One of the reasons why there can be wide latitude for tonearm effective mass, if the target is a resonant frequency (Fr) of between 8 and 12Hz, is the very nature of the equation used to calculate Fr, which reflects the physical laws that govern Fr: For example, I took the seemingly extreme examples offered up by Chakster a few posts up from this one, the idea of using a tonearm with 13g effective mass vs one of 30g effective mass, with a very low compliance cartridge like the Denon DL103, which he estimates to have a compliance of 8 at 10Hz. If you assume about 10g for the mass of the cartridge and plug those data into the equation, the tonearm with 30g effective mass yields Fr = 9.06Hz. For the tonearm with 13g effective mass, Fr = ~12Hz. Both of these results fall into the category of "acceptable". Thus, to me it is no wonder that Halcro experiences no profound problems with apparent mismatching of cartridges to tonearms, especially since I think Halcro likes to use the Yamamoto Carbon Fiber headshell (as do I), which weighs only 10g. If he's using a Yamamoto on his FR64S and FR66S, that would reduce the factory-stated effective mass of both of those tonearms by a considerable fraction, since the OEM FR headshells are very heavy. If you couple these facts with the additional hypothesis that (1) individual cartridges, even brand new, probably vary in compliance from one sample to another by a fair amount, and (2) "vintage" cartridges probably have lost some springi-ness to their suspension, then nothing is really predictably verboten. The vinylista is free to try anything. I don't know why that makes anyone angry.
The Arm/Cartridge Matching Myth
When I began my journey in high-end audio 36 years ago….no-one ever wrote about arm and cartridge matching nor tonearm resonant frequency…?
Over the last 10 years or so…this topic has become not only ubiquitous, but has mutated beyond its definition, to THE guiding principle of matching cartridge to tonearm….❓❗️😵
The Resonant Frequency can be calculated using a complex formula relating Tonearm Effective Mass to the cartridge’s Compliance….or it can be simply measured using a Test record of various frequency sweeps.
The RECOMMENDED Resonant Frequency of any tonearm/cartridge combination is between 8-12Hz.
But WHY is this the recommended frequency and WHAT does it really mean…?
The raison d’etre of this Resonant Frequency…is to avoid WARPED records inducing ‘resonance’ into the tonearm…..
Say what…❓😵
WARPED records….❓❗️
Yes…..ONLY warped records❗️😎
But doesn’t it have any meaning for NORMAL records…❓
None whatsoever…..😊👍
Let me explain….🎼
A badly warped record induces the tonearm to rise and fall rapidly on the ‘sprung’ cantilever of the cartridge.
Depending on the severity and frequency of this warping…..a subsonic frequency between 2-5Hz is induced so if your tonearm/cartridge Resonant Frequency dips into this frequency range….it will begin resonating and thus miss-track and/or induce hum through your system.🎤
Keeping the lower limits of your tonearm/cartridge Resonant Frequency to 8Hz simply insures against this possibility.🎶
So what about the 12Hz upper limit…❓
This simply insures against the possibility of any ultra low-level frequency information which MAY be on the record, also inducing this same miss-tracking or hum. For instance if your tonearm/cartridge Resonant Frequency was 18Hz and you had an organ record or one containing synthesised bass going down to 16Hz…..your tonearm may miss-track or you MAY develop a hum❓😢
So how many badly WARPED record do you possess…❓
I have three out of a thousand or so……and have NEVER experienced miss-tracking or hum even on these three…❗️😍
Yet these days….everyone (without exception it seems)…even tonearm and cartridge designers….happily follow the dictum of this Arm/Cartridge MATCH as if it affected sound quality…..❓
This Resonant Frequency has ZERO affect on the sound quality of a particular tonearm/cartridge combination and I have proved it hundreds of times with a dozen different arms and over 40 cartridges.
The best match for ANY cartridge ever made….is simply the very best tonearm you can afford…whatever its Effective Mass…😘
Over the last 10 years or so…this topic has become not only ubiquitous, but has mutated beyond its definition, to THE guiding principle of matching cartridge to tonearm….❓❗️😵
The Resonant Frequency can be calculated using a complex formula relating Tonearm Effective Mass to the cartridge’s Compliance….or it can be simply measured using a Test record of various frequency sweeps.
The RECOMMENDED Resonant Frequency of any tonearm/cartridge combination is between 8-12Hz.
But WHY is this the recommended frequency and WHAT does it really mean…?
The raison d’etre of this Resonant Frequency…is to avoid WARPED records inducing ‘resonance’ into the tonearm…..
Say what…❓😵
WARPED records….❓❗️
Yes…..ONLY warped records❗️😎
But doesn’t it have any meaning for NORMAL records…❓
None whatsoever…..😊👍
Let me explain….🎼
A badly warped record induces the tonearm to rise and fall rapidly on the ‘sprung’ cantilever of the cartridge.
Depending on the severity and frequency of this warping…..a subsonic frequency between 2-5Hz is induced so if your tonearm/cartridge Resonant Frequency dips into this frequency range….it will begin resonating and thus miss-track and/or induce hum through your system.🎤
Keeping the lower limits of your tonearm/cartridge Resonant Frequency to 8Hz simply insures against this possibility.🎶
So what about the 12Hz upper limit…❓
This simply insures against the possibility of any ultra low-level frequency information which MAY be on the record, also inducing this same miss-tracking or hum. For instance if your tonearm/cartridge Resonant Frequency was 18Hz and you had an organ record or one containing synthesised bass going down to 16Hz…..your tonearm may miss-track or you MAY develop a hum❓😢
So how many badly WARPED record do you possess…❓
I have three out of a thousand or so……and have NEVER experienced miss-tracking or hum even on these three…❗️😍
Yet these days….everyone (without exception it seems)…even tonearm and cartridge designers….happily follow the dictum of this Arm/Cartridge MATCH as if it affected sound quality…..❓
This Resonant Frequency has ZERO affect on the sound quality of a particular tonearm/cartridge combination and I have proved it hundreds of times with a dozen different arms and over 40 cartridges.
The best match for ANY cartridge ever made….is simply the very best tonearm you can afford…whatever its Effective Mass…😘
164 responses Add your response
+1 Lewm I remember Chakster commenting on my usage of a Denon 103 on an Infinity Black Widow and not truly believing my statement that it sounded quite acceptable even though common "myth" would have you believe it is wrong. Always believed in trying it and see what happens rather than stick to all the "golden rules" |
I just want to be careful to point out that I am not even necessarily advocating breaking any rules (although I do it myself). I am pointing out that what may SEEM to be in violation of the Fr rule (range of 8 to 12Hz) may not in fact be a violation, for one's own particular pairing of tonearm and cartridge. |
@uberwaltz You’re extremist, lol The mass of Black Widow tonearm is less than 5g as far as i know. I would never do that myself, i’d rather put a cartridge with compliance figure 4 times higher than 8cu. I think this arm designed for very high compliance cartridges (30-50cu) But it’s good that we have you, so you can tell us more about your experiment to support halcro’s theory.
@lewm What if the mass of the arm is less than 5g ? Personally, i have no reason to use low compliance cartridges on light mass tonearms, but i did it on Technics, i think that an improvement on heavy "12 inch Schick was obvious, at least for me. But i tried high-ish compliance cartridges (30cu) on 20g tonearm and it was OK, but it wasn’t my favorite combination (or not my favorite cartridge). Normally i am following the golden rules with my cartridges and tonearms. P.S. I can remember only one problematic sample of low compliance cartridge that miss track on properly matched tonearm. It was Ortofon SPU cartridge on Schick. I returned the cartridge to the seller, because it wasn't the arm or setting problem. Clearly factory defect. |
And here we are discussing what is wrong not what we like. Got it? Yes, of course. Got it minimum 15 years ago. Did you improve your knowledge in the years, too? You had enough time to develop your Tonearm you wanted to produce since 10 years. Any news for the mass of Audiophiles who are forced to listen to distortion instead of music? |
@syntax : If you got it 15 years ago then your other post makes no common sense at least if you think that the important issue is what is rigth and not what we like. lewm said : " " The vinylista is free to try anything. "" and that is not the main subject here. Btw, in my case I’m not angry in reality I’m laughing because that big joke makes me laugh. @noromance with all respect: are you kidding me with You tube? if yes then now I understand your other post because you are saying in an indirect way that that myth does not exist and you like the OP is trying to prove through that big joke name it YT: go figure, LOL ! ! ??? R. |
Chakster, OF COURSE, there are extreme values for compliance and effective mass that might knock the Fr out of the generally accepted range of 8 to 12 Hz. My point is that the equation shows there is a lot of room for variation, and my other point is that we often don’t have correct data for our particular sample of cartridge or tonearm. These facts suggest room for experiments. |
You’re extremist, lolExtremist? Lol, I resemble that remark! But to put into proper context as I stated on the last go round on this matter. The 103 was already mounted on the Black Widow on the Denon DD table when I bought it from eBay. Like everyone I doubted the common sense of this and even messaged the seller as to why he did this. His reply was a lol and to try it before I knock it. Fair enough so I did when it arrived and it was not as bad as everyone would think. Now would it have been better, nay a lot better on a heavier arm? Of course it would. Would I recommend this pairing? Of course not. But that is missing the point somewhat. It was wholly listenable too and if my memory serves me correctly it had a fairly decent presentation and bass, treble etc. Did it stay on the arm long? Nope, it was replaced by a vintage ADC XLM cart which is what I had bought just for the Black Widow. BTW according to an old press release of the Black Widow they recommend carts in the weight range of 4g to 8.5g. Now the 103r is right at 8.5g so not so much of an unholy alliance as made out to be. |
Regards & pardon me, down memory lane. Uberwaltz is to blame: BW TA & Denon 103--- First foray into "high end" audio was an Infinity BW, al. arm wand. Later models had a CF arm, damping trough optional. For setup the user’s manual for the BW pictured a Denon 103, as did contemporary adds. Mine sat in a drawer for two years until I was finally able to afford a SP-25 TT. Hosted a Shure M95E for a while. Son is currently running the rig with an AT 15XE on the BW. Era appropriate Kyocera integrated into rebuilt Large Advents. Sounds pretty good. Peace, |
A while ago, I posted a Link to THE KORF BLOG which is a 4-Part technical quasi-scientific report on his testing for TONEARM AND CARTRIDGE MATCHING. In the first three Parts....Alex Korf was discovering results which contradicted the generally accepted wisdom of Arm/Cartridge Matching. In his 4TH PART (which makes interesting reading) he concludes:- 1 Carlson's formula of a low frequency resonance does not describe the measured low frequency behaviour of the cartridge/tonearm interactionAs he states:- The accepted wisdom turned out to be completely wrong.I have been maintaining for over 10 years, that I've experienced hundreds of combinations with High-Compliance MM Cartridges/High Mass Arms which have sounded spectacularly... In fact the highest-mass tonearm ever commercially made (FR-66s) I have found to be the BEST sonic match for high-compliance MMs of every make. It also is a superb match for Low to Very-Low Compliance MC cartridges.....thus it can truly be called a 'Universal Tonearm'. As my listening experiences have never CONTRADICTED the 'Accepted Wisdom' of Low-Compliance/Low Mass Arm being sub-optimal....I have never actively advocated for this combination. I have always recommended.....the best match for ANY cartridge is simply the BEST tonearm you can afford. And unfortunately from my experiences....I don't think Low-Mass Tonearms are the best 🥴 |
