Share your real knowledge on cartridge arm matchin


"Gonners" have real knowledge on cartridge parameters to arm matching. Share the reasons the match works well so we can learn something new. Make the best tone arm match for these cartridges:

Air Tight PC-1
Clearaudio (their top cartridge - name escapes me now)
Dynavector DRT XV-1S or mono
Koetsu Stone Bodies
Lyra Titan
Miyabi/47

BTW: If I missed your favorite cartridge add it and the matching tone arm.
128x128gerrym5
Dear Gerrym5: Hi Sbank, nice to " see " you again.

The only measurable " cartridge parameters to arm matching. " that I know is what almost all already knew about effective tonearm mass along weight/compliance cartridge where the result ( resonance frequency ) must be ( or have to be ) between 8hz to 12hz ( more or less ).

+++++ " . Share the reasons the match works well " +++++

I have almost non " true/measurable/repetitive " reasons about other that the one above.

The relationship between a tonearm/cartridge ( other that the one mentioned ) is extremely complex for say the least.

I already say many times that I own/owned so many tonearms not because I'm a tonearm collector but because trying one cartridge with different tonearms let me to obtain ( know ) where that cartridge show its best quality performance.
I find with several cartridges that even ( in one tonearm ) when the resonance frequency value is 5hz-6hz those cartridges could perform better than with other tonearm where that resonance frequency is on target: 10hz, reasons?, any one you name could be true but we can't know for sure!!!

My very long experience ( in deep cartridge/tonearm quality performance research ) on the subject tell me that there are not simple explanations about, let me explain:

IMHO almost every tonearm and cartridge each one design parameters contribute ( more or less ) in the final quality performance.

Take the tonearm ( for example ):

- bearing design: unipivot, linear tracking/air bearing, dual pivot, gimball/jewel, etc, etc. Each one bearing design has its own signature " color " ( in the right color word meaning. ).

- each tonearm bearing design is added with the " color " of the bearing build material ( ruby, air, magnetic, steel, ceramic, etc, etc ), how is this?, hard to say how contributes and in which " quantity " to the final " color tonearm performance ".

- we have to continue adding more " colors ", tonearm shape: J, S, straight, etc, etc. Each design has its own resonances, dissipations vibrations speed, etc, etc Which one is the right one?, IMHO almost no one can say it.

- continue on the adding color to our quality performance matched final " picture ", tonearm build material: aluminum, steel, ceramic, titanium, wood, hybrid, plastic, etc, etc, etc. Each one of these tonearm build materials has its own characteristics: self damping, elasticity point, self resonances, easy to vibrate, etc, etc

- fix or removable headshell in each tonearm bearing design type/bearing build material/shape tonearm/tonearm build material/etc/etc. How many combinations here? !!!!!and each combination give us a different quality performance.

- we can go on on this: headshell shape, headshell weight, headshell build material, tonearm dynamic or static balance way, internal wiring, counterweights?

Now, we can go to the cartridges own parameters:

- MC or MM.
- magnet type
- coil material
- output level: infinite number!!!
- cantilever material
- cantilever length
- stylus shape
- body shape
- build material shape
- cartridge weight
- cartridge compliance
- internal impedance
- suspension type
- suspension build material
- cartridge channel balance
- cartridge channel separation
- cartridge frequency response
- tracking ability
- tip mass
- etc, etc, etc

Well, IMHO all those single cartridge/tonearm each one parameters/characteristics ( between others ) contribute to the final great or poor tonearm/cartridge quality performance. I can't say for sure the reasons but I can say again that is extremly complex to say the least.

We can share our each one self tonearm/cartridge experiences but here we have to add too: TT/cables, Phonolinepreamp, etc.

Gerry, I'm sorry I can't help you with a precise answers on what you are looking for.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

05-01-08: Rauliruegas
Gerry, I'm sorry I can't help you with a precise answers on what you are looking for.
Uh, yes you could.

You're the guy with the multiple turntables, tonearms, headshells, and cartridges. Surely you've tried enough arm/headshell/tonearm/turntable combinations to come up with a few that are particularly synergistic. You've just expounded on how there are so many variables that the math can only take you so far. That means that experimentation takes you the rest of the way, which is something you claim to have done extensively over decades transcending various philosophies of design and materials engineering.

Care to share anything besides how complicated it all is? The rest of us manage to take a pivoting stick, a needle, and a platter, scratch it across a disk of plastic and get music to come out that moves us to smile, dance, or weep.

How 'bout you?
Dear johnnyb53: I'm refering to this:

+++++ " Share the reasons the match works well so we can learn something new...." +++++

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Raul, next time I'll make it easier for everybody. Name your favorite top three cartridge/arm combinations. Forget the reasons, who needs to learn?

R_f_sayles, in the six threads you started before on Audiogon you seemed to be looking for real answers and when you answered other threads you gave intelligent comments. I guess this thread's direction struck your funny bone.

"enjoy the music"
Thanks to krenzler (AA) for these links on arm/cartridge matching. these are mainly formulas, but with interesting reasoning.

Some good reading on the subject in these links (copy/paste):

http://www.theanalogdept.com/cartridge___arm_matching.htm

http://www.moerch.dk/files/Cartridge%20Armtube%20Combination%20List.pdf

(see the text at the bottom of the Moerch pdf file).

From Van den Hul's Phono FAQ:

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x238/krenzler/1-11.jpg

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x238/krenzler/2-11.jpg

http://www.vandenhul.com/userfiles/docs/Phono_FAQ.pdf

http://www.cartridgedb.com/tools.asp

(The resonance calculator top left is a nice little tool).

Rgrds.
Dear Gerry: Very nice links ( thank you ), in one of them you can read:

"Many subjects are interrelated, like the relation between cartridges and arms, so use your noodle and work yourself
through. "

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Sure will, but it was sure helpful getting those links for a basic understanding. In the end, it like you said some many other things can come in to establish your system's sound.
I find the Sumiko Celebration cartridge and SME V to be a very good (synergistic?) combination. I read that the cartridge was designed/voiced using an SME V arm and SME 30 table. This is a very good value cartridge.

I plan to listen to and possibly upgrade to the new Sumiko cartridge when it comes out.