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TONEARM DAMPING : DAMPED OR NOT ? ? USELESS ? ? WELCOMED ? ?

Dear friends: This tonearm critical subject sometimes can be controversial for say the least. Some audiophiles swear for non damped tonearms as the FR designs or SAEC or even the SME 3012 that is not very well damped in stock original status.

Some other audiophiles likes good damped tonearms.


In other thread a gentleman posted:


"  If a cartridge is properly matched to the tonearm damping is not required. " and even explained all what we know about the ideal resonance frequency range between tonearm and cartridge ( 8hz to 12hz. ). He refered to this when said: " properly matched to the tonearm ".


In that same thread that a Triplanar tonearm owner posted:


" This is the one thing about the Triplanar that I don't like. I never use the damping trough...... I imagine someone might have a use for it; I removed the troughs on my Triplanars; its nice to imagine that it sounds better for doing so. "


At the other side here it's a very well damped tonearm:


https://audiotraveler.wordpress.com/tag/townshend/


Now, after the LP is in the spining TT platter ( everything the same, including well matched cartridge/tonearm.  ) the must critical issue is what happens once the cartridge stylus tip hits/track the LP grooves modulations.

The ideal is that those groove modulations can pass to the cartridge motor with out any additional kind of developed resonances/vibrations and that the transducer makes its job mantaining the delicated and sensible signal integrity that comes in those recorded groove modulations.

 That is the ideal and could be utopic because all over the process/trip of the cartridge signal between the stylus tip ride and the output at the tonearm cable the signal suffers degradation (  resonances/vibrations/feedback ) mainly developed through all that " long trip " .


So, DAMPING IS NEED IT AT THE TONEARM/HEADSHELL SIDE OR NOT?


I'm trying to find out the " true " about and not looking if what we like it or not like it is rigth or not but what should be about and why of that " should be ".


I invite all of you analog lovers audiophiles to share your points of view in this critical analog audio subject. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT?


Thank's in advance.



Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.






Ag insider logo xs@2xrauliruegas
lohanimal
659 posts
 
I have a Townshend Rock Elite with  a Helius Omega. Sounds very good without the trough - sounds significantly better with the trough. For the uninitiated Townshend Rock turntables use a silicone damping trough at the headshell end. I have used other arms too and the step change is consistent regardless of arm

Would you have a car with spring suspension alone, or damping too? Playing the trough at the headshell resolves the resonance at the outset.

It's a shame I can't locate thee Professor Dinsdale white paper that explains this fully.
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,227 posts
 
Lohanimal, there are so many situations it is hard to generalize. Don't forget there is an element of damping in the cartridge itself. Some combinations have an inherently low Q. If the vibration does not occur at the resonance point then the resonance is not excited. Good tonearms break up the vertical and horizontal resonance just a little by adding a little more mass in the horizontal direction. This acts like damping in that it lowers the Q. There are many who will say that if damping improves the performance of a tonearm cartridge combination then it is either a poorly designed arm or a tonearm cartridge mismatch. 
If you really want to see what is going on you have to hook an oscilloscope up to the phono stage. Then it becomes rather obvious.   
kps25sc
149 posts
 
I read somewhere that the trough makes a inexpensive not so well made tonearm sound better than it should, i think Townshends own Excalibur tonearm was a modified Rega arm. I especially like the bass detail with a front trough, but getting the paddle depth right is important, or it will rob treble energy and dynamics.
Post removed 
Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas OP
12,848 posts
 
This came from a PU3 reviewer:

" with a particularly lucid and organic midband. Whereas arms like the Zeta give epic, grandstanding performances of every record you play on them, the PU3 is altogether more subtle and cohesive. Bass is lighter and slower with less energy and articulation..""

Organic? that does not exist in live MUSIC at near field and that bass range?

Anyway, pun is not intened but only to put " things " in the rigth perspective for all of us.

Btw, :  ""  There are many who will say that if damping improves the performance of a tonearm cartridge combination then it is either a poorly designed arm or a tonearm cartridge mismatch. """

Those " many " are all wrong, have extremely low knowledge levels on the subject and obviously what speaks is their ignorance level.

R.
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