a Bearing can be designed to work on a selection of owned Brands of Japanese Vintage TT's.

The Stator Bowls will be dimensioned to see where a common measurement is compatible with available New Way parts.

I like to keep the designs reversible, which means Stator Bowls may need to be produced as a increased substance, which will accommodate the original and new attached parts.

CNC producing a Permali Stator Bowl will be on the to do list, as this is a method, I have been proposing for quite some time, for the exchange of a original stator bowl. The earliest idea being the Densified Wood being a superb material to remove most energies formed and transferred from the Bowl to the Chassis.

The D'wood Bowl will be much more suitable to manage the reduction of the Motor Torque Energy and Spindle Housing energy, in a manner that is much better than a Pressed or Cast Metal is capable of. 

The design for the Bearing Housing will be much more easier to use with a Idler Drive TT, and I will be very keen to see what it does to the produced sonic. 

Never used a clamp, but I can tell you that a weigh made of brass or any Non Ferrous metal or even marble makes a very noticeable difference.

All the Best.