Record clamps: do they really make a difference.

In order to be serious, you need it all, that being clamp, periphery ring and vacuum hold. All else is a compromise. Oh, don't forget the electron microscope platform that should be under your rig. I am sure you don't want those nasty vibrations intruding in your pleasure. Give it up, enjoy the music.

11-03-13: Mosin
It all depends on the table. The worse the turntable, the greater the need.
Mosin

You have to be joking.

If you believe that then

Q1. If a record is not flat, do you think it sounds better with half the record not supported, floating in mid air ?

Q2. Can you unequivocally say that there is absolutely no slippage from a record sitting loosely on a platter ?

Q3. Do you not think that there is substantial energy generated from the stylus/record interface that requires dumping to ground ?

A properly designed weight or reflex clamp with raised edge toward the outside of the record label and a small washer under the label can be very effective in coupling the record to the platter by compression.

Unfortunately most record weights are poorly designed. If you look at 90% on what is available on the market - the bottoms are flat. So effectively its a weight on the centre label and does nothing for warped records or coupling the record to the platter UNLESS the platter is concave.

In terms of your proposition, I would argue the opposite is more likely - that a stabiliser will sound worse on an inferior TT as it is more likely to exacerbate problems of noisy bearings and platters that do not deal with energy transmission properly from the stylus record interface.

Actually, a heavy weight will make a noisy bearing run quieter.

No. No. No.

Actually, a heavy weight will make a noisy bearing run quieter.

It may, but it's also a sonic band-aid that's unlikely to be the optimal mechanical approach.

Some TT bearings have inherently sloppy tolerances and need grease. Others have tight tolerances and need a lightweight oil. A bearing designed for grease that's running on oil is likely to chatter. Adding a heavy weight might stabilize it and/or dampen the chatter, but it would be better to use a more appropriate lubricant. The appropriate lubricant for a TT bearing depends on its tolerances and materials.

OTOH, some bearings are noisy because they've worn due to friction. In these cases, adding a heavy weight might temporarily dampen the noise but it will also increase friction, causing the bearing to deteriorate even faster. This would be the worst possible approach, as it masks the problem while simultaneously exacerbating it. The indicated approach would be to repair/replace the bearing.

Noise is a clue that something is amiss. Masking the noise without identifying and addressing the root cause is not the path of progress.