Damping Weight DW400
Highly effective damping weight for 12-inch records
Conventional turntable weights are not effective enough. They are usually made of a single material and cannot sufficiently dampen the unwanted vibrations caused by the stylus. The DW400 damping weight picks up where conventional pucks leave off:
When a vinyl LP is played, the entire vinyl disc, including the paper labels, is set into vibration by the diamond and stylus of the pickup. These vibrations and resonances are superimposed on the music signal, producing an imprecise sound that impairs accurate reproduction and precise localisation of the musical instruments in the virtual space. The puck contacts the vinyl disc on the top of the paper label via three rods and transmits the resonances to a multi-ribbed coupling disc in the centre of the damping weight. This coupling disc is connected to the body of the puck via a damping gel. The total housing weight of approx. 400 grams generates the corresponding pressure on the vinyl disc and dampens all resonances via the gel. The body of the damping weight itself is further dampened by four nylon inlays on top. The result of all these measures is a very effective silencing of the vinyl LP and thus a clean sound image with a very precise localisation and reproduction of the musical instruments.
The technical developer was Helmut Thiele, who has been designing audiophile turntables for various manufacturers for nearly five decades and most recently contributed his expertise to the development of the Thorens New Reference. Thanks to his long career in the development and production of turntables, Helmut Thiele has extensive experience in working with structure-borne noise and resonances.
