Micro Seiki ma-505 x is a low or heavy tonarm?

The MA-505 series is a dynamically balanced tonearm. It reacts completely differently than a statically balanced arm for tracking purposes. The mass is 14.5g (with the standard Micro Seiki headshell) and it was designed primarily to work with all cartridges, but especially with very high compliance cartridges which were all the rage when this tonearm was designed. But it works great with moderately low compliance or heavy cartridges. It's one of my favorite "budget" tonearms.

No. Tonearm effective mass and cartridge compliance determine the resonant frequency of the ensemble. Has nothing to do with balancing except insofar as the counterweight and its distance from the pivot do affect the effective mass.

I own a Micro Seiki DD 40 with dual tone arms Both MA505. One has the Ortofon Black and the other has the Denon DL 103R. My question is as long as you are able to balance the tonearm is the tonearm mass a non factor. Thanks

 Here is a discussion about that arm. The head shell weighs 9.7 grams!    https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=48848

You are probably right.... to me, 7 gr seems a bit  too light to be the full effective mass

The effective mass of a tone arm is effected by the location of it’s counterweight. Increasing the distance of the c/w from the arm’s bearings increases the arm’s effective mass. To decrease an arm’s e/m, add weight to it (wheel-balancing stick-on lead weights work) and move it closer to the bearings. To increase it of course do the opposite.

The Groovetracer company makes an excellent after-market counterweight for Rega arms, and it comes with an assortment of different screw-in weights. That allows the same arm to be used with a variety of pickups featuring different suspension compliances.

If you read this it states that the 505 has an effective mass of 14.5 grams. It might be that the 7 gram mass information that you have is not including the weight of the head shell!

MA-505 Denon 103 Project — Micro (micro-seiki.org)

Well, thank you again, but I found this picture

where it is said that for Ma 505 is ...; 7 gr.

Here is the link ..... I hope it is ok

No, I can not  add this link .... any way it is a micro seiki brochure where it is said that ma 505 effective mass is 7 gr.

I am always puzzled by quotations of tonearm effective mass. Let’s assume 14.5g is the effective mass of the tonearm plus its OEM headshell. To this value, one has to add the mass of the cartridge and mounting hardware. In the case cited, that would be the mass (weight) of a Denon 103, which is a rather heavy cartridge as cartridges go. Furthermore, many of the many mods available to the 103 will further increase its mass. So let’s say the 103 weighs at least 10g. That’s a low end estimate. Then let’s say the mounting hardware adds 2-3g. In this case, you only need to add 3-4g to the ensemble to achieve a 30g total effective mass. Probably you wouldn’t need to add any mass over and above that of the DL103 plus hardware, because probably the DL103 weighs more than 10g. Then there’s the counter-weight.

Here ya go!

14.5 grams

Using a basic effective mass calculator (link below), the Micro Seiki MA-505 has an effective mass of 14.5 grams. It needs another ~16 grams to achieve a new effective mass of about 30 grams. To add 16 grams to this tonearm, more weight at the headshell and more counterweight has to be installed.

https://www.micro-seiki.org/denon-103-project

MA-505 Denon 103 Project — Micro

Thank you so much for the link-)

one question : Where from did you get the number 14,5 gr for ma 505 effective mass?

That arm has a 14.5 effective mass. You can use this chart to calculate if the cartridge that you want to use would be compatible with that arm!

http://www.mh-audio.nl/Calculators/RF.html