Uni-Protractor Set tonearm alignment

Dear Mesael,

I do have calculated and designed a special UNI-template for the DaVinci 12". Aside from that, I would recommend Baerwald DIN and IEC as well as Löfgren DIN. That would cover about everything that can come across your way in terms of tonearms and pressings.

The UNI-Protractor's 2nd production run is already down to only 12 units left till sold out again.

Tonight I will introduce the UNI-scope here on Audiogon.
A superior option to magnify the cartridge's stylus on template by 20 - 200x with a special USB-microscope + macro-cold light + PC/MAC-view, photo storage and measurement option.
Including plug'n'play software for PC-Windows, MAC OS-X and Linux.
Furthermore ideal to judge wear or possible damage of stylus.

The UNI-P2S w/goniometer - an ultra precise mounting distance measurement instrument w/digital display and 1/100 mm accuracy will be introduced later this week.

Both are Audiogon exclusives and intended to further amplify the versatility and precision of the UNI-Pro.

Cheers,
D.

I made a few comparisons with a very close to perfect Alignment and a perfect Alignment.

When we multiply a regular Tonearm by Factor 100, the Arm is about 27.34yd (25m) in Length, the Cartridge System is about 1.09 yd (1m) in Hight with a Length of the cantilever in the area of 0.55 yd (0.5m) and finally the Diamond specs:
Its contact area is only 0.020 in. (0,5mm) !
Same is for the Mass in comparison.
A simple example to show what analog reproduction really is ...

Of course, all of you know that it is important to be spot on, but what is the difference in real life?
Well, I used a RCA LSC 2313 for it, a nice record from the golden Age ( no compression, no correction in the mix...) a record from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Track side 2, La Gioconda: Dance of the hours
(I am sure, some of you own it, was remastered from Classic Records, really good job)

The very close to perfect alignment

I didn't made it totally wrong (that everyone will say."Of course, this is so wrong, it has to sound awful..."
Just a few hairs next to it....

Honestly, I think, most have this Situation. Not because you can't do it better, the problem is in general the limited view below cartridge Body, or "the last move" before fixing the screws....
It is not so bad in listening, when you can't compare it with the following alignment, I bet everything I own, nobody will notice it.
It is NOT distorted, it is NOT smeared, it is NOT horrible...
It is ok, the can't count the rows in the orchestra, but you know what is going on there. You don't "see" the distances from one musician to the next when they play, but you hear different instruments.
I think, you know what I mean.

Now to the perfect alignment

I can hear from the first second a different kind of Soundstage. It is deeper, no limit and it is in a way that the Listener is more or less in a position from one of the recording microphone above the orchestra.
Next, the musical flow is different. There are much more tiny nuances. These tiny nuances (or micro detail) is an addition to the main information, but this different.
You see the rows in the orchestra (from above), you have an imagination from the musicians to each other. The tones of their instruments have a time shift. It is more like a holographic "Picture".

This is not depending on the price of a cartridge. It simply shows that everyone can get more from his Set up when he is able to do it right.
And it is possible to rare a cartridge, because these differences from identical cartridge are comparable to sell and buy something new (".. I had this, have that now and it is MUCH better": This can be pure luck, probably the new one was adjusted a bit better by accident...)

There are some differences from the Recordings of course, this Set up is made for those which have the full dynamic swing in the last 3 tracks (where other Arms will produce a lot of distortions when not done right)

Btw. these pics were made with a FR-64s, a separate distance from Point to Spindle (231,5mm) with a Dennesen Protraktor (very rare, very good)
Later I made a controlling with a Phantom II and the own Graham alignment

Graham Phantom II

Here you see the reason why it is possible to listen with the Graham Arms the most demanding records without a compression, distortion or something similar, it is a serious product. Good Geometry & proper calculated.

I hope, these few lines will help the one or the other to understand, analog reproduction is mechanical and some care will give you a better result without spending a fortune.

Happy Listening

Dear Syntax,
I really can't see even one reason for your post.
Your first photo is a paradigm that can not happens. Never!
Your third photo also shows a misalignment. Maybe a slight but true. Any difficulty that arises always, it has to do with the cantilever alignment and not with the stylus. Moreover, the centering of the protractor's needle to the pivot point, is by far the most difficult part. At least, this is what I want to believe. It is so obviously basic & easy to put the stylus into the hole, that about your third photo, I prefer to believe that you take a shot from some strange corner that can cheat the eye. The point of discussion is the prefered alignment, together with the accuracy of the protractor. The skill of the user to follow the offered precision is irrelevant. I'll take your examples as were about the difficulty for a successfully precise alignment that offered to the user by the Dennesen, in contrast with the more easy UNI-Protractor.

Dear Geoch: IMHO Syntax is a marketing manager with a way different knowledge-ignorance level that many of us.

I agree with you and I can add:

Baerwald and Löfgren B approaches differ only in the overhang distance ( that changed the PTS distance with the same EL and offset angle. ), this overhang difference is around 0.4mm that's a lot longer than the Syntax sample/pictures ( as always great photos. ). Both set up geometry approaches are good ones with in theory a little different kind of trade-offs.

Even if everything is " perfect " and the cantilever aligned, re-set of SRA/Azymuth set up, PTS distance, etc, etc. all these we did it in static status when the cartridge stylus hit the LP on playback all we know what happen ( we already discussed in this thread. ) through the imperfect LP medium.

How this Syntax could hear any difference ( if any. ) in quality performance that he can attest was because the cartridge stylus position changed 0.1 mm?, IMHO and with all respect makes no sense other than commercial corruption.

I think that a good product like this protractor does not needs this kind of " help ".

As you said, the protractor makes things more easy and this sole characteristic is important.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Syntax a Marketing Manager? - I thought he fights against Marketing?
always learning new insights...

Best & Fun Only - Thuchan