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Review of the SMARTractor and SMARTstylus

I mounted an AudioTechnica VM95ML on the Sota for it's new owner using these tools for the first time.

The Acoustical Systems SMARTractor: On taking the unit out of it's box you immediately get the feeling you are dealing with a fine precision instrument. Construction quality is through the roof. It is child's play to set it up. The only kink I ran into. It was very difficult to push the locator pin (points to the vertical axis of the horizontal bearing) through the beam. I had to tap it with a small hammer. The grub screw was backed way out. The nylon plunger used to prevent marring the stainless steel was a very tight fit. 
You set the alignment by removing the pillar's locating screw then twist the pillar lining the index mark with the line labeled  with the alignment you want. I chose Lofgren B. You the place it on the platter which you should lock in place, line up the locator pin with the horizontal bearing and lock the beam in place. The Syrinx made this easy as it has a perfect dimple right over the horizontal axis. Next you place the magnifier in it's bracket and line it up with the Lofgren B grid. The grid lines are super fine and close together. They literally light up on the mirrored surface. Super easy to see.
You line up the cross hair with the targeting grid on the mirror. This puts your sight line right down the cantilever and boy does it work! The magnifier makes it darn easy for old eyes to line things up perfectly. 

Now for the SMARTstylus. This is just a piece of plexy with four sets of grid lines, vertical, horizontal and SRA, and VTA. It comes with it's own hand held magnifier. It looks well made. It is also close to worthless with an offset arm that has a permanent finger lift. Both the offset and the finger lift keep you from getting it close enough and angled correctly to the cantilever. I will try it again with the Schroder which does not have a finger lift. 

In short, the SMARTractor is a brilliant, well thought out devise manufactured to the highest standard. It is handily the most accurate, easiest to use cartridge alignment tool I have ever used. Is it worth $700? I have to say that if you love vinyl and want to be sure your cartridge is dead on, Yes absolutely. On the other hand at this time I have to say that the SMARTstylus is a waste of money. The VM95ML? Darn! It punches way above it's price point. It is handily the best sounding under $200 cartridge I have ever used. It is neutral, tracks well and is very quiet. It is as quiet as my $2000 Charisma. If you are after a MM cartridge in this price range you can not go wrong. You can be perfectly comfortable buying it blind.  

Hope this helps people,
Mike

128x128mijostyn
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rauliruegas
13,095 posts
 
Dear @mijostyn : By coincidence I agree with you because for so many years I can't remember it is the one I use it.

Now, the times I switched to Löfgren A can I in true be aware of critical differences as could be at inner grooves?, I can't tell you for sure buyt my mind is ok with B, I think accustom to. Average distortion levels between both kind of alignments is almost the same.

Dover posted what posted because always reads my posts word by word looking how to hit me but almost never to contribute to the thread main subjects.
Just imagine whom is he when is happy with that truly unstable ( all over the LP surface ) tonearm. Such is life.

Alignment always is important but where we graded against TT speed short time stability/accurate or against tonearm dynamic stability or other critical issues. To every where we turn over the face we found out that we have to deal with trade-offs and as a fact our room/system whole quality level performance depends in specific how good we choosed each one of all those trade-offs over the room/system chain.

It's not only with the analog alternative but with digital too.

R.
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rauliruegas
13,095 posts
 
@boothroyd  resume what I posted in last statements:

"  I'll "set the cartridge for [my] preferred level of distortion "

and some way or the other is almost the same we do with our system because all those room/system trade-offs I'm talking about talks about developed distortion levels.

R.
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mijostyn OP
8,570 posts
 
Only my older classical records venture into the territory where Lofgren B starts seriously losing out to A. I'll have to play some of those older records to see if I can here it. Throughout the middle of the record B is superior. A is superior over the outer 1/3rd but this is where groove speeds are highest and the distortion lowest. Over the entire side I get the impression that B is better but I can not say at this time that it is not psychological. 
I do things that at least have a plausible reason for working. Some things make obvious improvements there is no arguing with. The last such change in my system was getting the JC 1's. I got the magic of my long gone Krell KMA 100's and more. The lesson being you just do not put any old amp on ESLs. Go with the proven performers. If I think I hear an improvement but I'm not totally sure than I always discount it as psychological. If whatever has a plausible benefit than I am happy with it. An example would be shielded power cords. If whatever has marketing that is obviously contrived and a form that does not follow any function what so ever I am perfectly fine putting it in the scam category and telling others what I think of it. Such is the Hallograph. Watch, they will not be around long. Then the same clowns will come up with something else. This is exactly what the pharmaceutical industry does. 
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