Will SME-V, etc benefit with non-stock alignment?

Dear friends: I miss the point, Dertonarm posted that already exist ( through the IEC ) that standard so what we have to do is try that the cartridge builders follow it, with no exception: right?

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

I mean: armboard.

Giggsy was referring to the Clavis DC. This is a far older design (its replacement was the Helikon, which itself has been in production for 10 years).

Your situation starts to make a bit more sense, Axelwahl, thank you.

But if you had a chance to compare the Allearts retip (which you said was closer to 9.52mm) to a stock Dorian (which I designed for 9.52mm) and found the retipped version clearly longer, again the numbers don't add up. The only plausible scenario that comes to mind is if the "stock" Dorian that you compared the Allearts-retipped cartridge to was actually not stock, but had been retipped with a shorter cantilever.

FWIW, I've had Allearts cartridges, and didn't consider the cantilevers to be so different in length from what I use, so I doubt if a Lyra-made Dorian would be much shorter than an Allearts retip.

BTW, we don't do retips. Only head-to-toe full rebuilds that involve complete replacement of all wearable and cosmetically blemished parts (although more than a few cartridges that come back to us only need a good cleaning and mild readjustment, rather than a rebuild). From what you have said, your Dorian would benefit from a proper rebuild (sounds like it has had a _very_ hard life).

regards, jonathan carr

Dear Axel: All of this alignment subject has its focus on " distortions ", which ones like us more or which ones make less harm. Of course which are the correct ones ( if exist a " correct " distortion. ).

Some of the vintage japanese arms does not conforms with Baerwald/Lofgren alignments. With some of those tonearms I set the cartridge alignment either with the builder specs and with the B/L ones.
I remember that in the Micro Seiki with the straight arm wands I prefer the tonearm builder specs that the B/L.

Other experience that I had ( by accident ) was with the FR 702 cartridge ( that for the ones that not know it comes with a dedicated headshell well you can't move rear/fwr the cartridge. ) that I buy many years ago and that I never mounted but like 6 years latter in the Lustre tonearm with out making any measures about stylus alignment and seat to listen and I remember that I was " shocked " with what I heard specially from midrange and up frequency range: it was almost glorious or at least that was what seems to me.
Was so impactant that I follow listening it with out take real notice of what was happening in the other side of the frequency range.

But the ears " wake up " and then notice that the low-mid bass were not totaly wrong but not good enough ( and this cartridge is very good in this range. ).
The distortions on both frequency range sides were different too and not acceptable in the LMB. If I remember ( I don't have mounted the Lustre right now ) the overhang was off by 5-6mm.
For those days I decided the absolute necessity to have some reference different recording tracks that can/could " tell " me what is " wrong or good " and where, obviously by ear only but this is a good way of training our brain/ears.

These and many oter experiences are learning and informative. One mm makes a difference in the alignment?, certainly yes; could we hear it? well you and your system quality performance are the best judge but the subject is not if we can hear it but that is incorrect.

Btw, nice to see that Lyra conforms according the IEC standards, I wonder why some other cartridge builders did not, anyone thinks that that IEC standard ( stylus to cartridge mount holes distance ) is not adequate/right or put " heavy " limitations to the cartridge builders on its designs? it needs a change?

J.Carr could you share your opinion about?, thank you in advance.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

According to the manufacturer, the Air Tight PC-1 stylus tip to center of mounting hole distance is "9.5mm, +/- 0.5mm." So, within the 1mm margin, that too seems to comply with the standard of 9.52mm. My actual cartridge measured 9.17mm which is the dimension I sent to Yip to make my protractor.