Measure and setup your cartridge a paid service?

[Don C]

Zenith Angle Correction: The Final Set-up Frontier!

Before getting to the image above, let's reiterate some cartridge set-up facts: despite the instructions that accompany most turntables and tone arms, you can't reliably set stylus rake angle to 92 degrees by putting your tone arm parallel to the record surface. Insuring that the cantilever is...

www.analogplanet.com

A service to measure and setup zenith of your stylus!

Is it better than previous methods and by ear?

 

[Huang]

Zenith Angle Correction: The Final Set-up Frontier!

Before getting to the image above, let's reiterate some cartridge set-up facts: despite the instructions that accompany most turntables and tone arms, you can't reliably set stylus rake angle to 92 degrees by putting your tone arm parallel to the record surface. Insuring that the cantilever is...

www.analogplanet.com

A service to measure and setup zenith of your stylus!

Is it better than previous methods and by ear?

Great question I am kind of in the same place now. This is the perfect place to ask (What's best) the question. I recently got back into analog, and have never set up a cartridge. I am getting a new TT and figured a new cartridge would be a good idea. So, here is my question, invest the time and purchase tools to learn to properly set up my new cartridge. This would require several iterations, and I would never be 100% sure when it was right. The other option would be to send the new cartridge to Wally Tools and use his service. When the cartridge is returned there would some setup but my dealer would finish the install. The referenced article is one reason I am thinking of sending the cartridge to J.R. The investment in tools would not be used too frequently and would cost significantly more than the one time charge provided the cleaning lady or myself don't do anything stupid. Opinions?

 

[Huang]

I set up my new to me Bardo this weekend. I have never set up a cartridge before, but it went exceptionally well (there was sweat involved I admit). The setup was made easier I think, because of J. R. Boisclair's exceptional patience & willingness to share his knowledge. Additionally I paid for the analysis of my cartridge so there was no guess work involved. The piece of mind from the Cartridge Analysis combined with the WallyTools gives me confidence in knowing I set up my cartridge right the first time.

I don't want to sound like a shill, but WAM is worth a look if you are looking for a well set up turntable cartridge. I have watched my dealer set up many TTs, but this time he watched me and genuinely seemed impressed.

Huang

 

[Kingrex]

I sent all 3 of my cartridge to JR. Why start your setup from such an unknown place when you can have absolute measurements to reference. Then tweak as needed. I will have my cartridge soon and will test it all with my old Allnic. Then with the Lino Channel D3.3.

 

[PeterA]

The problem I see is that certain assumptions are being made, chiefly that the head shell bottom surface to which the cartridge top is mounted is consistent with the arm tube, arm to arm. I know with my own experience, that is not the case with different head shells. The head shell top surface is not always parallel to the center line of the arm tube. There is variation.

So if we are presuming the SRA angle provided by this service is what it is, that is based on the measurements at the service provider and not necessarily the condition of your cartridge once it is in your head shell and tonearm. How do we overcome this discrepancy?

As long as the cartridge is manufactured within a narrow range of specifications, I still think the best way to adjust it and fine-tune it is by ear in the context of the system in which it will be playing.

 

[mtemur]

The problem I see is that certain assumptions are being made, chiefly that the head shell bottom surface to which the cartridge top is mounted is consistent with the arm tube, arm to arm. I know with my own experience, that is not the case with different head shells. The head shell top surface is not always parallel to the center line of the arm tube. There is variation.

you definitely have a point here but as it was explained on elsewhere on this forum you need to use Wally Reference to overcome this issue. it is mounted on the headshell like a cartridge and it basically helps you to align your tonearm to be parallel to the record surface both in terms of SRA and azimuth. IOT achieve this first you should measure the cartridge's height using the tool. after that you can mount your freshly measured cartridge with specially made spacers and hope that you reached perfect SRA and azimuth. there are lots of assumptions that can go wrong here in addition to the impact of spacers on final sound.

As long as the cartridge is manufactured within a narrow range of specifications, I still think the best way to adjust it and fine-tune it is by ear in the context of the system in which it will be playing.

IMHO it's good to use tools such as usb microscopes and software. if you don't like the result you can still align it by ear.

 

[PeterA]

92 degrees found with a tool could be a good starting point, then fine tune by ear.

 

[Kingrex]

All 3 of my cartride have been analyzed. All 3 have an SRA of 94.2 or so. That means the tone arm would need to drop to get to 92*. All 3 have an azimuth error of about 2.1*. All 3 have a Zenith error of about 1 to 2.2*. My supposed best cartridge has the worst Zenith. But 2.2* is suppose to be very good compared to what he sees from much better cartridge.

I bought a few tools. The blade (reference) to go under the headshell. The zenith tractor and universal tractor. I already had the anti skate.

I learned something else from the analysis. He was able to see wear on my most used cartridge and told me my anti skate was to weak. I need a litle more force applied. That was good to know.

I'm pretty excited by it all. I have struggled to understand why my vinyl does not play where I expect it too. With the analysed cartridges and shims, I can confidently move beyond setup and look at the rest of the system.

I will play the new cartridge with my old system to see what I hear. Then I will try my new Audioquest Angel tone arm cable. Then the new Lino Channel D 3.3 phono preamp. I would like to have the cables in my tone arm changed one day. I am having a hard time finding someone who can do that for me.

If someone does not want to use the shims and you have a tone arm that allows for fine azimuth, SRA changes, you can always use the analysis to set the arm/headshell with tools to the correct settings.

I can't see how anyone would not analyze a cartridge. He sends more back to customers than you think telling them to return it with the report and ask for a new one. Imagine thinking you can tune a cartridge by ear and never knowing the Zenith is 7* out. Or the SRA is 99*. Your then playing a $6k cartridge that is never right. You sort of got ripped off and will never know the glory it might have been. You also won't truely know if the issues that bother you are setup related or somewhere else in the system.

I don't know how long JR has been around or if anyone else has been doing this. But its about time we have a real look at what is going on with the interface beteen the vinyl and the whole of the playback.

I personally feel it's one of my best investments into my vinyl system. I don't care how good you think you are at setup. You don't know till you know. Now I know.

 

[PeterA]

Thanks for your report Rex. Now that you have the cartridges back, without changing any other aspects of your system, can you install them and notice an improvement in The sound of your system? If so, can you describe what you hear?

 

[Kingrex]

I should have them back in 2 to 3 days. I could just drop the last cartridge back in when I get them back. Leave the azimuth, zenith and SRA as it was. Then take a listen. Then use the shim and set the cartridge up with the Wally tools. I can do that. Not a bad idea.

 

[PeterA]

I should have them back in 2 to 3 days. I could just drop the last cartridge back in when I get them back. Leave the azimuth, zenith and SRA as it was. Then take a listen. Then use the shim and set the cartridge up with the Wally tools. I can do that. Not a bad idea.

That would be great, Rex. This would be the way to assess the improvement in real terms for this service. Don't complicate things with new gear or cables until after you understand what better alignment does for the sound. I am curious to learn how the zenith correction works. Also, if the shims have a sonic impact.

Finally, with all of the new information about specific cartridge parameters, whether or not one will still want to fine tune by ear. I suspect this service is very good for knowing what you have and helping one to get a very good starting point for set up. Very slight adjustments to VTA and VTF may still be required, and of course overhang will need to still be set precisely.

I look forward to reading your update.

 

[djsina2]

Didn’t have mine measured but I bought the Wally tools. Just using the protractor alone made an enormous difference for the better. I was using a SMARTractor before but with 3012R and no easily identified pivot point I now realize it was futile. Great idea with the different null points based off listening to mostly new or old records. I also found the two “worst points” invaluable for confirming your alignment.

 

[Kingrex]

I got my carts and tools. All the tools are valuable in their own way. The Zenith protractor is great. Very easy to read and use. The wally tool that goes on the bottom of the headshell is also a great device.

My tone arm is a poor design in some ways. I like the way it has a point riding in 3 balls to reduce chatter while allowing it to have azimuth adjustments. But, Vertere has no reference line in the weight and no reference line in the shaft. I spent close to 30 minutes with a 114mm straw across the head trying to get the azimuth angle perfectly flat. Its still not perfect. Vertere seems to have a new weight with a screw through it. That may help, but its been over a week and 3 email to 2 different people and they appear to want 0 to do with me. My representative and friend Joe Pitman passed away 6 weeks ago. I have no support. I sort of want to crap can the arm. Anyhow, when I get to touching the arm again, I won't use the shim. There is no need. The analysed cartridge report tells you how many degree to use to set the SRA with the wally reference tool. The Zenith doesn't care if you use a shim or not. If your tone arm does not have Azimuth, then the shim is great. Since I know with a 114 mm tube that every 2mm side to side = 1* azimuth, its possible to set. Its a pain in the you know what with my arm. But it is no harder than trying to get it flat.

I won't say the skies opened and the angels horns trumpeted through. I noticed the playback is a little more clean. The bass is definitely more balanced and deeper. When I was sitting late at night with my wife and the music was low I was aware voices are more intelligible.

Being that it is not a massive change brings more credibility to getting your cartridge analysed. I have had 2 pro at my house setting up the cartridge. Neither even considered Zenith. Azimuth was just shooting in the dark. Especially when you have to deal with the affect of tracking force on what you perceive or neasure as azimuth.

Setting up the cart with all my lost time in getting the azimuth flat was incredibly fast. You know the SRA, Zenith and Azimuth. I can't see how to set a cart up properly without having it analysed. Your guessing.

With a good arm and an analysed cartridge, I think you can set it up dead on accurate in 30 to 40 minutes. If you want, you can fuss and measure after that to double check the results.

 

[Kingrex]

Im sitting here tonight and my vinyl actually sounds a lot better. The best way to describe it is, I sense the musicians woking their instrument's more. I feel more connected. It's much more clean. Clean as in vocals are easy to understand. Instruments are separate and distinct. Stereo imaging is wide and placement is distinct. I'm really liking the vinyl tonight. I'm very happy.

I did mess with the weight a little today. There is a collar weight that is also a way to adjust the mass of the arm. I moved the main rear weight allowing me to draw the collar weight forward. I also took the VTF from 1.975 to 2.012.

This caused me to have to reset the Azimuth with my straw. I got lucky and the 4th or 5th try it landed dead nuts flat. I still have the shim in so I go flat.

I can not see any other way to know you have set up a cart correct than to have it analyzed. It's piece of mind. You take the guessing out. I could never get to where I am without Wally Tools. No way. I feel its one of the single best investments I have made in my vinyl system. Especially for the cost to benefit ratio.

 

[J.R. Boisclair]

Im sitting here tonight and my vinyl actually sounds a lot better. The best way to describe it is, I sense the musicians woking their instrument's more. I feel more connected. It's much more clean. Clean as in vocals are easy to understand. Instruments are separate and distinct. Stereo imaging is wide and placement is distinct. I'm really liking the vinyl tonight. I'm very happy.

I did mess with the weight a little today. There is a collar weight that is also a way to adjust the mass of the arm. I moved the main rear weight allowing me to draw the collar weight forward. I also took the VTF from 1.975 to 2.012.

This caused me to have to reset the Azimuth with my straw. I got lucky and the 4th or 5th try it landed dead nuts flat. I still have the shim in so I go flat.

I can not see any other way to know you have set up a cart correct than to have it analyzed. It's piece of mind. You take the guessing out. I could never get to where I am without Wally Tools. No way. I feel its one of the single best investments I have made in my vinyl system. Especially for the cost to benefit ratio.

Thanks for the great feedback, @Kingrex. Your subjective experience of the sonic benefits is what I typically hear from clients, the degree to which is determined by the alignment error they had previously been living with. Given the fact that of the few hundred cartridges I have now analyzed and databased showing the required average SRA/VTA correction is 3.1 degrees and the average zenith correction is around 2.5 degrees, I imagine few people have ever heard how well their cartridge can really perform if it were to hit all 7 of the alignment targets spot-on.

 

[Kingrex]

I pulled the shims from my cartridge and went direct to the head shell. It was pretty fast and easy to do. Took me about an hour. I looked at the needed spacers to go under the Wally Reference tool and set the SRA height for no shims between the cartridge and head shell. I then set the tracking weight, then the azimuth, then the zenith. Then dialed the weight in again. I am super happy with my vinyl performance. I don't know if I really hear anything different between the shim and direct to the head shell. I would assume to the head shell is a better contact to drain vibrations??? My mind says its all fantastic.

I was a little surprised how low I had to drop the arm to get to the correct SRA. I had to put tape on the tone arm lifter to get the height up a little and I had to put a shim under the tone arm cradle the arms rests in when not over the platter. Neither alterations should impact playback so all is well as far as I am concerned.

I still feel its a no brainer when it comes to using WAM services to analyze a cartridge. There is no way I would have my cartridge any where near optimum without it. I have had 2 experts at my house helping me setup cartridge in the past. Neither were anywhere near close to optimum as the report shows me. And my vinyl did not sound anywhere near as good as it does now.

Its kind of funny I have one friend with an AirTight Opus and he is nervous the cartridge will get lost or damaged in shipping, so he is happy to use it on a guess its correct. I think that is crazy. He spent so much on that cartridge. Why would you ever spend around $12K and probably never have the cart set up properly. I only know 3 members I feel could dial in a cartridge over some amount of time and get it right. I have no idea about the rest.

For whats its worth. A good part of my setup time is setting azimuth on my arm. I have a 114mm piece of straw I lay across the head shell. Every mm of change between left and right height is 1/2 degree in azimuth. I then have to twist a weight with no reference marks ( I did use some blue tape) on the spindle clock or counter clock to alter the azimuth. The straw would fall off all the time and it is a game of cat and mouse with the over shoot, under shoot when turning a single couter weight by hand. I ended up with 22mm on one side and 19 mm on the other. So 3mm total. That is close enough to correct for my azimuth being 1.6 degree out clockwise.

 

[bonzo75]

“It was pretty fast and easy to do and took about an hour”

 

[J.R. Boisclair]

I pulled the shims from my cartridge and went direct to the head shell. It was pretty fast and easy to do. Took me about an hour. I looked at the needed spacers to go under the Wally Reference tool and set the SRA height for no shims between the cartridge and head shell. I then set the tracking weight, then the azimuth, then the zenith. Then dialed the weight in again. I am super happy with my vinyl performance. I don't know if I really hear anything different between the shim and direct to the head shell. I would assume to the head shell is a better contact to drain vibrations??? My mind says its all fantastic.

I was a little surprised how low I had to drop the arm to get to the correct SRA. I had to put tape on the tone arm lifter to get the height up a little and I had to put a shim under the tone arm cradle the arms rests in when not over the platter. Neither alterations should impact playback so all is well as far as I am concerned.

I still feel its a no brainer when it comes to using WAM services to analyze a cartridge. There is no way I would have my cartridge any where near optimum without it. I have had 2 experts at my house helping me setup cartridge in the past. Neither were anywhere near close to optimum as the report shows me. And my vinyl did not sound anywhere near as good as it does now.

Its kind of funny I have one friend with an AirTight Opus and he is nervous the cartridge will get lost or damaged in shipping, so he is happy to use it on a guess its correct. I think that is crazy. He spent so much on that cartridge. Why would you ever spend around $12K and probably never have the cart set up properly. I only know 3 members I feel could dial in a cartridge over some amount of time and get it right. I have no idea about the rest.

For whats its worth. A good part of my setup time is setting azimuth on my arm. I have a 114mm piece of straw I lay across the head shell. Every mm of change between left and right height is 1/2 degree in azimuth. I then have to twist a weight with no reference marks ( I did use some blue tape) on the spindle clock or counter clock to alter the azimuth. The straw would fall off all the time and it is a game of cat and mouse with the over shoot, under shoot when turning a single couter weight by hand. I ended up with 22mm on one side and 19 mm on the other. So 3mm total. That is close enough to correct for my azimuth being 1.6 degree out clockwise.

Hi @Kingrex
Unstabilized unipivots such as yours achieve their functional azimuth angle by a distribution of mass on a horizontal plane of the cartridge/headshell/armwand/counterweight armature. Measuring with the straw at 114mm (twice the sensitivity of the WallyReference!) is good in that extruded straws tend to be very straight and therefore reliable for such a function. However, depending upon the stiction intrinsic to your unipivot bearing, the mass of that straw MAY influence the measured (but not the functional) headshell azimuth angle. You could reduce the straw’s potential influence by going back down to 57mm length and centering the mass of the straw on the line formed by stylus to pivot point.

alternatively, I could send you some carbon fiber rod (very low mass, rigid and straight) for the same purpose.

 

[Avidlistener]

Is there anybody in the NYC area that does critical set up for pay or as a hobby? I got my strain gauge rebuilt and bought a USB microscope with screen to set it up. The cart sounds better than ever and little to no inner groove distortion. But with such an exacting stylus (I’m running the SG6 which has the highest profile) I’m sure I’m leaving some sound quality on the table, so to speak.

 

[Audire]

I use Jose’. He’s excellent in his set ups!