Cartridge and arm synergy

[farflungstar]

Not quite the usual compliance/resonance question but a little different.

Having just ordered a Miyajima Shilabe from Hugo at Ammonite Audio I'm wondering how it will like my Elementum/Siggwan 12" tonearm.

Effective mass is 15g and I've asked Steve at Magna Audio to make me a nice brass headshell weight to bring the effective mass up to 18/19g. But this raises a question...

Is it better to put a brass weight between the African Blackwood Miyajima and the Cocobola Siggwan headshell/armwand - or directly couple the two types of wood and use a weight either above the headshell or have a 'collar' made instead?

Would the direct coupling of wood be too much of a good thing?

Any thoughts guys...

Adey

Sent from my Aquaris E4.5 using Tapatalk

[YNWaN]

You can't separate cartridge and arm synergy in the way you suggest because the arm termination - the turntable - plays at least an equal part (quite possibly the greatest part of the whole).

[farflungstar]

Maybe I wasn't clear enough. My question is more about best method for transmission of energy from the cart into the headshell, arm and finally the base. As both the cart/headshell and wand are wood (though of different hardnesses) would transmission of energy be best with wood coupled to wood, or with a brass shim/weight between the two...

Adey

Sent from my Aquaris E4.5 using Tapatalk

[Jazid]

Not sure why you want to couple the cart to the headshell and hence the plinth. Better isolated I would think? With this in mind I would suggest using a piece of lead roof flashing as an interface between cart and headshell. Pleasantly affordable and likely better sounding than random wooden headshells.

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk

[farflungstar]

Errr arent all carts coupled via screws to their headshell, arm, base plinth...?


Ok I'm obviously not explaining myself very well.

Here is a a pic of my arm. It is a wooden wand and headshell (that's the way it is).

http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w483/farflungstar/IMG_20161025_154006_zpssa3c6znu.jpg

The Allaerts in the photo is going in for an upgrade and the miyajima is to do stand in duty for the 6-8 months I will be without the allaerts.

The miyajima is also wood bodied.

My tonearm is 15g effective mass but the miyajima likes 18g. So like it or not I need to add a little mass - hence a headshell weight or collar.

My question is simple - carts throw energy into the armwand etc - would coupling the cart and wooden headshell be better than placing a brass weight/shim between them - if so I'll get a small collar made to fit behind the headshell.

Simple....

Adey

Sent from my Aquaris E4.5 using Tapatalk

[mac72]

I would place brass shim in-between cartridge and headshell ,this way you're directly coupling materials with different self resonant frequencies , hence avoiding any resonant interaction between the two.

[farflungstar]

That's what I was thinking...
Adey

Sent from my Aquaris E4.5 using Tapatalk

[mac72]

I might be wrong , though, try and see what you like better, vinyl reproduction is so flawed in many ways and logic sometimes doesn't apply , that's why we love it you can shape sound to your liking.

[Ammonite Audio]

A logical approach would be to use the collar, but have it made so that it can be placed anywhere along the length of the armtube. That way you get fully adjustable effective mass.

[topoxforddoc]

http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w483/farflungstar/IMG_20161025_154006_zpssa3c6znu.jpg

The Allaerts in the photo is going in for an upgrade and the miyajima is to do stand in duty for the 6-8 months I will be without the allaerts.



Adey,

What's Jan going to do to your Allaerts? When I needed a retip and check up on my MC1B a few years ago, I was very surprised at the quick turnaround.

Charlie

[farflungstar]

I'm having it upgraded from MC1 Boron mk1 to mk 2 - Jan has said it will take a long time and that he's very busy so I'm being pessimistic about the time - that way I might be peasantry surprised.

Adey

Sent from my Aquaris E4.5 using Tapatalk

[farflungstar]

Hugo - I also like the idea of a collar or saddle better than a normal shim weight - I'm just a bit unsure about energy transmission between the African blackwood and cocobola...

Adey

Sent from my Aquaris E4.5 using Tapatalk

[Ammonite Audio]

Hugo - I also like the idea of a collar or saddle better than a normal shim weight - I'm just a bit unsure about energy transmission between the African blackwood and cocobola...

Adey

Sent from my Aquaris E4.5 using Tapatalk

There are plenty of much more significant variables in vinyl replay than that - the two woods do come from the same overall family, although from different continents, but I have been unable to accurately confirm their respective characteristic acoustic impedence. Whatever, there will be a much greater impedance mismatch between such hardwoods and metal, than between the woods themselves. So, if there is a problem, then your Allaerts would not work in your tonearm, nor will my Shilabe work in my FR64S; however they clearly do work! So, don't worry!