The Palladian-A step beyond

To keep this on track, Halcro, did you use a torque wrench on your cartridge screws? The tension on cartridge screws can certainly affect sonics, for all the reasons you and others reiterate. If one were to draw conclusions regarding the efficacy of this or that fastener per se, then I think torque has to be a constant.

If you happen to have a small torque driver to use, the set value to use (ONLY with our cartridges, as they do feature a thread in Timet 1100 material!!) is: maximum 0.85 Nm with M2.5.

Like many designers, Brinkmann prides himself on using subjective evaluations.
"Everything has an influence on sound", he writes. "And we have to accept that these influences are real - even if (for the moment at least) we have no scientific explanation. Each single part of the device, no matter how trivial, has an influence on sound. Yes, even the smallest screw"
Through careful listening tests he discovered that replacing one of the stainless screws that affix the cantilever in the Pi pickup with a titanium brought "sound that resembled the original most closely"

I've been looking over this thread and want to clear up a couple of things. I misread Raul's "email" post and referred to it as first hand information. I thought Raul was also a victim, but apparently not. However, I believe this is actual correspondence, not fabricated.

Ortofon only offers a conventional 2 point protractor. I don't know what they offered in the past. This became part of the discussion of Uni DIN protractor and alignment. I'm under the impression that the AS alignment device is like a Dennesen SoundTractor or Feikert, only more elaborate and with different templates for different spindle size.  Lewm commented in the past that AS protractor is a superior in its precision. CA has an alignment device of similar design as Dennesen. That's the one allegedly flawed, with the line of sight.

This has nothing to do with my objection to the post script I referred to previously. Many people are confused about alignment, but it's just math or measuring results.

The situation with deletions and revisions stinks. People talk about having their post deleted, but sometimes they do it, or a revision themselves as a strategy. My posts stand as is and I've made no request for a post to be deleted.

Dear solong, There are carts with different threads for the screws

as well those which need nuts in addition. Will you be so kind to

explain to the ''commons'' which size and length are usual as

well what  an resonable price-quality relation is. Thuchan scared us

to death by, uh, implication. If those titanium screws are ''pricy''

for him what about us?