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tonearm/cartridge matching, mass/damping/tweaking

I'm reading more and more, here and mostly elsewhere about matching cartrdge compliance to tonearm mass. Of course, the wonderful but also dreaded Denon 103/103r s are front in centre in most debates.
I recently swapped out my denon 103 for my nos GAS Sleeping Beauty and perceived a better overall sound although it just may be a better overall cart too, who knows?
I am running a Linn Akito 2b arm which is said to be a little low on the mass side for the Denon 103 at I think 11 grams. i have seen some raging debates with guys saying their black widow (really low mass) arm matches just great with a 103, and a mass proponent saying that you need at least 25 gram mass arm for the 103R (although his 'perfectly matched' jelco 750d is ironically an 18g mass arm....). being a sucker for punishment I have on order both a 301mkii and a 103r (my audiophile nervosa has ingrained me with the fear that 'they' may stop making cartridges - after all, I have read that the venerable technicss DD tables have been discontinued). Now, I could simply likely sell my Akito 2B and buy a Jelco 750db and be done with it. resurrect my light headshell for use with the 301 and start having swapping fun. WTF, I could prolly also build up an outboard tonearm stand and run a 12" jelco outside my SOTA opposite the akito2b and turn into a real freak (sorry to all you freaks out there, you know what you are ;-)).
I have read some possible arm tuning damping ideas too that dont smell of overdoing it. One being laying a couple of pieces of tonearm litz between the cart and the headshell when mounting to decouple slightly. Another is the adddition of herbie's hal-o jr's to the arm wand which is cheap maybe effective and readily reversible (unlike wrapping the wand).
i gotta wonder just how accurate some of these mass and compliance calcs are too. ironically, i had to use a supplied sheet of what appears to be lead with my GAS to give it sufficient weight to use with this arm and it is only a few grams less than the denon....
Any thoughts, ideas, current thinking on the mass vs compliance issues?
mickeyf

Showing 6 responses by mickeyf

mickeyf OP
153 posts
 
Hey Don, shock and awe come to mind, and thank you for your thoughts on this.
The arm pod is inspiring (the pics on your CAM gallery give a better perspective). I'm guessing the three feet are adjustable for levelling and come to points/spikes? Also, it appears the set screw in the upper pod is for the purpose of rotation only, and the height/vta is adjusted with the knurled tower? Being neither a machinist or an engineer, I think that aspect of it may be a little out of my league- I'm having a bit of a hard time visualizing how the height adjustment functions, but I imagine it works 'on the fly'. All goofing aside, I would like to try doing something like that at some point....
Coincidentally, one of the 'debates' I'm referring to happened on CAM recently and was what got me thinking more about matching. Generally, one of the things I'm wondering about too is how 'effective mass' is really determined. Some suggest adding weight to the headshell is increasing mass. If that is true, does adding 2 Herbie's dampers @ 5.65 grams each increase effective mass of the arm by 11.3 grams? Anybody tried this for that specific purpose and will it alleviate the vibrations travelling back on the arm from the 103, or might it muddy the sound? (I am going to try it, just wondering what result others might have had).
mickeyf OP
153 posts
 
Thanks, Don. Some day I would really like to see how you designed that post. Perhaps if you are taking it apart for some reason or if you have a schematic(?)- although if you intended to patent/sell it, I'd understand ;-). No pressure. I just happen to reside in Aldershot, we're probably less than 10 miles away. Drop me a note on mfinn5@cogeco.ca if you get the urge.
And thanks to all for your answers. I will be trying the Herbie's dampers when I get the 103r and report back...
Cheers,

Mike
mickeyf OP
153 posts
 
Update guys. I put the Akito 2b up for sale and it was gone in a couple of days. Hardly gave me time to order up the Jelco 750db, which I have since received and installed in the system, using both the GAS and a new 103r. Well, holy crap, synergy or what? It was like the linn arm was just not ideal for the table and cart choices (although it didnt sound 'bad' per se) and the Jelco was designed to be on it (maybe some truth there the sumiko mmt is a jelco). Form here in when I read someone talking at symetry and matching I'll be less of a sceptic.
mickeyf OP
153 posts
 
Hot rod. I'll try to chew through that while I'm coasting in Key Largo next week. I've read his stuff before, he's a little verbose to say the least but definitely interesting.

Hey Bob. It is currently situate in a board that had overlapping holes for the linn and a prior RB300. I took a dremel tool to it, working in from the RB300 hole. (Ha ha it's starting to look like an SME hole). I think I am still a little further away than the current thinking. I have the cart right out to the end of the arm and on the lofgren protractor, I come up about 2mm short at the second grid. Apparently that's not huge, the sound is glorious.
I suppose I could do more playing around with the dremel and pull it in a few more mm's but the fact the sweep is on track most of the way in, suggests the hole is either too forward or too back as well. I want to order a new pre-cut board from SOTA but I am going to write and ask them how many mm's they will be drilling from the spindle upfront.

this board also had an air arm on it at one time, it's officially swiss cheese.
mickeyf OP
153 posts
 
Bob, I was advised on another forum the spindle to pivot maybe should be 215-216mm whereas Jelco specifies 214mm. I'll get around to writing SOTA about it and see what they say and let you know.....
mickeyf OP
153 posts
 
Perhaps Bob. I got my information mainly from 'Blake' who posts frequently on Jelco and 103 related threads out and about. I note you are selling an MMT which should be pretty much identical to the Jelco although from the specs it looks like yours is a 10 inch? What table were you using that on?
I have not had a chance to write Sota yet, I will probably do that next week.
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