The CLAMP - Official Swap Thread

hearingimpared

shoester5 wrote: »

Just a quick update on the clamp. I've been very busy with work and my brother was in town last week, so I haven't had much time to do more in depth testing but planning to spend this Saturday afternoon doing nothing but some serious listening to my music collection. I'll give an update on Sunday after doing the Mother's Day thing.

Can't wait Bro! Lay it on me!!!

shoester5

Let me start this review by stating the fact that I was an unbeliever of the claims others have made that the clamp improves the overall sound of albums.

Well now, I’m a believer! This clamp has made a profound improvement in sound quality of my albums. The first thing I noticed was a significant improvement in the sound stage and stereo separation. This clamp works exceptional well with warped and really used albums. I have several albums that are either well worn, warped or both and it allowed me to play most of these albums…reducing the sound of the scratches and the number of skips.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the clamp both in the quality of the build and in the ability to do what it was designed to do and it does it exceptionally well. One thing I noticed was the better the recording and the quality of the album the less the effect of the clamp but on not-so-perfect albums the clamp is a must have for vinyl lovers. I defiantly need to add one to my collection.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Joe for taking the time and effort in maintaining this clamp swap program and allowing someone like me to give it a try. I would also like to know how I can get one of these clamps for myself.

hearingimpared

Thanks for you great review.

They cost $130 plus $5 for shipping. I take checks or Postal Money orders. Once you commit to buying I will assemble one for you which includes polishing the brass collet. I have a full guarantee on the clamp which means that if you are not satified in any way, even with the color, I'll refund all you money. Since you seen and handled it, I guess the color isn't and issue. Let me know if you want one.

I only have a few left.

The next person in line is Darqueknight. Please PM him and let him know you will be sending him the clamp and an aprox timeframe which he might expect delivery. Please send all parts and instructions with it. It needs to be insured for $150.

Thanks,
Joe

PS: when you PM Darqueknight, please copy me on the PM. Thanks again.

apc

Gentlemen,

I may be interested in auditioning the clamp, but do not know if it will fit my TT. I've got an older Technics. Model is SLD202 I think (I'm at work and it is not). Low end currently, but I am looking at getting a Pro-Ject Debut III.

Questions: Will the clamp fit either or both of these TTs? Is there a measurement I should take to confirm?

hearingimpared

apc wrote: »

Gentlemen,

I may be interested in auditioning the clamp, but do not know if it will fit my TT. I've got an older Technics. Model is SLD202 I think (I'm at work and it is not). Low end currently, but I am looking at getting a Pro-Ject Debut III.

Questions: Will the clamp fit either or both of these TTs? Is there a measurement I should take to confirm?

T., I tested this one some old Technics tables back in the latter 80s. This should fit and work well. If you decide to buy The Clamp and it doesn't meet your expectations in any way, shape, or form, I will refund all your money, including shipping.

Joe

In the mean time I will put you on the list.

hearingimpared

hearingimpared wrote: »

OK. By popular demand we are going to have a little swap for The Clamp.

For those of you who don't know what The Clamp is, PLEASE READ THIS THREAD.


The ground rules are simple.

1) Post your name IN THIS THREAD if you want to participate in the swap. Then PM me with your usual information. Your name will be listed in the order it appears.

2) When you receive The Clamp, you have THREE (3) WEEKS to play around with it. You will receive the shipping address of the next person in line to demo it. The cost of shipping it on will be on you.

3) Post your thoughts and findings in this thread. The whole point of this swap is for you and others to be able to check it out. You might want to, but others may gain interest based on what you say. so say it...

4) Use it as explained in the directions. If you break it, you bought it. If you do break it, let Joe know immediately, he might be able to save your turntable...

Pretty easy, huh?

Check it out. You will be surprised...



THE LIST

1) candyliquor35m (carl)

2) Fireman32 (Dave)

3) Frank Z

4) wodom1

5) Polrbehr

6) Shoester5

7) DarqueKnight

8) pblanc

9) Strider

10) apc

Tony, you've been added to the list. Thanks for your interest.

shoester5

The clamp has been sent to DarqueKnight by USPS Priority Mail and insured for $150. The tracking number is 13071080000028752615.

Thanks,

hearingimpared

shoester5 wrote: »

The clamp has been sent to DarqueKnight by USPS Priority Mail and insured for $150. The tracking number is 13071080000028752615.

Thanks,

Thanks Bro.

DarqueKnight

The Clamp is here!

More later.:)

Fireman32

DarqueKnight wrote: »

The Clamp is here!

More later.:)

Prepare to be amazed.

hearingimpared

DarqueKnight wrote: »

The Clamp is here!

More later.:)

Right ON!!!! I can't wait to hear your impressions.

DarqueKnight

Introduction

Looking back with my 100% accurate 20/20 hindsight, I really should have acquired a good record clamp long ago. However, it took me nearly 20 years to invest in a better turntable and cartridge, so acquiring a better clamp to hold the record more securely to the platter was never a big priority for me. I only listen to records for a few hours a month. I am not what you would call an analog enthusiast.

Now into play comes “The Clamp”, a reasonably priced record clamp that promises to improve the performance of any turntable…or your money back.

Those with an aversion to reading can just skip to the last sentence of the “conclusion” section below.

Audio Equipment

I evaluated The Clamp using two turntables: a Yamaha PF-800 with integral arm and Yamaha MC-705 low output (.3 mV) moving coil cartridge and a Teres Audio Model 255 turntable with Graham Deluxe 2.2 tonearm and Ortofon Jubilee low output (0.34 mV) moving coil cartridge. The interconnect used with the Yamaha turntable was a four foot length of Signal Cable Silver Resolution RCA cable. The interconnect used with the Teres turntable was a four foot length of Signal Cable Silver Resolution Phono cable. For price point reference, the Yamaha turntable and cartridge had MSRP’s of $500 and $200 respectively in 1986. This equates to $937 and $375 in 2007 dollars. The Teres table, Graham tonearm, and Ortofon cartridge have MSRP’s of $3300, $3200, and $1999 respectively.

Both turntable systems were inserted into my two channel audio system consisting of: Pass Labs X1 preamp, Pass Labs Xono phono preamp, Parasound JC1 monoblock power amps, Polk Audio SDA SRS 1.2TL speakers, Signal Cable Silver Resolution interconnects (RCA for turntable and XLR for pre and power amps), and Monster Cable Z3 reference speaker cables. Evaluating different turntable/cartridge setups is always “fun” with the Xono because it has to be taken out of the audio cabinet and the top taken off in order to reset the cartridge loading dip switches.

The Clamps

The little “toy” record clamp that came with the Yamaha PF-800 served me well for many years. It grips the spindle securely and does an adequate job of coupling the record to the platter and rubber mat. It would be useless against a badly warped record, but fortunately, I don’t have any of those. The Yamaha clamp is a hard rubber clamp that is 3” in diameter and 0.8” tall. It is almost feather light at 0.05 pounds. The top of the clamp disc has stroboscopic patterns for use in checking/adjusting platter speed.

The Teres Hardwood screw-on reflex clamp comes standard with their turntables or can be purchased separately for $220. It is fabricated from machined stainless steel, turned cocobolo hardwood, and a threaded brass spindle sleeve. The Teres clamp is used in conjunction with a 1.125” diameter, 0.075” thick delrin (plastic resin) washer. The washer is placed over the spindle, the record is placed over the washer, the clamp is placed on the spindle and the stainless steel knob is turned to secure it in place. The Teres clamp uses a reflex action wherein the outer edge of the clamp contacts the record and forces a slight concavity at the center of the record due to the delrin washer underneath. This has the effect of exerting downward pressure on the outer edge of the record. This can eliminate or greatly reduce mild warpage. The Teres clamp weighs 0.61 pounds, is 3.5” in diameter, and is 1” high.

“The Clamp” is a pure reflex design constructed of a delrin body and a brass spindle sleeve. It costs $135 ($130 + $5 shipping). The Clamp is used in conjunction with three delrin washers, all 1.25” in diameter and 0.05”, 0.075”, and 0.10” in thickness. The washer size used depends on the thickness of the record and/or the amount of warpage (if any) you need to correct. The washers fit really tightly on the platter spindle. A washer is placed on the spindle first and the record is then placed over the washer. The Clamp is then pushed down to the record surface. One hand is used to hold The Clamp’s base while the other hand turns the large knob to secure the clamp to the spindle/platter/record. As you are turning the knob, a metal collet grabs the spindle and The Clamp’s base is lowered onto the record. The Clamp uses a reflex action wherein the outer edge of the clamp contacts the record and forces a slight concavity at the center of the record due to the delrin washer underneath. The Clamp weighs 0.5 pounds, is 3.2” in diameter, and is 1.7” high.

The Clamp was too tall to fit under the Yamaha table’s acrylic dust cover. Therefore, the dust cover had to be removed for listening sessions. No big deal. It looks better with the dust cover off anyway. I don’t even have a dust cover for the Teres table.

Listening Evaluations

Listening evaluations were done over a two day period. The following records were used:

1. Dan Siegel, “Another Time, Another Place”, 1985.
2. Bob James, “Touchdown”, CBS Mastersound Audiophile pressing, ½ speed mastered, 1981.
3. Rodney Franklin, “Skydance”, 1985.
4. Dennis Coffey, “Back Home”, 1977.
5. George Benson, “Breezin”, Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs pressing, 1976.
6. Madhouse, “8”, 1987.
7. Michael Franks, “Passion Fruit”, 1983.
8. Michael Franks, “Sleeping Gypsy”, 1977.

All discs, with the exception of Dennis Coffey’s “Back Home” were either ruler flat or very nearly so. The Back Home disc had a 1/8” rise in three places. Using the Teres clamp and its 0.075” washer and The Clamp and its 0.075” washer reduced the warped places by 50% to about 1/16” and reduced the sound of the warp to imperceptible level. Using The Clamp’s 0.1” thick washer with The Clamp and the Teres clamp reduced the warped places to about 1/32”, but there was added “muddiness” to the sound. There was little to no surface noise (pops, clicks, ticks, etc.) on any disc.

All listening evaluations were done with The Clamp and its 0.075” washer and the Teres clamp with its 0.075” washer.

Comparison of Stock Yamaha Clamp to The Clamp

The moment I switched from the stock Yamaha clamp to The Clamp, I knew that I was on to a good thing. The first thing I noticed was an apparent increase in volume. It sounded like the volume had been turned up a couple of ticks. Actually, The Clamp provided much higher mechanical coupling of the record to the platter, which resulted in a much lower noise floor. However, just to make sure my ears were not playing tricks on me, I reinstalled the stock Yamaha clamp and took measurements with my sound level meter. I then reinstalled The Clamp and took sound level measurements. I measured an average sound level of 85 dB with both clamps, but the sound with The Clamp was apparently much louder. To summarize, I realized the following improvements with The Clamp:

1. Significantly lowered noise floor.
2. The instruments within the soundstage had more three-dimensional “weight”.
3. There was no change in soundstage width, but instruments at the extreme sides of the soundstage had much more definition and clarity, which gave an apparent sense of greater soundstage width.
4. The front of the soundstage was projected another two feet forward.
5. More definition and clarity overall, but particularly with bass sounds.
6. More bass impact.

The Teres clamp requires a threaded spindle and could not be used with the Yamaha turntable.

Comparison of Stock Teres Audio Clamp to The Clamp

The Clamp totally transformed the sonic characteristics of the Yamaha turntable/Yamaha cartridge combination to the point that it sounded like a completely different, and better, table and cartridge. This was nothing short of amazing.

The Clamp did not "transform" the Teres setup, but still provided all the improvements noted with the Yamaha table, but to a lesser degree. Whereas the Yamaha table sounded at least twice (200%) as good with The Clamp, the Teres table sounded 50% better.

Conclusion

I had only two nitpicky concerns with The Clamp: one in the area of aesthetics and the other in the area of ergonomics.

As can be seen from the photos below, the aesthetics of The Clamp blended well with the appearance of both of my turntables. Although, to my eyes and aesthetic sensibilities, the sleek cocobolo wood and stainless steel styling of the Teres clamp was certainly the hands down winner in the looks department. However, good looks could not prevent the Teres clamp’s “early retirement”. With regard to The Clamp’s aesthetics, I would have preferred a sleeker clear or gloss black body. However, I realize that changing The Clamp’s physical dimensions, mass, or material might compromise its sonic performance…and I certainly don’t want that.

I have grown accustomed to “one-handed” operation of my audio video gear. The Clamp’s requirement of the use of both hands to install and remove it was somewhat cumbersome. However, “real” vinylphiles, with their notable inclination for manually massaging their analog gear, will probably love this aspect of The Clamp. When you think about it, installing/removing The Clamp is no more “cumbersome” than having to use both hands to remove a record from its sleeve and place it on the platter.

Based on my performance evaluations of The Clamp, I ordered two Clamps: one for each of my turntables. Such good sound.

Pictures:


1. Yamaha PF-800 turntable with The Clamp.
2. Yamaha PF-800 turntable with The Clamp closeup.
3. Yamaha PF-800 turntable spindle.
4. Yamaha PF-800 turntable with stock clamp.
5. Teres Model 255 turntable with The Clamp.
6. Teres Model 255 turntable spindle.
7. Yamaha, Teres, and The Clamp top views.
8. Yamaha, Teres, and The Clamp bottom views.

DarqueKnight

I will be sending The Clamp on to pblanc as soon as my Clamps arrive.:)

engtaz

Great review DarqueKnight

Fireman32

One hell of a review. I knew you would want one. I was hooked on the clamp after about 30 seconds of listening. By the way I love your Teres turntable. It's a beautiful piece.

hearingimpared

Great review Darqueknight, thank you. I love the look of the Teres clamp. I made that my clamp back in 1987 and designed it for performance and back then the look was considered very good 'n' sexy. Since then TT manufacturers started making their clamps to work better than their predecessors and because it was going to be showcased on their turntables it had to be designed for the aesthetic value too.

If I could afford to manufacture more of The Clamp I would do a serious redesign to take into consideration the aesthetic value. The problem is that to take anything away from the clamp, the delrin mass, the Sorbothane/rubber spring, the heavy brass collet, etc would in fact take away from the performance.

It is funny when I close my turntable up for the night, I place my clamp on a side table and place the VPI one piece screw on clamp on the turntable because it looks so good and sexy. IMHO it is not worth a shite except for that purpose LOL!. but then again I'm a little biased.

Thanks again for that wonderful and well thought out review.

DarqueKnight

It would be great if your record clamp could go into mass production! Maybe a turntable manufacturer would pick it up...but then, they'd have to set aside thier egos...:(

hearingimpared

DarqueKnight wrote: »

It would be great if your record clamp could go into mass production! Maybe a turntable manufacturer would pick it up...but then, they'd have to set aside thier egos...:(

I just read your review again and I think that if you became familiar with The Clamp by using it and tried different down pressures as well as combos of the provided shims, I am confident that you can get your Teres tt/arm/cart combo to improve in sonics higher that the stated 50% improvement.

That is not my ego speaking it is the fact that I have a lot of experience with the clamp and have surprised myself over time at how I can change and improve the perceived performance of different records by adjusting the tension of the brass collet and combos of shims.

Thanks again for that wonderful review.

DarqueKnight

Thanks for the tip. I was not aware that the shims could be used in combination.

Do you have any printed instructions/setup tips for the clamp?

hearingimpared

DarqueKnight wrote: »

Thanks for the tip. I was not aware that the shims could be used in combination.

Do you have any printed instructions/setup tips for the clamp?

You didn't receive the instruction manual???:mad:

hearingimpared

shoester5 wrote: »

The clamp has been sent to DarqueKnight by USPS Priority Mail and insured for $150. The tracking number is 13071080000028752615.

Thanks,

Josh, didn't you get the instruction guide on the clamp?

DarqueKnight

hearingimpared wrote: »

You didn't receive the instruction manual???:mad:

No. The clamp arrived in a 2-1/2" x 4-3/4" x 4-3/4" box. Inside the box was the clamp, which was well packed in foam wrapping, and the three shims, which were in a small envelope.

hearingimpared

DarqueKnight wrote: »

No. The clamp arrived in a 2-1/2" x 4-3/4" x 4-3/4" box. Inside the box was the clamp, which was well packed in foam wrapping, and the three shims, which were in a small envelope.

See that isn't right. I sent the instruction manual along with the clamp because you NEED IT TO USE THE CLAMP PROPERLY. Whoever dropped the ball on this better fess up or keep your mouth shut and just make it right!!!

SCompRacer

I can copy my instructions and send them if you like.




\/

hearingimpared

SCompRacer wrote: »

I can copy my instructions and send them if you like.




\/

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA somemore!!!! Thanks Bud for the offer but I took care of it already.

Polk65

Keep those coming Rich.

SCompRacer

Ok...:D

hearingimpared

SCompRacer wrote: »

Ok...:D

ahhhh the site of a young and blossoming audiophile!

hearingimpared

We've tried to contact pblanc with no luck, Pblanc has not replied, a PM was sent 5/24/07 and his last post was on 3/5/07, so he may not be visiting the forum regularly.

I asked DarqueKnight to contact the next person on the list, strider. If planc sees this or heads back this way we will make arrangements.

DarqueKnight

I received my Clamps today and also shipped out the demo Clamp to strider. I have sent PM's to Hearingimpared and Strider with the tracking and insurance receipt numbers.

By the way, I was pleasantly surprised that the delrin washers of the Clamps I received today did not fit supertight on the spidle like those of the demo Clamp.:)