Adjustments done by ear are one thing and OK for an individual, but you can't always catch everything. I do a pretty fair number of setups both for people who purchase analog gear from me and for those who simply find out about the service I provide. The tools I use don't come cheap, and there's a learning curve associated with each, yet they deliver repeatable, reliable results for customers each and every time.
I've encountered some defective cartridges and successfully documented their flaws, saving customers a lot of grief and aggravation, not to mention money. The latest such incident involved a cartridge new out of the box with 6 dB of channel imbalance, which despite costing several thousand dollars went unchecked by both manufacturer and dealer. The dealer, distributor, and manufacturer are completely embarrassed, as well they should be, and the customer is livid and on the verge of demanding a refund in lieu of a replacement cartridge which is now going on two months of waiting. I'd love to name the manufacturer and parties involved but I don't want to get sued.
Folks, when you spend your hard earned money on a cartridge, you deserve so much more than being handed a box. Demand better. Spend your money wisely.
