Fozgometer V2

@lewm why would you not want as close to balanced/correct as possible? Isn’t channel balance and accuracy the ideal goal of using a tool? This dealer also mentioned there is no "correct azimuth", but wouldn't as close to complete balance be ideal? And doesn't a tool provide more accuracy than "I trust my ears and tools provide no value"?

For the sake of preserving the record and reducing stylus wear, I prioritize having the stylus as close to perpendicular to the record surface as possible (optical setting using magnification), and using the Fozgometer to make any minor adjustment that improves electrical performance.  Fortunately for me, it was an incredibly small adjustment that did not even register optically.  Absent a meter, I would stick with the optical approach, and employ minor tweaking by listening if that effects an improvement in the sound.  

@larryi do you have any recommendations for tools you use? It seems as if the Fozgometer may be a beneficial tool, but might not be a starting point and rather an ending point. 

j-wall, Adjusting for azimuth has very little effect on "channel balance" per se. It only affects crosstalk and the fact that it affects crosstalk is the only reason to obsess over it. So, don’t conflate "channel balance" with setting azimuth so that crosstalk is equal on both sides. I say this with conviction, because not only have I read it but also I have personally confirmed the minimal effect of azimuth on channel balance, using my Signet Cartridge Analyzer and an appropriate Shure test LP. Very extremes of azimuth angle in either direction had at most a 1-2db effect on channel balance, as defined by the signal voltage in channel R as compared to the signal voltage in channel L (not crosstalk). Furthermore, you would never want to play records at any of those extreme settings, because doing so would damage the cartridge and the LPs.

I can see why you might have been confused by what I wrote earlier, but I tried to be clear I was talking about crosstalk; some like to set crosstalk equal, so that leakage of R channel signal into the L channel is equal to the leakage of L channel signal into the R channel, in db. In my experience, when you set that goal, you have to sacrifice to some degree the level of channel separation you potentially could otherwise achieve, which is to say that the absolute value of crosstalk you can get to is greatest if you just shoot for minimum crosstalk, regardless of whether the numbers are equal. To illustrate, maybe you can achieve 25db of separation on both sides (the signal voltage applied to the R channel that leaks into the L channel is down by 25db vs what appears in the R channel and vice-versa) , but if you just adjust for best values in each direction separately, you might achieve -30db on one side and -27db on the other. I’ve read arguments for either end point, but I think the Foz is designed to achieve equal crosstalk. So also, all of this is about setting azimuth electrically. Korf and others have made a good case for setting azimuth so the stylus sits squarely in the groove, without regard for the numbers game. You could call that the mechanical method. It requires some degree of faith in cartridge manufacturers, but at least you know you are not wearing out your stylus aberrantly (by having it at an angle to the groove walls) and that you are not damaging LPs. I have moved over to that side of the argument; I no longer use electronics to set azimuth. See also what Larry wrote above.

@lewm this is what I needed to hear. Thank you for spending the time. So essentially, I should be wasting my time focusing on other factors such as VTA and Maybe fiddling with a Wally Tractor? I might have possibly skipped a few steps in the learning curve looking at a new gadget.