melm233 posts07-13-2018 10:51amI also have a VPI with an older acrylic-lead platter that I wouldn’t change. So I opted for a 2.5 lb. 3rd party ring. It is a TTW ring; they’re out of business now, but there's still a reasonably priced vendor.. Would you name the aforementioned vendor please? |
From what I've read on this post is that most users of clamps like the effect . I have an original Merrill Heirloom TT that had many firsts in the TT design , the ring clamp being one of them . I have done the with and without the ring clamp and I found it to have a positive effect on the sound and record flattening works wonders on the worse of warping . My clamp weighs 665 grams , I had tried one from Vinyl Nirvana weighing about 325 grams ( sounded great but didn't do well at flattening warped vinyl ) . One post brought up the weight and the bearing and I agree putting 2.5 or 3 lbs. one a TT that wasn't designed for one might not be a good idea . Another post brought up the cost , agreed if you don't have one and your TT wasn't designed for one you might be better off buying a used table with one than buying one , except the one from Vinyl Nirvana it's a bargain . If I replace this table my next will either have a ring clamp of it will be vacuum clamped . Rob |
I have moved my document on the subject of an outer ring into dropbox. See attached link towards this doc. I will leave this in place for some time to come. |
I have a Merrill-Williams 101 (first edition) that I bought used a few years ago with the clamping system, which was an option at that time. I have found that as far as sound reproduction goes using the clamps has an effect somewhat similar to plugging the ports on ported loudspeakers, although not as drastic. Some what leaner more focused and tighter sound, and depending on your system and your personal taste you may find you like or dislike the change. I have some records that are warped, and I can say without hesitation that if you take a record that on the spinning platter shows not only an edge warp, but viewed from a slightly elevated angle the playing surface will also look uneven or maybe wavy (like swells on the water). Now install the center and outer clamps and view the spinning record, the playing surface now looks flat. I don't mind the little time it takes to use the clamps and find that for me its use is almost always an improvement. Gary |
I have used my copper TTW outer ring with a variety of decks. I have used it with and without center weights. Here are my thoughts. The outer ring does help with records that have minor warps. I can see the difference with less tonearm movement and less pumping of the woofers on the first and second track of warped records where the deviation tends to be greatest. On every record I can hear a difference. Without the ring, in general, the sound is more vibrant and "alive" on first blush but at the loss of inner detail and firm low bass that sound true to tone. After trying dozens of center weights with my VPI Prime and highly modded TD124 with a Reed 3P, I have a favorite with both; the original Thorens Chrome and rubber O-ring classic. But I have several custom made wood center weights (very tall and high-mass) and they sound great with the outer ring as well. Everything makes a difference-mat, center weight or clamp, and outer ring or no outer ring. Whether they are positive or lateral differences is up to the listener. I've settled on the Gem Dandy cork and rubber mat on my VPI and a carbon fiber mat on my Thorens. I'm pretty clumsy and I have never come close to taking out my stylus/cantilever with my outer ring. So what I am trying to say is this; the main benefit of an outer ring IMHO is to damp and absorb energy dissipated across the record surface by the stylus in the groove. I can't prove this is what the outer record does, but it makes perfect sense and from what I hear, the theory behind the outer ring and the benefit coincide. And one more thing; don't even think about an outer ring with a 9" arm (if someone has succeeded with a 9" arm, I am sure I will hear about it). Most times, you will need a 10.5 or better yet a 12" arm so that there is plenty of clearance between the outer edge of the ring and the tonearm column. |
