I have been playing with cartridge isolators etc and my cart is mounted on doule sided tape without screws and reinforced with bluetac, it sounds dodgy but the sound sure isn't anyway my latest tweak involves running stabilizers that run from the lower side of the cart body back to the edge of the headshell. This was intended to improve bass and really came out of experiments with a longhorn type mod.
The stabilizers fit into notches I have cut into the trailing edge of the stylus mount, they are embedded in bluetac, on the headshell end, the matchstick struts are notched to hook over the edge of the headshell and embed into blue tac there as well.
This naturally removes pretty much all lateral movement/vibration of the cart whilst still allowing the foam tape to reduce vertical impacts and vibration. It adds almost no weight to the cart assembly.
So what does it sound like.
Incredible...really, and this is with a very cheap cart.
In fact so great is the change it sounds as though I have put a far dearer and more sophistcated cart on the TT.
It is such an easy mod and of course can easily be reversed, it is almost a sin not to try it, especially if you are using an isolator of some type.
This is not the final version of course, I actually intend to make a balsa shroud that mounts on the edge of the headshell and currounds the cart, with bluetac between the shroud and the cart, It probably won't sound better but I just want it to look nice with the same effect.
hope it helps someone.
