Tonearm recommendation

Raul, It would be helpful if I can boil down your idea into one or two simple sentences.  Is it your thesis that one should standardize on one and only one geometry, Baerwald, because it offers the lowest average tracking distortion across the LP surface?  If you can respond "yes" or "no", that would be OK with me.  Thanks.

What I, and I think also Dover, wrote is that if the tonearm was not designed for Baerwald geometry (meaning essentially that the headshell offset angle is wrong for Baerwald, given that the tonearm is mounted according to manufacturer's recommended overhang or P2S or whatever), then one must twist the cartridge in the headshell to achieve Baerwald.  I found that this resulted in a distortion (Dynavector DV505) that was much more obvious and objectionable than any that I hear when I use the DV505 with recommended geometry, inferior though that may be by comparison to Baerwald.  Granted, one could move the pivot point around, or alter stylus overhang, so as to better accommodate Baerwald for a tonearm not designed for Baerwald, but that is very inconvenient at best, if not impossible in some cases.

Now it also seems you are saying that every protractor except maybe the Mint LP is an inferior toy.  That helps no one, except those who use the Mint LP.

fleib, thanks for the helpful response.

In fact I have used my Dennesen for the reverse process, to draw the arc to identify location for mounting an arm.

I also use a small Tensor light and hand held magnifier with the Dennesen when doing an alignment.  And I ignore the cartridge body and do all my sightings along the cantilever.  But I will check out linen magnifiers to see if one might be easier that what I use now (a small version of your standard Sherlock Holmes model).

And now that you mention it, I seem to recall the Feickert I saw did offer alignment options, but as stated, I'm happy with Baerwald.

Over the years I've owned a dB Systems protractor and those from various arm manufacturers but I really like the simplicity of the Dennesen.  And the results sound good to me and elicit complements on my system. ;^) 

Dear lewm: What I try to say is to use one: Baerwald or if we like Löfgren A/B. I don't think we can need more.
Today almost all the cartridges comes with a better suspension " mechanism " than in the past and the tonearms are more or less well damped with better damped TT, clamps and platter mats and all these makes things better than in the past. In the other side electronics and speakers improved too and makes that we can make a better cartridge/tonearm set up than in the past. There are many audio topics that improved and helps for that we needonly just kind of alignment if and only if the set up has ACCURACY/cero tolerance. Tha's it.

I use the MINTLP as an example because is one of the more accurate in the market and is dedicated for your TT/tonearm combination and for less than 150.00.  Could you ask for more or need something different?, I think not but I respect each one opinion and remember that my advise is only in the mean time that manufacturers of all today and future tonearms can give us their answer we all are waiting for in the way that we customers do not need again to look for an after market devices.

Respect the 505 we can talk private through email but as I posted not important in the main subject because is only another tonearm with some unique kind of design, maybe not a good example for my meanings.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Thanks, Raul.  Please don't confuse the fact that I own a DV505 with the idea that I believe it to be "the best" of anything.  I really think most audio equipment is flawed in one way or another and that it is our job to put pieces together that work as synergistically as possible to produce whatever "sound" one is pursuing.  (In your case, that would be the lowest distortion possible, pure and simple.)  Many people don't understand that the term "synergism" means 1+1 = more than 2, by the way. When 1+1 =2, the interaction is merely "additive".  I actually chose the DV505 several years ago for use with slate plinths I made for my Lenco and for my DP80; I wanted tonearms that could be flush-mounted on top of the slate without need for an armboard or to drill the slate, which is a royal pain in the culo.  The Triplanar, Reed, Durand tonearms also fit this description but are more costly.

I seriously considered the Mint LP when I decided to buy the UNItractor.  The UNI is like the Mint in that it is different for every possible tonearm, but unlike the Mint in that it is a 2-point alignment, not an arc alignment.  However, 2 points define an arc for a given constant radius.  If you have a lot of tonearms, then the cost of the UNI rapidly becomes reasonable, as compared to buying a Mint LP for every tonearm.  The UNI includes a different template for each tonearm, accommodation for three different spindle diameters, ability to set the cartridge using a stabilized magnifier, a built on light which makes the job easier, and several other features that make exact set-up closer to possible.  But like the DV505, I am not saying it's perfect or "the best", just very very good.