Opinions wanted on cantilever alignment

mijostyn

... When you set it up with your protractor make sure you are aligning it with the cantilever not the body or top of the cartridge ...

Exactly! And the best phono alignment gauges - such as the Mint protractor that the OP is using - allow this with considerable precision.

Looks to me like the cantilever comes out straight from the motor (ie the cantilever is straight not bent) but the whole motor assembly is mounted crooked. Nothing you could do could cause this, and so it shouldn't matter its been a month, its a manufacturing defect. 

Surprised you didn't call Day One. That never would have made it out of the box with me. In spite of everything mikelavigne saying being spot on (as usual) still I see no reason for anyone to have to put up with so much trouble the whole life of the cartridge. Because even if it is like he said and the whole motor mechanism is perfect and just out of alignment with the body, still that means in order to be aligned and play right the cartridge body is going to have to look all crooked and cockeyed.  

"Surprised you didn't call Day One. That never would have made it out of the box with me".

I hadn't had a cartridge with the cantilever exposed like this one until now. Also when deciding which cartridge I was going to buy I read up on different carts as much as I could.
One of the things I came across was Lyras' New Angle design where the coils and the iron core are out of alignment until stylus is on the record. At first I thought it might have had something to do with it but the more I look at it I think it just means up and down.

An expensive education. We have all had one.

If there is a problem there I am sure Mr Carr will make it good. I have had several Clearaudio cartridges now and I have to say they are incredibly precise as is the Ortofon Windfeld Ti. Vantilevers are perfectly aligned and SRA is right on the money. You just lose an occasional stylus. Poof, gone:)