Removable headshells 101

Regards, Halcro: Henry, I'm going to take sides. Both. Raul is largely correct when he says one cannot know until a combination is tried. There are surprises, such as the deadening of a Signet TK7LCa cartridge when tried on a carbon fiber shell, just this weekend. Restored to a Jeweltone 8.5gm mag. headshell, it "sang" again. The reverse was true for an ADC-ZLM, also involved in the headshell trade.

A delightful clipping from a description of a titanium headshell: "Although it is somewhat heavy (18.5gm), in a carbon fiber (TA?) etc., it differs and weightiness peculiar to metal and forcibleness are charm". The writer, I believe, is expressing that the headshell has a characteristic signature, surely it dosn't stand alone in this.

Hopefully enough information will be gathered from your thread to conclude:
Just as it is accepted there is a "house sound" to be heard from various cartridges, there are identifiable characteristics with headshells of specific materials and design.
Or (re. Raul): There is no formula and it is predominately a need to determine the correct match.

It was mentioned that matching the tonearm is also important. The ADC's Stanwal refered to are good matches with my 12gm eff. mass Technics EPA-250 arm. Both the LMG and DMG designations are magnesium (6.5 and 7.7gm) and work well with the 250. The Sumiko/Lustre at 9.5gm is a high quality azimuth adj. shell but much harder to find. The cast Technics headshells, 7.5gm alu., are well finished, a very rigid design and (IMO) exemplify the "bang for the buck" category.

Are headshell leads to be included in this discussion?

Peace,

Regards, Dlaloum:
Company Name: Orsonic
Company Status: Dissolved
Company Type: Private Limited Company
Incorporation Date: 17/05/1996
Dissolution Date: 01/05/2007

Nearly five years after dissolution, supplys of the AV headshells seem to be holding out well.

Halcro "suggested" the Yamamoto ebony HS to me and I've been pleased with it. The Orto. LS-8000 (Japaneese Oak) is another I've thought to have a positive influence. YMMV. Thanks, Henry.

Peace,

Regards, Halcro: On the Orsonic, prices seem to have leveled out, perhaps becoming even more affordable. Hmmm. As to the Yamamoto ebony HS, it is a wonderful match for the Signet TK7lca, as you suggested. I also find the Orto. LS-8000 Japaneese oak HS does an excellent job on cleaning up the somewhat enthusiastic bass evidenced by my TK7SU. This model has a sturdy/nonresoant brass fingerlift and is of good quality construction.

Dlaoulm: Hi, David. I'm working on a NOS Acutex LPM 415 at this time, have gone through an ADC mag. 6.5 gm headshell, Jeweltone 9.5gm, Sumiko 12gm & Yamamoto 8.5gm boxwood. This cart is extremly detailed, almost excessively so. The boxwood HS encourages a neutrality in playback that MAY have a foundation in the elimination of headshell ringing. Boundary resonance is perhaps another factor. The debate is ongoing as to wether the TA should be enabled to serve as a "sink" for draining resonance away from the cart or if these should be isolated or controled before leaving the pickup. No empirical data to support either camp here, would this be something you'd be interested in exploring? One (or several) of the wooded HS's might be a welcome addition to anyone's resources. Henry, thanks again for your encouragement.

Peace,

Regards, Dlaloum: TA = ToneArm. Vibration analysis is such a complicated branch of physics there may be a few professionals who can understand all of it, you can be assured I'm not one. Perhaps not a "black art" but it is a subject prone to generalizations. Building on your comments and Henry's most recent post, permit me a few?

My rudimentary understanding is that a vibration, emitted from a source point, “propagates” and follows the path of least resistance, somewhat like the ring of waves seen when a rock is tossed into a puddle. When these vibrations meet a border between two surfaces, they split, part reflected back and the rest continuing along the second body. How much goes where depends on the acoustical impedance of these materials.

Resonances are characterized by selection of materials, geometry or various devices attached to this body. These resonances may be reflected, amplified and reflected again until the source of the excitation ceases. Mass, materials, wether hollow or solid, holes, stress, associated materials this body is in contact with, texture or coating of the surface (skin effect) and physical configuration (straight/curve/taper/length) all have a consequence in frequency, amplitude, or transient behaviors. From my layman's perspective (read poorly supported opinion), if I intentionally selected a questionable design it would incorporate a removable headshell, and I did.

All this is so very complicated some simplifications are, for me, a neccessity. There are three means of address or correction available in my limited tool kit: Vibrations can be damped, reduced, or tuned. Selection of headshell material and mass are means of addressing these concerns, the choice of wether to retain the o-ring at the coupling is another. Cartridge isolation is also an influence long recognized. I'm reminded of the dimpled triangular alu. plate Grado offered as an option in the late '70's. There are some who are now exploring hard-points between the cartridge and headshell, "tip-toes" for your cart.

Although some of the above statements are probably accurate, I hope you'll correct me where wrong. None the less, a trial and error approach still seems sensible. Was it Voltaire who said, IIRC, "Best" is the enemy of "Better"?

Peace,