What is you tonearm’s Maximum Distortion?

 @ lewm 10+, Trying to calculate distortion this way is fruitless and hopelessly inaccurate. If anything you are interested in total distortion which is additive based of a host of factors. If you really want to know what is going on you have to measure. The same holds true for resonance frequency. The equation for resonance frequency relies on all reported values being accurate. Life does not work that way. It is easy to measure the resonance frequency and know exactly what is going on. Distortion, IM and Harmonic, is a bit more complicated and requires certain equipment which most of us do not have. 

I use lofgren B. It results in less distortion over most of the record except at the very inner grooves which most engineers avoid now a days. The SmarTractor gives you all the alignments and allows you to adjust overhang and offset to achieve reasonable results in most cases. 

Most of us understand that measurement is the only way to actually know what is going on. Which is a theoretical argument in itself, seeing as probably no one who uses this site with any frequency has the equipment to do such measurements.

I am just interested in others’ numbers, in the vinylengine calculator.

Has no one here used it, or is it rather that no one feels obliged to post their numbers? Just curious.

Dear @fusian  : Around 90% of tonearm manufacturers used and use one of the 3 best knowed alignments: Löfgren A or B and Stevenson.

Those same tonearm manufacturers choose between different but " standard " tonearm efective lengths: 9", 10", 10.5", 11" and 12".

So run 5 times the VE calculator and you will know how measures the 90% of audiophiles tonearms. That's it.

R.