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Headshell

Andre Garcia

Andre Garcia

“WITHOUT MUSIC, LIFE WOULD BE A MISTAKE”
Hi to all,
Today I finishing to interchange headshells of different brands, spacers and carts.
Well, a TT is a universe with different worlds that spining around, and headshells is one of them.
Everything start with a AT1010, not performing good as should, after adjusted it many times, I decide to use a diferent headshell, the result was diferent but not wow. At the same time my grado was in he same boat. Finally the grado find the match tonearm and “headshell” that I made. So, i said why not try the AT on a wood headshell, snap! The sound start sound clear and well separated, but still not convinsing me. The question was why the pickering sound so cristal clear?.- one of the posible answer was because the contact surface is very small. Therefor I installed some shims to reduce the contact with the headshell. Nailed! The sound now is more clear and acuraded.
Sumary: the only way to find out is trying different headshell and set ups. And not all headshell are compatible IMO. Do a good job in some cases, but the cart could give more if the HS is the right one.
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Andre.
 
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Headshell must be rigid and of the correct effective mass (adjustable if needed to be) in regard of the cartridge compliance and tonearm effective mass. The rest is either a question of earbuds preference and/or sonic compatibility within the rest of the phono chain. Where indeed only trials will allow the listener to decide which one's he/she favors.

Although one can understand how the headshell can only shine through it's sonic signature (since it doesn't amplify any signal/volts) during playback due to it's build and material, yet it is positioned so close to the "source" where all is so minute, it's specific sonic signature will show through the amplification stages and out of the loud speakers.

Since I started venturing into my tweaks, I got to use mounting shims to fit "better" (to my likings at least) my unusual DL-102 positioned mounting bolts on vintage Ortofon SPU 'G' type (bakelite and alloy) that I like to set both upfront and aligned. This brought me to test "damp" shims DIY'd made of wood. This brought a "smoothening" tint I liked...

If some scream that all of that is only in the listener's mind and wallet pride, I reply and say it's in the ear's mind and my wallet has no pride, only holes. Loving the Ortofon SPU headshells look, I first got an alloy version. Later I got me a bakelite version. Finding it gave my sound some "warmth" my alloy one did not have. The bakelite I prefer by a margin only...
 
Of course the headshell needs to have correct mass for stylus compliance matching. Once accomplished there is definitely some interplay better the cartridge body and the headshell. Headshell material is a consideration.

I agree with the OP and the devil is in the details.
 
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