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I am continuing the mods and testing the DD Diaphragm.

Need help from the forum. It is stress on the brain (Not to mention I have hearing loss) to switch between tests and evaluate the tones.

Please review the new 4 files link below. I have uploaded and your comments would be appreciated with the different files using different damper material or no damper at all.

Thanks

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AjlnL1jwcKaAcSPl21_ ... E?e=2TBkK9

Herman wrote:I am continuing the mods and testing the DD Diaphragm.

Need help from the forum. It is stress on the brain (Not to mention I have hearing loss) to switch between tests and evaluate the tones.

Please review the new 4 files link below. I have uploaded and your comments would be appreciated with the different files using different damper material or no damper at all.

Thanks

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AjlnL1jwcKaAcSPl21_ ... E?e=2TBkK9

It is very sad that after 110 views on my previous post and 75 views on this post that no one could spare a few minutes to provide a review. My goal was research and do what I could to improve the audio from our valued machines. Feedback was important to know what needed to be done in improving the diaphragm but looks like it will not be coming from here.
Some would rather spend time discussing Crapophones.

Thanks for your time
Herman

As nicely as I can say this, you are not entitled to peoples time and effort, people can choose to discuss what is in their best interest. Personally (and like many others here) I don't feel qualified to give a helpful opinion on sound quality. Considering the fact that people may be busy or inactive, I would give it more time before assuming that nobody wants to help, and if you get no response, bring it back up in a day or 2. Good luck with you're diaphragms.

Martin

Hello Herman, I felt bad that nobody else responded to your thread. I’d say audio file number 3 No Damper sounded best to my ears.

Hi Herman:

I was actually going to respond to this yesterday, but got distracted, and misplaced the notes I made while listening to them.

To my ears, the first one "Brown Damper" has the best sound. Nice even balance between upper notes and mid-range.

The third one, "No Damper" is the loudest, but I also hear more scratch and distortion, and some louder notes seem to blast, but I can't tell if this is record wear or distortion caused by the microphone.

The second one "Cork Damper," as well as the fourth one "Yellow Damper" sound slightly muffled compared to the first two I cited.

OrthoFan

Unfortunately, my own hearing loss prevented me from noticing the finer distinctions from one diaphragm to another.

I did notice, however, the presence of distortion on some of the files, particularly in the trumpet playing. I think Ortho's review might be the most accurate so far.

-Bill

I just listened to your files and I agree with No.1 having the most pleasing sound. I feel it exhibits the combination of good brightness and overall pleasing sound as well as minimizing surface noise and distortion. I use the best sounding original diaphragms and styli in my C-19 that I can find and your #1 has similar overall sound but with a noticeable increase in the high frequencies. Hope this helps.

Jim

Herman,

Lighten up. It's a hobby -- something people do for relaxation and fun. We don't need to be admonished.

Hello Herman,

Sorry I did not notice your post earlier. I listened to them and will do so more later but I would rate them in the following way.

1) cork
2) yellow
3) brown
4) No

I had a tough time deciding between yellow and cork but I'm going to have to say cork for now.

That being said, a few more observations:
- You are going about this the right way. Playing same recording, same time, side by side with same equipment, (I hope).
- My observations and others might be entirely different regarding the winner if you selected a different record. You selected a late acoustic or possibly early electric recording? If you had selected an early frosted label vocal selection I'm betting that "NO' might come out the winner for example.
- It would be really best to have a bunch of us in your test room doing this in person. A lot of filtering is introduced by the time these recordings are recorded electronically with whatever equipment you have playing a part, then played on the various sound systems of those listening here, some over cheap speakers built into laptop or phone and some on more sophisticated equipment. I have some pretty good speakers and a subwoofer to help catch the base, (what little base tthere is in DD records and early 78s).
- On later electrics I'm pretty sure cork would win out hands down. The foam based diaphragms struggle with those.
- Finally, in addition to the diaphragm, consider the linkage. I'm pretty sure that a solid linkage that hooks onto the stylus bar trhough a metal eye, (a lot harder to produce, I know) will give a better result than the same diaphragm with a linkage of multiple loops of thread which do not form a common connection. I think a lot of sound must be lost, distorted by that linkage.

I would be happy to offer further thoughts by phone but too difficult to articulate here, especially with one loose key on my keyboard requiring me to backspace and correct.

Keep up the good work!

I listened to the four examples, but can't really judge them. What is "damper" material? Is that part of the diaphragm? One problem I have with your sound files is I can't tell whether the distortion I hear is caused by the diaphragm, or just a worn record.