How to get 100 accurate azimuth?


Hi there.

Can anyone tell me how to get 100% accurate azimuth adjustment. So I can be totally sure and get peace of mind.

Theo
freshpuma
Find another Nakamichi 1000 Turntable (just sold for $15K and has auto centering,and evey other tweak usefull or not) that maybe the best DD table ever.or get one of Their high end tape decks.I also was wondering if you meant TT or tape?!?
Chazz
Look for Polaris. It's a good guide for true azimuth unless of course you're seeking magnetic azimuth.

Or is that north?

Never mind. I have to adjust my zenith.
On the serious side, if your linestage has a "mono" switch you can use the HiFi News test record to set azimuth.

I believe it is track 5 on the second side. If your azimuth is adjusted correctly, the track should be dead silent or close to it.

Good luck.
Freshpuma, there's lots of debate about the best way to adjust for optimum azimuth. Two schools of thought are 1) adusting for same output in each channel or 2) adjusting for minimum cross-talk in each channel.

The Hi-Fi test record and mono-switch process is of the "adjust for same output" school. The problem with this process is that it does not take into account potential differences in output from the two channels of the cartridge: you can end up way over-compensating if there is simply a channel-channel output (volume) difference. The same is true for any of the routines that sum both channels to mono looking for a null output, or for listening to a mono record for strong center fill.

Adjusting for minimum crosstalk in each channel is probably more reliable. This has been discussed at length in the Audio Asylum Vinyl forum and I'd recommend the following two links for reading on the subject:

http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/messages/187319.html

http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/messages/74644.html

Then there's always the "visual-check-with-a-mirror" approach, simply looking for the canitilever to be vertically positioned, followed by listening and adjusting based on what one hears. That's always been my approach, and it's worked surprising well for me over the years.
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You can't.

Nor is that level of precision necessary.

I use the Wally Analog shop, and even with that, at some point you have to say "good enough".