Tell me about your record weight and why you like it
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I like my TTweights one, which is quite heavy, as it helps flatten broad warps in records. But I only use it on my Empire as it has a bearing that I feel is ok with it (and no suspension to upset). I have a lighter weight that is supposed to sort of damp resonance or something and to be honest I don't think it does a damn thing.
On my suspended tables I much prefer a clamp if I use anything over the spindle at all.
On my suspended tables I much prefer a clamp if I use anything over the spindle at all.
FalseMetal666
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I like my old Orsonic 250 clamp because it matches my AV101 headshell.
Sometimes I think it tightens the bass, most the time I just use it compulsively.
Sometimes I think it tightens the bass, most the time I just use it compulsively.
Reason I ask about record weight... I use a Boston Audio Mat 2 and a slate record weight . I notice when I clean the record off before play that the record weight isn't heavy enough to stop the record from spinning in between the weight and the mat... And at times the mat itself rotates... MY "compulsion" doesn't like that. hehe
A few disclaimers:
I am the US importer for Michell. While I think record weights are cool and have used them in the past, I have completely stopped and only use a clamp now. Michell happens to have invented the record clamp and so if you care about the fact that they invented it and they are STILL family owned, I would ask you to consider purchasing a Michell instead of the various replicas on the market.
To me, and I am not saying I am right...it makes sense to not mess with all the engineering a turntable designer has put into designing a table and adding weight and load to the motor and bearing (which is what adding a heavy weight will do).
I am the US importer for Michell. While I think record weights are cool and have used them in the past, I have completely stopped and only use a clamp now. Michell happens to have invented the record clamp and so if you care about the fact that they invented it and they are STILL family owned, I would ask you to consider purchasing a Michell instead of the various replicas on the market.
To me, and I am not saying I am right...it makes sense to not mess with all the engineering a turntable designer has put into designing a table and adding weight and load to the motor and bearing (which is what adding a heavy weight will do).
Despite owning a few weights, as mentioned, I'm firmly in the camp of clamps now, if I use anything like that at all. My reasoning is, if you want to damp the record or affect resonance, which I"ve heard as reasons for weights, do so with your mat and if you want more contact with the mat do so without putting additional weight on the bearing. Use a clamp. If you have a warp, a clamp works better for those, too.
As for un-tweaking myself, I've just come to the conclusion that I don't actually enjoy any of the music any more than I did, say, about a year into this 'hobby', when I'd figured out the basics.
So I guess that's me telling about my turntable weight
But for no good reason here are my two weights for show:
This one, from TTweights, will flatten a record if there's a big kind of broad warp in it. And it looks cool. Sonically? I don't know. There's no difference that really jumps out. Nothing that goes "ah ha! So much better!". So? Yeah, I rarely bother. See, here I didn't even bother to put a record under it.
The mat, however, does make a difference. Layers of copper, delrin and wood, and its quite heavy. The ringing of the Empire platter is completely deadened and there seems to be a rotational steadying of things. I love it.
This one, I can't remember the brand name but it was Japanese and supposedly of some metal that possessed qualities that worked with the natural resonance of vinyl to give the presentation some sort of color and life it lacked previously. Which is total BS it really doesn't do anything and isn't heavy enough to flatten a record. 99% of the time its in a box of random turntable junk. Here its on my spring-suspended Strathclyde, and its not heavy enough to affect the springs (which are way more stiff than say a Linn).
So...after having been in this hobby forever and being in the mainstream audio industry for work...later starting an audio company, @JohnVF you are on to something. I try to avoid the "I need this because it looks cool" but sometimes we all fall to the "audio jewelry". I'm not saying a record weight is audio jewelry but some of them certainly can be.
I like to tinker with stuff and redesign stuff (even designed some gear over the years) but I think the measure of a system is in its ability for you to lose hours. If you lose hours, job done. That said, some of my best audio memories are when me and @BillWojo would get new to us vintage gear, get the guys together and we would make a change to the system and listen, not to say something is better, but to understand what changes happened. Covid killed our group sessions and I have some plans to start something up again once the new Fidelity Imports HQ is finished. I will be inviting anyone from this forum to come over and have listening and comparison sessions. Unless you listen to country music...
I like to tinker with stuff and redesign stuff (even designed some gear over the years) but I think the measure of a system is in its ability for you to lose hours. If you lose hours, job done. That said, some of my best audio memories are when me and @BillWojo would get new to us vintage gear, get the guys together and we would make a change to the system and listen, not to say something is better, but to understand what changes happened. Covid killed our group sessions and I have some plans to start something up again once the new Fidelity Imports HQ is finished. I will be inviting anyone from this forum to come over and have listening and comparison sessions. Unless you listen to country music...
I have a Record Doctor clamp that I use on my SP10 that seems to help with flattening out slightly warped records (that I haven't got around to flattening myself). My SP15 doesn't have enough spindle to grab with a Record Doctor, so I use a hockey puck as a clamp on it.
I use various copper weights but am coming around to taking them off the platter and having them around for display/component dampening. I don’t know what the added weight is doing to my bearing and I don’t know if it is helping the sound any. I will say that I do appreciate the looks and that has been the primary reason to have them around.
As a rule I don't I use weights or clamps. Mainly I am just playing so many records and I get excited and so on and that's another step 
For my STST Motus IIDQ ( which has a suspension ) I sometimes use the light weight 'vibration dampener' aka weight that STST offers. It's not a universal improvement but seems to tame unwanted harshness on some records. They also make a threaded spindle with clamp option but I don't have one on my demo rig.
On my SP10mk2 I usually don't use anything, with stock platter and heavy rubber mat. If I ever get a metal mat I might experiment.
For my STST Motus IIDQ ( which has a suspension ) I sometimes use the light weight 'vibration dampener' aka weight that STST offers. It's not a universal improvement but seems to tame unwanted harshness on some records. They also make a threaded spindle with clamp option but I don't have one on my demo rig.
On my SP10mk2 I usually don't use anything, with stock platter and heavy rubber mat. If I ever get a metal mat I might experiment.
how do you like that mat? I recall it winning some mat shootout somewhere that I read. While I may not be convinced of the efficacy of (certain) weights I'm very much a believer in mats being able to help out the situation. I use an Achromat and the above mentioned layered TTweights top-plate/mat.
I’m awaiting one of these in the mail to replace my ever sticky original Pio mat after removing the metal platter mat.
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