VPI 3 Gram Headshell Weight

Three Grams of Stainless Steel, for a Light Cartridge on a JMW Arm

The VPI headshell weight is a 3-gram stainless steel weight, sold each. It fits at the headshell end of a VPI JMW-series tonearm, and its purpose is to let a lighter cartridge work on an arm designed around heavier ones.

A tonearm and a cartridge form a resonant system, and the frequency that system settles at depends on the arm's effective mass and the cartridge's compliance. Put too light a cartridge on a heavy arm and that resonance rises into a range where it does no good.

Adding Mass Where It Counts

Fit and Materials

The weight is stainless steel at approximately 3 grams. Mass added at the headshell end counts far more than mass added anywhere else, because effective mass is measured about the arm's pivot — the further out, the greater the effect.

It is made by VPI for the JMW-series tonearms, which are relatively high in effective mass. Fitting it lets a lighter cartridge sit in the same arm without the arm and cartridge resonating higher than they should.

Who Is This Headshell Weight Best For?

• You run a VPI JMW-series tonearm — the arms VPI makes this weight for
• Your cartridge is lighter than the arm expects — the case the weight exists to correct
• You are fitting a cartridge you already own — three grams is a great deal cheaper than a different cartridge
• You want the original part — VPI's own stainless steel weight at a known mass
• Your cartridge is already heavy enough — adding mass then works against you, so check the arm's effective mass against the cartridge first; the counterweights that solve the opposite problem are in turntable parts and add-ons

How Do You Fit It?

Fit the weight at the headshell end of the arm following VPI's instructions for your model. Then re-balance: an extra 3 grams at the far end changes the balance point noticeably, so reset tracking force from zero rather than adjusting from where it was. Re-check alignment while you are there.

Pairs Well With

What most owners fitting a tonearm part shop next.

• Cartridge alignment tools — anything that moves the cartridge means re-checking geometry
• Stylus force gauges — and re-setting tracking force afterwards
• Phono cartridges — the component all of this is in service of
• Test records — for hearing whether the change landed

Frequently Asked Questions

How many do I need?

One, in most cases. The weight is 3 grams and it is added to correct a specific mismatch rather than stacked.

Which tonearms does it fit?

VPI's JMW-series tonearms. VPI makes it for those arms specifically.

How do I know if I need it?

Compare your cartridge's weight and compliance against the arm's effective mass. A light, high-compliance cartridge on a high-mass arm is the mismatch this corrects.

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