Ring Clamps. What do you think?

Larry- I took a look at the power point you link to on your web site. Unfortunately, it contains a very basic error in its argument that we can perceive energy with wavelengths far above what we typically call sound (>20 kHz). 10 microseconds DOES NOT EQUAL 100 kHz. Hz or kHz is measured in cycles per second. Time is measured in seconds. Time does not equal vibration. Regardless of that, let's go back to the example in the power point. The fact the we can perceive the difference between two sounds arriving 10 microseconds apart says nothing about our ability to sense vibrational energy in the kHz range (which, btw, is typically referred to as radio energy not sound or acoustical energy). I'll use an analogy. The fact that we can perceive which of two sources of light is brighter, tells us nothing about our ability to sense or be influenced by color. I'm not saying that we cannot perceive vibrational energy beyond the range of human hearing. But I can perceive bull$hit when I see it. Of course none of this says anything about the benefits of center clamping or ring clamping to LP reproduction. Conceptually, I think we can agree on a very fundamental level that when you drag a stylus, which converts physical variations in the groove (not the LP) into electrical energy across an LP, the relationship between the stylus and the LP should change only as a result of the information that is stored in the groove. All other variables should remain constant. The speed should remain constant. The LP should remain as stationary as possible, with respect to the stylus. The spindle fixes the LP in the horizontal direction. Center clamping helps maintain speed by helping combat stylus drag to a certain degree. Center and ring clamping both help fix the LP in the vertical direction, so that the stylus moves only due to the variations in the groove where the information is stored and not due to variations in the shape of the LP in the vertical direction. How different kinds of "clamping" interact with platters, mats, bearings, and LPs at a micro-scale is beyond my ability to conceptualize. Doug's comments make sense, but I think this is one of those things that is highly system dependent. Kinda like cables. There are some basic fundamental principles that govern on a macro scale, but after that, if you think it's important, ya gotta listen.

It's really interesting to see how all of us agree "in principle", yet we are in separate camps, in many ways, on "practice".

“In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.” - attributed to Albert Einstein, Yogi Berra!!!! and Jan L. A. van de Snepscheut.

One of the problems here is we have no universally accepted way of "measuring" or judging if we have achieved our objective, i.e., better sound. We can't even agree on what better sound is. That's OK. Better sound is, despite our best engineering and scientific efforts, a judgment call. Beauty is in the ear of the beholder. That's not to say that Doug's observations are incorrect (I think that they make a great deal of sense and explain very well why different people report different results) or that there are not certain principles, theories and practices that we can agree on. But when it comes down to whether or not a ring clamp is "better" on a particular TT/arm/Cart/RIAA/pre/amp/speaker system than a center clamp or a center clamp + ring, ultimately, you have to decide yourself whether the practice (what you hear) conforms to your theory. If not, then maybe your theory needs to be revised... or maybe your practice. No way for us to know in advance. I also think that part of the problem is our innate desire to oversimplify complex systems.

Lewm- Well that explains a lot ;-). It's kind of amazing when you do a little research and find so many quotes attributed to Albert and/or Yogi, that are largely unsubstantiated. Kind of like Fox News (rimshot!). On topic, I think w a particular analog front end there might be some agreement on what sounded good, w or w/o a ring clamp. How that would apply to another analog front end might or might not be predictable. OTOH, Based on the prices of some of the rigs I see demonstrated at shows (to the extent that price is dictated by the market which hopefully is correlated with what sounds good...I know, big leap of faith) I'm not sure that is a given.