I asked the same question in another forum and got the answer that channel balance and azimuth are not the same thing because a perfectly centered stylus at its exact azimuth can still have some voltage differences in the two channels, causing perhaps a 1 dB difference. My cartridge specs allow for a 1.5 dB difference. So, what I unwittingly did was balance the channel outputs, but set the azimuth wrong. Using a mirror, I re-set the azimuth and found that the channel balance was off by .5 dB. I'm just leaving it alone for now. It was news to me that channel balance and azimuth are different. At least I learned something and feel less annoyed when I digitize a mono LP and see that the channel volumes don't agree.
Azimuth setting using channel decibel level on a mono LP?
I tried something a bit different and easier than some methods to set my azimuth. I wonder if it would be considered correct. The turntable in question is the Thorens TD-203 and the cartridge/stylus is the Ortofon 2M Blue. After doing my best with a mirror, I digitized a short passage of music on a mono LP with Audacity and then checked the decibel level of each channel in the Goldwave program. At first, the right channel was around 1 dB louder than the left. After turning the azimuth adjuster, I got the left channel louder. Then, after 15 or more slight adjustments, I got the difference between the two channels to much less than it had been--down to around .05 of one dB. I didn't think it was worth the effort to get the levels any closer than that so I stopped there. The audio result sounds very good, but I'm not sure I can even detect the difference between a 1 dB and a .05 dB difference between tracks. I really tried this just to see if I could change these levels using the azimuth adjusting wheel. On my previous turntable, the azimuth was hard to adjust, but the Thorens TD-203 has a very large wheel that makes it easy.
Now I just wonder if this method is really correct way to set azimuth. I never heard it mentioned as such.In other words, is a roughly identical dB level on both channels with a mono LP equivalent to a correct azimuth?
Now I just wonder if this method is really correct way to set azimuth. I never heard it mentioned as such.In other words, is a roughly identical dB level on both channels with a mono LP equivalent to a correct azimuth?
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- 7 posts total
- 7 posts total