Armboards...a neglected subject?

[paskinn]

They really matter with many arms. It affects performance to a surprising degree, especially if the arm is a 'stiff' one which transmits lots of energy. I first realised this 20 years ago when dear old Arthur Khoubassarian produced a special board for the newish SME Five. The board was deeply sided and made from a sandwich of materials. It transformed the bass heaviness of the Five on Pink decks and sounded just great. Modern heavy SME arms seem to like brass armboards (which SME use sometimes) but don't work so well on acrylic or aluminium. Worth experimenting. Put the Five on a poorly mayched armboard and you waste the quality of the arm.
No doubt other arms are in the same position of needing a suitable termination. Some sort of 'lossy' sandwich is often a good bet. But I suspect each arm is a little different....each may need different termination.

[YNWaN]

I've experimented quite a bit with armboard design and materials - including carbon fibre, laminates, aluminium and constrained layer damping; I would agree that armboard design is often overlooked by both users and designers but does make a significant difference and impact upon arm performance. The armboard I use now is an aluminium constrained layer construction.

[paskinn]

Yes, constrained layer damping, a 'sandwich' is probably best for many arms. I think that, rather than buy a new arm, people might get a useful improvement by changing the armboard. Something like marine ply is a type of 'sandwich' and might work well for little money. I wonder about the Rega arms, which being a single casting can transmit a lot of energy. They might benefit. When you think of all the time and money spent on things like recabling, I can't help suspecting that the armboard might give a greater return for the effort. Oddly, for this hobby, I don't know of any firms offering replacement upgraded armboards. Aerolam was used by Pink, as sort of aluminium 'bubbly ' construction. I seem to remember they also used a sandwich with balsa wood.
I have no experience of the Linn mountings, but I wonder whether some of the replacement chassis designs, and indeed the 'keel', partially work by offering a better termination for the arm.

[freefallrob]

I'd imagine that the amount of energy put into the arm by the cartridge has a large effect, some MC's put a lot in to the arm, where as some wobbly high compliance MM put very little in.

[Wakefield Turntables]

I agree with you and think that armboard design is overlooked. I've used a solid copper armboard on my V to great effect but switching to ebony took it to another level. I've never tried multiple layer designs so that could be something for the future.

[The Barbarian]

I have an Acrylic spacer, Brass spacer & the original 'P1' SME arm spacer. I prefer the 'P1' as for an arm board i don't have one.

[YNWaN]

I have no experience of the Linn mountings, but I wonder whether some of the replacement chassis designs, and indeed the 'keel', partially work by offering a better termination for the arm.

That is certainly one of the key aspects of the one I designed (the RubiKon).

Aerolam is a sandwich of aluminium skins around an aluminium honeycomb centre. You can also get a carbon fibre version where the CF skins wrap a honeycomb of aramid fibres (Nomex) and that is one of the CF materials I have used. You can also buy end grain balsa sheets with CF skins bonded to it.

[karma67]

excellent thread and perfect timing,im just about to fit a rega rb300 to my AR turntable,what would you guys recommend i try?

[Marco]

Yup, experience also tells me that arm boards (in terms of what they’re made from and how they’ve been constructed) have a significant sonic influence on the performance of a turntable. Good T/Ts should have arm boards fitted whose ‘sonic signature’ has been factored into the overall equation by the manufacturer, along with that of the other constituent parts of the turntable.

Think about it: if different styles of plinth have a huge impact on the sound of a T/T, then why shouldn’t the arm board that supports one of the key components of the turntable, namely the tonearm (and the cartridge attached to it), do a similar thing? The fact is, different arm board materials have different resonance/damping properties, and so that means they will naturally influence how the attached tonearm ‘behaves’ - and the effect gained will translate itself to the cartridge.

It’s therefore no wonder that upgrading/improving a poorly thought out and/or constructed arm board can result in significant sonic improvements!

In that respect, I would thoroughly recommend the superb (various) types of ‘exotic’ hardwood arm boards produced by Speedy Steve, of Magna Audio, as they can transform the performance of a T/T, especially Japanese direct-drives (such as the Technics SL-1200/1210) that often don’t respond well to being fitted with any form of metal arm board, which can make for a thin and sterile sound.

I couldn’t believe the difference removing an aluminium arm board, and replacing it with a solid ebony one (produced by Steve), made to the performance of my T/T... Therefore, underestimate the importance, sonically, of the humble arm board at your peril!

Marco.

[Tarzan]

I agree with you and think that armboard design is overlooked. I've used a solid copper armboard on my V to great effect but switching to ebony took it to another level. I've never tried multiple layer designs so that could be something for the future.

x37! Good post Acrylic, Ebony, this is where it is at, dunno why manufacturers keep on with metals.... just my 2p worth.