Azimuth 2020

Nice coherent explanation of your viewpoint.
Thanks.

Actually, because I have a Triplanar tonearm (with easy azimuth adjustment) and that Signet Cartridge Analyzer (which has a built-in db meter) I mentioned up above, I once experimented to find out how much could Azimuth alone alter channel balance, assuming that 90 degrees of azimuth gave perfect channel balance.  The result was a bit less than +/-2db, where the azimuth angle was radically off at either extreme, like a range of 60 degrees to 120 degrees, which one would never choose to live with.  I don't argue with anything you say in your post of 3:05 PM; my point is that azimuth is best used to manage crosstalk, not channel balance.  If I were faced with channel imbalance, there are other ways to correct it.  And while there is always a choice to shoot for equal crosstalk vs "best" crosstalk, my aim would be to try to achieve best numbers, R to L and L to R, regardless of the fact that the two values would not be equal.  But there are two sides to that question, and I recognize that others may disagree (like the guy who designed the Fozgometer).

And by the way, these days I rarely even try to adjust azimuth electrically. I have come to favor just getting the stylus to sit properly in the groove, which is usually very close to if not exactly at 90 degrees azimuth.  I leave it to the manufacturer to build the cartridge properly.

This isn’t true unfortunately,

my point is that azimuth is best used to manage crosstalk, not channel balance. If I were faced with channel imbalance, there are other ways to correct it.

I could spend hours typing, and never communicate well this topic, but fortunately, someone already went to all the trouble, and even has nice pictures: http://korfaudio.com/blog36

I can attest to what they surmise that the Ortofon test record does work (3rd blog post). I find the high frequency sweep is more sensitive, hence more accurate, but it is an easier test for me than it may be for others. A single tone THD may be easier for most.

roberttdid

Bit hard to follow the conversation to know if any conclusions were reached ...

That was the deliberate result of the two users who turned this conversation into ugly nonsense. They've since been given a temporary "time out" from the group.

If the pivot angle is perpendicular to the offset portion of the arm, the azimuth will not change as the cartridge is raised and lowered.

Exactly!

For most tone-arms, the pivot angle is perpendicular to the main arm.

You make a fair point and for those arms, azimuth will change slightly as the arm is raised or lowered. I don't know whether that represents "most" pickup arms or not, but it's arguably a design deficiency.