SME V arm: dynamic VTF or straight weight

Peter,

The SME 312S has removable head shell, so the collet may be loosened and the head shell twisted to obtain proper azimuth. Once set I've loosened the post in the rear to change VTA and never experienced any "shift" in azimuth after raising or lowering the arm.

Hi Peterayer

>>> The biggest problem with the SME V design is the difficulty of adjusting height. Every time I try it, the arm column moves slightly out of vertical because the VTA screw is off centre and I have to recheck azimuth <<<

My solution:
Make some hardwood spacers (small oblong blocks) fit between armrest and clamping assembly, loosen the bolts press down on the pivot bearing-bridge. The arm will ALWAYS be level with the spacer block. I have made these according to VTA requirement. I started somewhere from 1/2" which fits for a Windfeld. If the PC-1 is by X taller this must be added.
You can achieve quite easily the small differences Raul is talking about --- AND HE IS RIGHT THERE --- a 0.3mm difference can just make that difference to be more pleasing.

Greetings,
Axel

Alex,
Thank you for that suggestion. It makes sense.

Hi all,
one thing came to mind when reading about silicone damping being considered a 'crutch' to make up for lack of arm to cart matching ---- but wait, there are arms that use 'damping' a their required part of operation!
Well Tempered (now a golf ball! in silicon), Schroeder uses a magnet, just to mention two. Others consider it an 'option' but actually seem to sound more 'right' with juice in their various bowls, I'm thinking of uni-pivoted designs.

Are these all aberrations to some 'true teaching' , I can not see that, honestly.

Back to the V damping trough, (an option with the less expensive IV, IV.vi, and 300 series). If you have a V, and feel like some purists, and want to remove it --- it leaves the arm with a rather unbalanced looking uncovered left side horizontal pivot bearing...
I listened with that 'hard wear' on and off --- ZERO difference.
I might mention it is not quite that easy to take it off in the first place, since it it VERY solidly bolted on, with some part catching under some other cover. Just before you get the idea.

Axel

Axel,
I agree with you about removing the SME V damping trough. I removed it for cleaning as per the SME instructions and then reinstalled it for aesthetic reasons. I can't imagine there being any sonic difference one way or the other. I don't think that "some purists" are using their arms with the trough removed, or at least I have'nt read of any. I think they just don't fill it with silicone. My silicon had become somewhat hard and I simply wanted to clean it out.

It seems to me that SME designed the damping trough for some sonic reason. They do not mention that it should be used when there is a cartridge/arm mismatch but this is territory that I know nothing about. Daniel's point about it being used to dampen resonances created by a cartridge/arm mismatch does make sense. I have not done a careful listening test. I wonder if this is about relative catilever movement between low versus high compliance cartridges and the stability of the arm moving across the LP.