What is you tonearm’s Maximum Distortion?

@intactaudio : " manipulated numbers without disclosing the manipulation to justify someones choice."

" your proposed alignment simply "

 

and way before you posted the graphics I posted to you:

 

 

" that is the SAT tonearms alignment. "

Btw, was ridiculous/false/untrue/lie that in your graphic instead to write SAT use it my name when the alignment came from SAT and I posted to you before that graphic and you knowed.

 

" I do not believe he would fudge the inner groove radius to 75mm in the calculations "

 

that’s only your ignorance because you showed with this kind of statements that your knowledge level on the SAT tonearm is near zero. Your problem not mine.

 

""" Everyone is allowed their own choice of compromise """

 

Yes, that’s why exist the custom key in the calculators.

 

@optimize thank’s for your expert explanation.

 

Btw, intactaudio you posted that with the SAT the distortion level goes at 60mm to 2%. Well could be that your speakers goes even way higher that that figure and no compliant about. The phono stage you are using ( I think you are using it ) develops a huge distortion level with that high swing of 3db deviation in the RIAA inverse eq. and I can understand with out compliant because it’s what you are using and that makes more harm that the SAT alignment. Incredible that you made a " film of drama " on this issue.

 

In the other side all SAT owners are fully satisfied with Mark tonearms. I listen 3 times to the SAT and it’s really good and I think that @mijostyn did it and like it too.

 

I think that if your main undisclosed attitude is to hit me then you are wrong in that specific alignment issues that as I told you I’m only using it and whith not the kind of critics like you other than exactly the same opinion that @optimize about Stevenson A alignment.

 

So I appreciated if you take off my name in your posted graphics due that no belongs to it.

 

R.

 

 

Btw, this is the scenario of SAT:

 

Tonearm Alignment Calculator Pro - Vinyl Engine

 

R.

Thanks @wallytools ! You guys are doing a great job.

Yes, there is most likely bigger fishes to fry than select a alignment but we need one anyway so why not select one of the better ones.

But it is something that we can do easily. And by understanding what they’re bringing to the table makes it simpler to choose the correct one when knowing their strengths and weaknesses from our priorities.

 

The zenith error is baffling that the 3 different mounting companies that mount the diamond to the cantaliver is having that low precision!

Here we go and have different inventions of stylus diamond advance shapes that has very small cutting to make those shapes and ridges.

It feels that we have a made a very beautiful and precise part the diamond and then we have a cantaliver that is tapered aluminum, boron or other highly refined material.

Then we take those two parts and ask someone that has not the understanding of their beauty and precision made parts and their importance of their alignment when gluing them together as a whole unit. I mean it feels that it is not done with the proper care and attention that those parts deserve or with the same precision as they were crafted.

Keep up the good work and hopefully cartridge manufacturers start to put higher requirements on those manufacturers because their tolerances you have uncovered to the public is not doing their products and efforts any favors.💞

 

 

Zenith error should be able to be resolved with a compensatory alignment angle I assume. Ears seem an adequate way to hone it in, once an appropriate alignment protractor is chosen and set to (although time consuming).

@optimize , Like anything in life there is a range of tolerance usually decreased by monetary issues. A cartridge manufacturer orders so many of one particular cantilever-stylus assembly. Within that order there is a range of accuracy. The manufacturer selects the best units for his expensive units and religates the not so hot ones to lesser models. Perhaps the real bad ones are returned for credit. All the poorly mounted styluses I have observed have been on cartridges under $1000.00. I have three $10,000.00 plus cartridges and all are perfect. I also have a $3000.00 Soundsmith cartridge that is perfect.

Zenith error is a more critical issue for fine line contact styluses. If the error is enough for me to see it under low power I would return the cartridge as defective. Twisting the cartridge to correct the error now puts the coils out of alignment. Bending the cantilever is out of the question, try it if you do not believe me.

Most people do not look at their cartridges under good magnification. Good magnification is expensive. If you are an audiophile spending over $500 on a cartridge it is a good idea to have the stylus alignment examined by someone who knows what they are looking at like J.R. above. Do it early while the cartridge is brand new and under warranty. Do not assume because your cartridge comes from a reputable company that it is OK. The absolute worse cartridge I ever examined was from Audio Technica. Nobodies QC is perfect.