Discuss The Viv Lab Rigid Arm

Dear friends: Maybe some of you already experienced that we did some mistakes when were doing the cartridge alignment with either Löfgren A or B. Well, I did it like 2-3 times with out take in count my alignment errors that were in the overhang: 2-3mm longer or shorter.

I remember that even that tracking distortion level goes up that existed not mistracking or any kind of distortion that I could detect and was till the second day listening sessions when I " feel " that something was not exactly as I was accustom too. The error colorations was " good " colorations and remember that at least with one of the times the high frequency reproduction was"  better "  than before but that " better " was only added distortons.

It’s not easy to detect what we are missing when errors goes up, at least not in one listening session and with out knowing that exist an alignment error.. What I detected at the second day was that the MUSIC  rhythm/beat was different and not good enough as with the correct alignment.

Any one of you can do it on purpose as a test and listen what happens in your room/system and what can detect . As we know different kind of distortion levels can like us : sometimes are very " nice distortions " and like us and let that way.

Well, I like that my mind stay calm, so I try to avoid higher any kind of added distortion or lost signal information.

R.

I think Lew is a brave man for trying something as offbeat as the Viv arm.

The ideal arm would make no sacrifices. It would have zero TAE and zero skating. It would have frictionless, noiseless bearings and perfectly rigidity. It would have single wires from cartridge clips to XLRs or RCAs.

Who would argue with that description of the perfect tonearm?  Not I. I would add one more property to a list of the desired qualities of a perfect tonearm: Such a tonearm should elicit no eccentric side forces on the groove walls, as the stylus moves across the LP.  That is, the stylus should always ride right down the middle of the groove, to the degree that its own properties (compliance, etc) affect is tracking ability.  This is where most linear trackers fall down.

Dear @lewm  : Any one can argue about because it's a way incomplete ideal tonearm description that I'm not willing to " take " this time.

In the other side what you posted:  

" the stylus should always ride right down the middle of the groove. "

that could not happens not only in LT but pivot LT tonearms due that the tremendous forces generated during stylus tip ridding modulations impedes that groove after groove the tip stays just centered. As a fact the stylus tip is not always in touch with the LP grooved surface.

Anyway, I assume that you are not still ready to share your final veredict of what you are experienced. Yes, listening time is important in that issue.

R.

Dear friends: Even that lewm posted that it's not the main subject in the thread and yes it's not however I consider that's important for each one audiophile knowledge levels and especially because in this thread we are talking of tonearm/cartridge alignment, what this means and differences against ( mainly ) Löfgren A or B alignments.

Several times I posted about " corrupted " AHEE and here in the kind of alignments the " corrupted " word is the precise one because " invent " alignment or false alignment information is a kind of corruption. Examples of professional tonearm/cartridge protractor manufacturers:

Dr. Feickert site speaks of Löfgren, Baerwald and Stevenson alignments

Wally: speaks of Löfgren and Baerwald.

J.Ellison calculator speaks the same.

In both cases they " invented " a new alignment because Löfgren alignment just does not exist. What exist is Löfgren A and Löfgren B Additional they give an " honor " to Baerwald when he was not involved side by side with Löfgren in 1938 developed alignments equations.

I know not no body cares about but I do because in " theory " those " professional " manufacturers at least should have the responsability to share the rigth information to his customers that are all of us However what they are showing or trying we learn is corrupted information even if they do not did it on purpose.

For me both sites need some kind of explanatio for audiophiles can have first hand professional and true information.

Well, that's my take.

R.

Btw, only VE calculator named Löfgren A instead that Baerwald and obviously speaks of Löfgren B.