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Audio Additives vs Acoustic Sounds Digital Scale

I have an Acoustic Sounds metal digital scale. It looks identical to the Audio Additives one. On my Acoustic Sounds scale, the cart magnet makes the platform and scale read negative numbers prior to lowering the cart onto the scale. I use the tare button to 'zero' the platform prior to lowering the cart.

The Audio Additives scale on the Music Direct website says the metal case is non-magnetic. Does this include the scale too, unlike the Acoustic Sounds scale?

Anyone who uses the Audio Additives scale, could you please let me know if its magnetic or not? In other words, does the scale require taring due to suspending the cart over the scale making it move from zero?

As a side, I have heard some say the taring in a magnetic situation is not needed and when you lower the cart onto the platform, it weighs the actual weight/force of the cart. This doesn't make sense to me as before the stylus touches the scale platform it should read zero in my mind and not, for example -0.051g.

Thanks in advance for any info.
philb7777

Showing 2 responses by john_tracy

john_tracy
341 posts
 
Before lowering the cart. to the scale, the cart./tonearm is supported by the tonearm rest. The magnet in the cart. pulls up on the pan of the scale giving the negative reading. This force is being countered by the tonearm rest. Once the tonearm is released that is no longer the case. All the weight of the cart./tonearm is now resting on the scale. So, zeroing the scale while it reads negative in this case will cause the final reading to be too high. The cart. will still be attracted to the scale; which will cause the cart. to sit somewhat lower on the scale. The effect of this on the measured weight should be small.
john_tracy
341 posts
 
Doug, I didn't mention the possibility of the cart. being attracted to something in the body of the scale so as not to confuse the issue. The problem as stated was a negative reading before the stylus touched the weigh pan of the scale. This can only be caused by a magnetic attraction to the weigh pan. Any attraction to something in the body of the scale will affect the measured weight only after the weight of the cart. is resting on the weigh pan, not before. The advise to not use the tare button to zero out the negative reading is correct. If anyone is worried about this other issue that you brought up they can adjust the counter weight on their tone arm so that the arm is in balance (zero VTF) and position over the scale. If there is an attraction, the scale will read what it is and this value can be used to correct further readings. IMO what is important here is the repeatability of the scale, not its ultimate accuracy. Since one will set the VTF by ear and having the ability to make small, repeatable changes is what matters.
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