Maths is a perfect science what's not perfect is any pivoted tonearm and in any kind of alignment ( even custom one. ) exist trade-offs, always exist a compromise. Stevenson is the extreme of those compromises.
lewm, I'm not talking of inner grooves. If we have a little lower distortion level in between null points then out of those null points we will have higher distortion level.
Any one can choose to has a custom alignment as the SAT designer and that's why we need to use its dedicated protractor.
If I remember VPI mix/combine two kind of alignments and that's why was a pain to align it with universal protractors.
Seems to me that that could be the SAT kind of alignment using " in box " calculations ( btw, I always try to think " out of the box " and see what happen. ). The main knowed parameter ( critical if we don't know what choosed the designer. ) in the SAT is the P2S distance and using a custom standard ( not IEC, DIN or JIS. ) inner most/outer most groove we can be rigth there. Combined Löfgren A and B is not so dificult due that both alignments comes with the same offset angle.
Again, with its own trade-offs. My post to @tli try to explain why with his protractor tools using a " standard " alignment he said that the sound is not so good but dim and flat.
Dim is not a good thing but flat is a different matters.
tom, I built my own tonearm and yes there are several variables that have an effect in the quality of sound and one of those variables, other than bearing and damping, certainly is the alignment of the cartridge/TT/tonearm.
Now, in no single way I'm diminished the SAT build quality level or the designer " credentials " in his specialities. The subject is different.
The SAT price tag deserves for the customer a clear information that can corroborates the reviewers/owners believes on that " unique " kind of sound.
Seems to me that the SAT owners/reviewers experiences tell me that all today tonearm designs comes only with average/mediocre quality level performance.
Btw, we don't know the two newcomers models ( 4 units. ) operation design and the already SAT owners do not know either if they will have a retro-fit for the very fast " obsolence " of their units and the main subject here could be if the new units outperforms the out of production today SAT.
I can think the newcomers will outperforms the today ones. Where outperforms the today ones? this is something that only the today owners can answer .
Anyway, there are things with the SAT owner/reviewers that makes not exactly sense as is those top cartridges that were mounted with a lower VTF that the manufacturer specs and " everybody " happy with.
I don't know what J.Carr or J.Allaerts or Ortofon can think about because that VTF range specification is to have centered coils as a main target and asure the best quality sound level.
Only think that the Allaerts MC2 Finish/Formula one has only 0.05grs of tolerance on VTF ! !
The VTF specs were determined by the cartridge designer not only for best grooves tracking during playback but to asure that the cartridge stylus tip and the LP grooves can " suffers " a minimum wear and more preservation time.
I don't know what all of you and especially the owners can think on my points of view but I don't think that as some of you already did it try to diminish all those facts.
@jperry , no I don't have the opportunity to listen it yet and I'm not in a hurry. Better to wait not only for the new models but for a more steady/experienced designs.
Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.