I'm thinking to buy a MC cartridge (low output like AT33PTG for example) but my Grado PH1 Phono Stage doesn't have any other setup apart the fixed 47kohm so I need to buy another Phono Stage I don't want to spend more than 2000 $USD I read good things about Acoustech PH1P (1500 $USD retail) and about PS Audio GCPH l-1 (Underwood mod.) , Art Audio Vinyl1 , Sutherland PHD (2000 $ on used market) .. etc... Other ideas about tube or SS good Phono Stages? Preowned are welcomed .. less money for best value/quality
Why pay US$1000 for a "Feickert" 10.5 S Jelco arm when you get the same thing for much less without the "Feickert" at the front from the link provided by Hdm above.
Here is mine (10.5 S)on my Raven One which is identical.
...Before I got Adjust+, I used a test record for setting up the azimuth, by playing an azimuth dedicated tract with my phono preamp in mono, and rotating the headshell until the signal from the L and R channels get canceled.
This has been discussed several times in the forums (and by Michael Fremer and others). Balancing the signal for L+R channel (which is what cancellation implies) is the wrong way to adjust azimuth. Azimuth depend only very weakly on the channel balance and other factors (cartridge, phonostage gain) influence channel imbalances more. The right way is to mimimize the crosstalk between channels.
The problem with this method is that, depending on the cartridge design, it's possible to have both L and R channels produce the same DB, but each channel could be out of phase in reference to the other. This condition produces undefined lower notes, muddy midrange and splashy highs. In other words, the sound is out of focus. With Adjust+, the phase angle of the L and R channels are set to match, even if, due to particular cartridge design, there is one channel producing +-DBs than the other channel. I went back and forth with both methods, and the sound with the Adjust+ is absolutely in focus. One I got acquainted with Adjust+, there is no going back.
Again to correct: Adjust+ does NOT match the phase angle of the L and R channels. Instead Adjust+ measures the phase of the crosstalk signal with respect to main signal and optimizes/matches both for the left and right channel. This is an important destinction (crosstalk vs. main signals) that is often misunderstood. It is of course no surprise that Adjust+ does much better than the wrong "channel balancing method".
Otherwise I completely agree - Feickert's Adjust+ is an excellent and innovative solution to the Azimuth problem.
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