The Effect of Damping on Sound: Racks and Turntable Plinths

analogsa

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Apr 15, 2017
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Cascais
I have had multiple 301/401s in the past but never went as far as decoupling the armboard from the motor. Which is perhaps a logical development. The Garrards always sounded a bit darkish in my system so the bamboo may work well there.
 
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remdeck

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Apr 10, 2018
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I have had multiple 301/401s in the past but never went as far as decoupling the armboard from the motor. Which is perhaps a logical development. The Garrards always sounded a bit darkish in my system so the bamboo may work well there.
Mine was sounding darkish and muffled also in the MPX-monolith.
As of now, build like this, it is really open sounding and intimacy is really stunning. Maybe I'm lucky that it is good now.... Let's see what I think after some months of use
 

Pallen

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Jun 25, 2018
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Extreme?

Isodamp between the cartridge and headshell, only other contact points are the plastic washer of the screws. Huge sonic improvement, and easy to verify by tapping the headshell with a metal object, like a screwdriver - very well damped and dull impact, a lot of ringing without the Isodamp. Downside: much harder to set up the cartridge, took me well over an hour.

View attachment 63387
Origin Live in the UK sell a simple product for just this purpose. I read a UK review on it and their comments were very close to Ack's comments above.
This is a fascinating thread.
 

remdeck

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Apr 10, 2018
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I've now finished my Garrard 401 plinth, after a lot of experiments.
This is what it looks like:
2020-06-06 11.23.23.jpg

2020-06-06 11.23.52.jpg

2020-06-06 11.24.44.jpg
As you can see I opted for a constrained layer, with bamboo 18mm, aluminium AW7075 5mm, bamboo 18mm, stacked with brass spacers, and separating the armboard from the motorboard. I can just make another armboard if I will change the arm. Thinking about a Groove Master 2, which would look great here.
The turntable has Soundcare Superspikes, which work great, better than normal cones I had and a lot better than damping feet/rubber/sorbothane, and its easy to level the turntable.

A few hours of listening and really enjoying myself and this is where I wanted to go, as the MPX monolith sounded so muffled and flat.
I've compared it to digital and analog is now much better;
The treble is more pleasant and realistic, the mids have a incredible directness and intimacy, spaces are beautifully worked out and the bass has the right drive and definition. And the dynamics are really impressive! This has so much musicality, you are really drawn into the music. I really like it!
When I compare this to my MPX monolith, this is quit something, and it costs not much more.

When our new listening room is ready, I will also change my rack and will give constrained layers a try for the rack also.

Regards, Remco
 
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AnaloginAZ

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Apr 7, 2021
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Hi Remco,
Thanks for sharing your findings. I am thinking of doing something similar with a Dual turntable. Can you tell me how you joined the constrained layers (e.g. glue)? Also, did you leave the bottom of the 401 open or did you enclose it?
 

remdeck

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Apr 10, 2018
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Hi AnologinAZ,

I just glued it together. The upper constrained layer and lower constrained layer are screwed togehter with a long screw from underneath the low layer. The brass bushings are just placed between and are tightend through the long screws.
I left everything open. Just should make soe sort of connection to the powercord, which I haven't done till now. Just don't know how to do this. But its safe from touching!
 
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AnaloginAZ

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Apr 7, 2021
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Hi AnologinAZ,

I just glued it together. The upper constrained layer and lower constrained layer are screwed togehter with a long screw from underneath the low layer. The brass bushings are just placed between and are tightend through the long screws.
I left everything open. Just should make soe sort of connection to the powercord, which I haven't done till now. Just don't know how to do this. But its safe from touching!
There was some advice in another turntable forum where the recommendation is to leave it open and not enclose it. I just wanted to to know what you did since you like the results. Thanks.
 

remdeck

Well-Known Member
Apr 10, 2018
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There was some advice in another turntable forum where the recommendation is to leave it open and not enclose it. I just wanted to to know what you did since you like the results. Thanks.
Yes, this is true. As the motor gets quite warm, ventilation is mandatory.
Normally its enough to leave open beneath the motor, or have a lot of space in a plinth (Vinylista comes to mind)
Interested how you get along.
 

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