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hifitodd wrote:

I'm trying to get my head around the tonearm/cartridge matching mechanics. First of all, are ALL cartridges much happier with a heavier tonearm?  Even cartridges with a high compliance? My understanding of a "correct" arm effective weight is one where the resonant frequency measures in between 8-11hz.  Won't adding 25g of mass to the headshell skew this relationship? Also - are there any currently commercial arms with a heavy and appropriate mass?

As I can see it there is a very simple tonearm/cartridge matching mechanics. The common knowledge suggest that Fs= 159/((M + CW) * C), where Fs is resonant frequency M is the mass of the arm, CW is the mass of the cartridge, including the mass of the screws, nuts, added mass, washers and etc, and C is the compliance of the cartridge.  The resonant frequency should be around 9H, so it is not difficult to figure out the relation between the compliance and the effective mass. The fun part that in a realty of practice this formula could be bended quite aggressively. With many, practically all cartridges that I tried I found out the increasing the mass of the cartridges even up to 3-4 times do not increase the resonant frequency at all. However, the increasing masses of the cartridges do increase quality of sound.

Here is how I add mass to my stereo MM cartridges. In the 3012 arm for instance the Shelter has more or less fixed resonant frequency: with or without the added mass. “Naked” it does around 9.5Hz and with loaded silicone making the headshell =30g the Fs dive to 9Hz. What the big deal!

Also, there are a lot of stories how analog sound if the resonant frequency is too low or too high. Thos stories re only partially correct and mostly should not be paid attention. I learned that when people make the Fs of 5Hz or 15Hz and receive a specific sound then they attribute this specificity of sound juts to Fs. It is mistake and the Fs itself has no sound but rather the methods that make the Fs too low and to high do affect sound. The stories about the “5Hz of resonant frequency that overwhelm the LF capacity of your power amplifiers” or would cause some modulations in power amps are juts the stories to threaten the brainless Morons at Audiogone. With a proper arm, good cartridge and reasonable playback even 5Hz of resonant frequency is no problem. At leas when I had it I heard nothing that would alike me to wory about Fs being too low.

Rgs,
Romy the Cat

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