Is this low, mid or high compliance?

[PabloX]

I have an AT VM750SH cart which has a compliance specs of:

Static Compliance 40 x 10-6 cm/dyne
Dynamic Compliance 10 x 10-6 cm/dyne (100Hz)

The turntable I want to mount this, a Pioneer PL50L II, on has both straight and curved wands for the damped arm.

So the basic question is which wand should I use?

 

[NoTransistors]

As long as the straight tube was designed with an offset head to eliminate tracking angle error, use it.
S-shaped arms have lost much popularity in recent years.

General opinions may vary.

 

[Balifly]

You should be able to use either wands.

 

[Crab33]

Normally, the dynamic compliance value is taken as the indicator. It is usually quoted at 10Hz, but Japanese manufacturers such as AT tend to quote at 100Hz. The rule-of-thumb is to multiply by around 1.75 to get from the 100Hz figure to the 10Hz figure. So, the 10 cu for your AT cartridge becomes 17.5 cu, which is towards the high end of medium compliance (10-20 cu). So it's suitable for a medium-mass arm but may be fine on a borderline low-mass arm.

P.S. Do the specs for your turntable quote the effective masses of the arm with the two wands?

 

[cafe latte]

Normally, the dynamic compliance value is taken as the indicator. It is usually quoted at 10Hz, but Japanese manufacturers such as AT tend to quote at 100Hz. The rule-of-thumb is to multiply by around 1.75 to get from the 100Hz figure to the 10Hz figure. So, the 10 cu for your AT cartridge becomes 17.5 cu, which is towards the high end of medium compliance (10-20 cu). So it's suitable for a medium-mass arm but may be fine on a borderline low-mass arm.

I was just typing the same you beat me to it
S shaped and straight with off set are both good, there are amazing and poor examples of both. There was a trend for a while for the hifi mags to recommend one piece arms ie no headshell as some believed they sounded better, but the truth of the matter is some s shaped arms measure amazingly well. Use the arm which fits the compliance best, dont worry about the shape.
Chris

 

[Mark 1234]

I hope you are enjoying the turntable. Either arm should be good. Just adjust the fluid damper. You should be able to look up a similar compliance cartridge on that list in the manual.

 

[PabloX]

I hope you are enjoying the turntable. Either arm should be good. Just adjust the fluid damper. You should be able to look up a similar compliance cartridge on that list in the manual.

Thanks Mark. The turntable is great. I'm definitely enjoying it. And great point on reading the manual (always a good idea).

If I'm reading it right, and I go with the S wand, I'll need to be in the 2-3 range on damping.

 

[patient_ot]

The VM500 and VM700 series cartridges are all high compliance by today's standards (e.g. around 20 or maybe a little more at 10hz), if review and user measurements are anything to go by. You can try the cart on both arms and measure the resonance using a test record and actual music. Whatever arm gives you the better resonance number is one you want to use. You want to shoot for a number between 7-12hz, generally.

 

[PabloX]

I think my decision has been made for me. I have two counterweights and using the S wand, the small one is too light and the large one too heavy. So, I think the straight wand should do it. Alternatively, I have to find a lighter headshell for the S.

 

[Mark 1234]

I think my decision has been made for me. I have two counterweights and using the S wand, the small one is too light and the large one too heavy. So, I think the straight wand should do it. Alternatively, I have to find a lighter headshell for the S.

If you remove the 3rd aux weight screwed in the back of the arm the s arm should work with the heavy weight.

 

[PabloX]

If you remove the 3rd aux weight screwed in the back of the arm the s arm should work with the heavy weight.

I tried that and felt like too much of the thread on the arm was showing. The straight arm seems to work well so no huge worries.