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Azimuth and the Fozgometer

Finally received the Fozgometer after a 2 month backorder. In the past I have always used a loupe and a front surface mirror to set the azimuth on my Tri-Planar with Dynavector XV-1S cartridge. According to the meter, I was very close to a correct azimuth. I wasn't prepared for the effects that a very slight adjustment would make. Nailing the azimuth has brought my soundstage into tight focus. I have never experienced this kind of solid imaging in my system.
I know that the $250 price tag is a bit steep for something that won't get a lot of use, but this is not a subtle improvement. There are other ways of measuring azimuth, that I am not very familiar with, but I would doubt that they are as easy to use as the Fozgometer.
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jfrech's avatar
jfrech
1,816 posts
 
damn, I have always done this by ear. Guess I need to blow $250...
daverz
477 posts
 
If you have a record with left channel only tones and right channel only tones you can record these with something like Audacity and adjust azimuth until you reduce crosstalk (relative level of the "silent" vs. non-silent channel for left and right) as much as possible. Obviously a more tedious procedure than having a gizmo like the Fosgometer, especially on my SME 309 where the azimuth adjustment is achieved by twisting the replaceable headshell.
lewm
6,770 posts
 
Yet another audiophile discovers that the mirror can lie. Is that a new wrinkle?

But seriously, if you paid the dough for a Triplanar or the like, you are cheating yourself if you don't also set azimuth electronically, at least initially. THEN you can fine tune by ear. Good to know tha the Foz works.
nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,517 posts
 
damn, I have always done this by ear. Guess I need to blow $250...
John, I'm surprised you weren't their first customer!! ;--))

Unfortunately (fortunately?) my SME V doesn't allow for such tweaking, so I have to rely on the skill of my cartridge maker. However, the Cardas test record has a white noise track where the L and R channels are 180 deg. out of phase to each other. If your preamp has a "mono" switch, activating it will combine the channels resulting in cancellation -- and when the azimuth is "right on", almost no sound will come out of the speakers. If you use headphones, or a digital VU or voltmeter to do the test (instead of your speakers) you will have no trouble adjusting the azimuth for maximum channel-to-channel cancellation. And you can "high five" yourself for saving $250.
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