Fluid dampers, heavier and/or lighter headshells... What do they best work with?

[Epicurus]

I was having a look at various websites offering vinyl accessories (including Ortofon, SME, KAB USA and others) and they posed me with a number of questions that just need to be answered.

I have read here that MC cartridges, and more notably the legendary DL-103, benefit greatly from heavier headshells). What about MMs (and especially high-compliance ones)? Do they benefit from massive headshells like Ortofon's LH-9000 or would a lighter headshell work better with them?

Also, KAB's fluid damper obviously works in the same fashion as SME's accessory for the M2 tonearm. SME says that fluid damping is recommended for low-compliance cartridges (i.e. MCs) and floors that are not particularly stable. Would a MM cart benefit from fluid damping or not?

I'm asking, because I'm going to keep the stock tonearm on my Techie for a really long time (in fact, I might not bother to replace it with a Jelco or SME), especially after I get around to shipping it to Audio Origami for foam filling and rewiring.

[Tarzan]

Good question, l think the stock Techie arm is very musical, and will get Johnny to sprinkle his fairy dust upon it!:)

[MartinT]

I can't comment on fluid damping as my arm has magnetic damping, but I do sense that MC cartridges with their lower compliance like a bit of mass and damping applied. Certainly my cartridges track better with damping, compared with my previous undamped arm.

[Tarzan]

Has anyone had their stock Techie arm sent to J7, for the re-wire/ foam fill and had the KAB Fluid damper, at the same time, can these two tweaks to the arm co-exist?:)

[Mr Pig]

I have read here that MC cartridges, and more notably the legendary DL-103, benefit greatly from heavier headshells.

I use a DL103 and Johnnie at Audio Origami said the same thing to me. He gave me a brass weight to add to the headshell to increase the mass.

If there was any sonic difference it was slight. Nothing worth worrying about.

[hifi_dave]

Low compliance cartridges, which are often MC, require a higher mass arm to provide good bass and to track securely.

If you are using such a cartridge and have a low or medium mass arm, you simply add some mass at the headshell. This can be just a blob of Blutak, plasticene or a sliver of brass or lead and job done.

[Epicurus]

Nah, since I'm keeping the stock arm, I'll just do what the instruction manual says and stick to high-compliance MM cartridges. I'm just wondering if these carts benefit from heavier headshells and/or fluid dampers or if these accessories are unnecessary for MM carts.

[hifi_dave]

High compliance cartridges are fairly thin on the ground nowadays, except for vintage models like Shure V15, M75ED, ADC XLM, VLM, some AKG's etc. and these are not best matched with the standard 1200 arm.

The Ortofon you mention is an ideal match as are the majority of modern MM cartridges.

[WOStantonCS100]

I have had the KAB Fluid Damper in situ on one of my 1200s with stock Techie arm for over a year now, probably more. I have yet to venture into the world of MC carts; but, I can say I've noticed a very definite improvement in tracking with all of the MM and MI carts I've used. The anti-skate adjustment certainly seems more "accurate" and easier to "get right" and distortion seems to have been further reduced (stylus sticks in the groove better). Since I installed the damper, it is also no longer necessary to apply more than the recommended VTF on most of the carts I use. I haven't used a Techie arm without it since. I also use, from time to time, the headshell that came with my SL-1500MK2, which I believe is heavier than the standard 1200 headshell; also a slight improvement there. I'm moving on to a Trans-Fi T3 Pro (because it does what pivoted arms, by design, just can't) on my main 1200; but, the stock Techie arm with KAB fluid damper will remain on the other.

[Tarzan]

Biff, did you have the J7 rewire the same time as the fluid damper?:)

[WOStantonCS100]

Biff, did you have the J7 rewire the same time as the fluid damper?:)

I have only gone so far as to remove the PCB (tossed the rubbish) and solder the wires directly to a new KAB turret board/bottom plate. I then soldered on "balanced" interconnects. An internal rewire is on the "long project" list. After that, add an azimuth adjustable headshell and that should be it. I'd probably concentrate on cartridges after that.