"Straight" talk


I can't emphasize enough about the importance of proper azimuth.  When even a bit off, the result is smearing of soundstage, emphasis of one channel or the other, blurring of lyrics, loss or air around the instruments...etc.  If Paul Simon (et al) doesn't sing in his own space exactly between your speakers....better get a Foz.
128x128stringreen
I use a foz as well. One point that has not been mentioned, and it is an important one, is to calibrate the Foz before each use. That is assuming that you are using it on occasion, and not every day
@stringreen, "yes, I know the battery issue has been bantered about. Its really not as critical as has been posted".

It has been/was posted by you....

You have many a time repeated that you use a fresh battery once, then relegate it to a smoke alarm, no?
The Foz is not self calibrating...there is a simple procedure. Mine always registers  0 to begin.  If you can set azimuth by ear...have at it. I know mine is correct.  The arm does have an offset, however, the arm moves up and down on the same plane as the pivot so that azimuth remains fixed.  That is certainly one of the benefits of a 2nd pivot on a unipivot arm.
@harold-not-the-barrel 

I think you're right, this is what Van Den Hul said in the interview:

 "In play position, your tone arm should not be parallel to your record but at a small angle: around 3 - 5 degrees. This can be achieved by lifting the tone arm at the rear (i.e. the bearing part and not the cartridge mounting part) by 4 - 8 mm. The sonic result is a better spatial reproduction and cleaner high frequencies."