et-2 damping trough-good idea or not?

According to their own instructions its attached by adhesive, which if you apply only light pressure can be repositioned. So you could try it and then if you like it press it more securely. http://www.eminent-tech.com/Manuals/ET2damping.pdf
Actually it even says heavy finger pressure will "almost permanently" secure it. So its not there forever after all. Unless they have changed something....

phillippugh

is the trough a good idea ?

imo - the quick answer is it "depends" on how you have your ET2 setup, with what cartridge you are using.

Some history first
The first ET2's came out when MM's were popular. The same year CD's were introduced..... 8^0
Great timing - Still over 2500 out there. Imagine if digital was not around for another 5 years?
 
Anyway - So all early ET 2.0's had aluminum armwands. Bruce' tests with the damping trough reflect this armwand.

If you are using an aluminum wand, especially with later MC Carts, the damping trough is an improvement in resonances.
Years past I found the results very audible, and the amount of oil used directly effects how much damping is done.

The oil trough can be left on - you just turn the paddle screw in or out, so it is either touching or not touching the oil.

Note If someone has a Cat or Dog and or Pet, or other that sheds, the hairs, other floating material will find its way into the trough. The nature of the hobby. static, other, ensures this.  

Now,
Later advanced ET 2.0 and 2.5 setups use different Armwands (Carbon Fiber and Magnesium), and different Leaf spring setups so they match up well with the Cartridge being used. This is discussed in detail on the ET2 tonearm owners thread.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/eminent-technology-et-2-tonearm-owners


This along with a properly isolated turntable, negates the need for a damping trough - imo.

My two cents. Hope this helps a bit.   Cheers

While the adhesive on the trough is very aggressive, it will (or can) dry out and lose its grip over time. However, this could be decades.

Using the trough with a magnesium arm and a Decca Gold cartridge resulted in no sonic difference here, so unless you have an early aluminum wand, I'm inclined to agree with ct0517 about its usefulness.

Heed ct0517’s advice on all things ET2.  I would add that using the trough with the magnesium or carbon fiber warms may actually do more harm than simply negate the need for it by overdamping.  In my particular setup it caused the music to sound overly covered and lacking hf air.  With the aluminum wand (and my cartridges) it was a definite improvement.

Dear @frogman : I’m not an expert with the ET-2 that I owned many many years ago.

""" need for it by overdamping.... """

overdamping?, why overdamping?. If that " damping " does not affects the normal and " free tonearm/cartridge movements from where could came that overdamping " ?

Feedback of resonances/vibrations in the cartridge ridding the LP surface are the ones that affect/degrades the more the quality of recorded signal. The " ideal " is that those resonances/vibrations and generated distortions can disappear and if the " damping " helps in some " quantity " to that " disappears " that is a good thing.

"" music to sound overly covered and lacking hf air. "

I can’t " see " the existence of overdamping but more that what you are listening is what is in the recording.

What we need is that the cantilever movements ridding the LP recorded modulations stays that way: whit only those modulations with out that " terrible " and always existent feedback that the cartridge takes as " modulations movements ".

Have you a different explanation that that non existent overdamping?

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.