Feel Silly Asking This Question Alignment Parameters

Right, @ Lewm is on it. All you care about is the cantilever being perfectly tangent to the groove at two points on the record as dictated by your preferred alignment. To get that tangency you have to juggle the variables of overhang, offset angle and pivot to spindle distance. Pivot to spindle distance is fixed as long as the tonearm is mounted correctly. There are tonearms like the SMEs that have an adjustable bases, but most do not. This leaves overhang and offset angle. To set these accurately whatever alignment tool you are using has to index the stylus so it can not move and it has to clearly indicate tangency in such a way that it is easy to get the cantilever perfectly coplanar by eyesight. Magnification is mandatory if you really want to be accurate. 

@pinwa There is a significant difference. Most people do not notice it because they are listening to tonality which does not change. What changes is the image focus. I can demonstrate this on any system that images at or near the state of the art just by twisting the cartridge in the headshell a few degrees, making before and after recordings then ABing them.

@macg19 I have several Wally Tools and they are great, JR also knows what he is doing. However you need to be able to do this yourself. All you need is a SmarTractor, a WallySkater and a Wally Reference. With these tools you can be just as or more accurate than anyone.

Mac, I think you’re referring to adjusting the cartridge (not the tonearm) for zenith error, which is worth doing but has nothing to do with setting overhang. OTOH, Wally can probably advise on how to alter headshell offset and P2S, if you’re using a non-spec overhang.

@mijostyn @lewm I did set up my latest cart myself.

With these tools you can be just as or more accurate than anyone.

True statement, without microscopy analysis.

The analysis gives you the data to account for azimuth, SRA and zenith errors and the tools and a custom shim to correct them, as well as tonearm adjustment and anti-skating.

PS. 2 of the 3 main suppliers of stylus/cantilever assemblies publish zenith error tolerances of +/- 5%.

This is why I am an alignment nihilist and now very fond of an underhung tonearm that has no headshell offset angle (or significant skating force) to worry about. All that’s left to worry about is zenith error. Even a 1 or 2 degree error in zenith, if ignored, will cause problems with alignment, no matter how otherwise precise.

Mijo, you are probably correct about image focus, but when you do twist the cartridge in the headshell, then you are putting unequal forces on the cantilever (up and down motion of the cantilever is not in line with up and down motion of the headshell and bearings at the pivot). I don’t know what that does sonically, but it may do something we hear.

Dear @neonknight : If you have to stay with that 222 P2S distance and at the same time you like that overhang be 17.5mm you can get it with Löfgren A alignment making a change in the most outer groove alignment .

You can use the VE calculator that permits you to change almost any input calculation parameter and in your case you only has to choose instead than the default IEC most outer groove distance you will use 148.5mm ( custom choice ) and you achieve 17.51mm, then you are there:

Tonearm Alignment Calculator Pro - Vinyl Engine

or changing the P2S to 219 you can get this:

Tonearm Alignment Calculator Pro - Vinyl Engine

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS.

R.