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Shure Dynamic Stabilizer on/off experimentation

Hi: I was wondering whether anybody had done the work to properly compare the sound of a Shure Cartridge with the Dynamic Stabilizer a - used as designed by Shure, b - still on the cartridge but locked in the up position, c - removed from the cartridge. To be valid the comparison would have to re-optimize the tracking force and antiskating each time. Also if you can report what tonearm you used that would be helpful; if you have tracking or resonance problems that would invalidate the experiment. For a nice tonearm/cartridge matching graph please see http://www.analogue-classics.com/html/sme_3009___3012.html.

I'm using an SME 3009 Series III tonearm with a SOTA turntable with vacuum holddown. Since the tonearm has damping and the turntable should minimize warp, the stabilizer may do more harm than good in this setup. Before I spend a Saturday doing the experiments I thought I would survey the Audiogon community.

I'd be interested in hearing your experiences please. Thanks!
hifigeezer
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
The brush works as a damper, which is handy in an undamped tonearm to navigate warped records and diminish the amplitude of the tonearm/cartridge resonant frequency. In most cases, it improves trackability and tames resonances, but if you have a tonearm sufficiently damped to keep the stylus in the groove on hideous warps, you don't need to use the damper brush.

Still, I consider the damping brush to be a really effective low-cost method to damp, considering that the KAB damper trough is $150 and damped tonearms are significantly more.
travis's avatar
travis
239 posts
 
I found, on an '80s AR TT with Sumiko arm, that the brush tended to act like another stylus and tried to make it's own music. I took it off, lowered the tracking force and I thought it was an improvement. This was on a V15/Type V.
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rauliruegas
13,048 posts
 
Dear Hifi: This is what I posted in other thread about:

+++++ " Btw, I don't use the damping brush on Shure or my Stanton cartridges,I prefer with out it. It seems to me that the very sensitive microphone that it is what is the cartridge take some " sound " from the damping brush due to the friction between it and the record. " +++++

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
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