DaVinci tonearm and azymuth

Guess why Graham's Phantom II has now an added, permanent "spirit bubble" to his latest creation...

Good question, Axel. I can't imagine anything less useful (except maybe a Wally Skater).

As Essentialaudio said, getting a headshell level is no guarantee of proper azimuth. It's not even the best visual starting point. Balancing toothpicks on headshells a la VPI or futzing with a Phantom bubble is focusing on the wrong parameter. Assuming the arm isn't flawed, as Psag's appears to be, azimuth is about adjusting the stylus in the groove. That's where you should start - that's where you should finish. Nothing else matters.

Given the multiple variabilities inherent in even the best cartridges, levelling a headshell is foolish. Spending money on a bubble to level a headshell is just foolishness squared.

Perhaps the liquid provides some useful damping? ;-)

Actually the Graham "level" does have some value, but not for azymuth, which is an axial tilt function. The true value is as a reference when jumping between different thicknesses of pressings. If you set the level for a 120g pressing and then adjust SRA from there you can determine the offest from zero. Then when you shift to a 180g (or 200g) pressing you can find your reference (level) and then dial in your offset. Guaranteed to have a constant SRA, no matter what thickness pressing you are playing. But, c'mon you knew that already!

Has anybody here tried the Feickert software for adjusting azimuth?

Jeff

Placing a shim between collar of armbase and armboard will create problems - and won't solve any. Correct azimuth is a must and is determined by the position of the stylus in the groove and towards both walls. Thus a headshell level (spirit bubble or not....) has little to no use as Dougdeacon and Essentialaudio already mentioned correctly.
The problem has to be fixed at the source - you can not "correct" a misalignment of azimuth anywhere else in the chain - only at the stylus.
If the stylus is not 100% vertical in relation to the upper plane of the mounting cartridge body, you need a headshell which can be rotated in its axis - at least to some degree.

Its an imperfect world - thus we need alignments....

Rsrex,
Good idea. Of course the optimal SRA for one 120g record is not necessarily the same as for the next, especially if it's on a different label. Ultimately each LP must have SRA individually fine tuned by ear. Still, starting from the same baseline for a given thickness should shorten the process - and of course you knew THAT. :-)