DaVinci tonearm and azymuth

Lewm,
Thank you for redirecting this thread towards the realm of commonsense.
No, the magnificent DaVinci Grandeeza tonearm has no provision for azymuth adjustment. Would appreciate it if anyone could comment on the pros and cons of this design decision.

Pro: Most mechanisms for adjusting azimuth introduce some compromise into the rigidity of the cartridge-headshell-tonearm-pivot linkage. Leaving out the adjustment eliminates such theoretical "issues".

Con: You cannot adjust azimuth. You therefore may be missing some of the wonderfulness that comes when soundstage snaps into place and sounds "right". As has been said, you may be able to correct azimuth by the judicious use of shims here or there. But after living with the TP for the last 15 years, I would hate to go back to that method.

Lewm: While the Feickert software measures crosstalk, it also measures phase, to which the ear is more sensitive. The azimuth angles at which crosstalk and phase error are minimized don't always coincide, although they are often close. Since minimum phase error is of most interest, whether the channel output levels are identical is not so critical. Several months ago I measured an exotic cartridge which had been problematic for a client; as it turned out there was severe channel imbalance on the order of 4.5 dB, so it was replaced with a conventional cartridge...the improvements with the azimuth about 2 degrees off level were mind blowing.

Does anyone know of a source for washers/shims that will alter azimuth by 0.5 degrees?

I'm interested in Dr Feickert's software and have two tonearms with no built-in provision for azimuth adjustment. I understand I will need to do 5 (or 9) measurements in 0.5 degree steps, and it is apparent how washers can be used for this, but I'm not sure where I can obtain washers that are exactly the right height.

(I haven't done the math (trigonometry) to determine the required washer thickness to cause a 1/2 degree change based on the distance between cartridge mounting screws -- but, even if I do that calculation I don't have a tool to measure that height with the accuracy I need.)

I know that Dr Feickert's kit includes a spirit level, but that does not seem useful in my case as it is not the angle of the headshell that is being altered but, rather, the angle of the cartridge below the headshell.

Thank you!

Hello Ebalog,

0.5 degrees is FAR too coarse of an increment for setting azimuth. I don't care what the numbers tell you. Now, you could get lucky and effect an improvement (say for example that you're off by 0.7 degrees and reduce the error to 0.2), but the odds are against your geting your azimuth dead-on.

If I recall, Wally used to make a device that mimicked one of the Ortofon(?) cartridges - essentially, a knife edge pivot that runs longitundinally along the cartridge body and between the two mounting screws.

The idea is to tighten one screw and loosen the other in order to induce a tilt - with contact between the cartridge body and headshell consisting of the two screws and the knife edge.

Now, the obvious problem here is that you're introducing another material interface between cartridge and headshell. You're also changing the contact surface area. Either change could have an overall deleterious effect on the sound ... or not (not even considering azimuth changes).

You might try experimenting with various materials and actually improve things from an energy transfer perspective. You never know where you're going to end up in this ballgame when it comes to material interfaces, and keep in mind that what works for a titanium cartridge body may well not work with aluminum, coral, ebony, etc.

Try a thin strip of copper. It's easy to cut with a pair of scissors. You should be able to find it in a hobby shop, or alternatively, over here: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Supplies:_Shielding.html.

You might also try aluminum foil.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier