Time to choose: Baerwald, Lofgren, Stevenson ?


I’ve managed Dr.Feickert Analog Protractor for a decent price (build quality is superb, such a great tool).

Time to play with Baerwald, Lofgren, Stevenson alignments on my Luxman PD444.
Need advice from experienced used of the following arms:
Lustre GST 801
Victor UA-7045
Luxman TA-1
Reed 3P "12
Schick "12

Baerwald, Lofgren, Stevenson ? What do you like the most for these arms?
Manufacturers recommend Baerwald mostly. 

Dedicated "7 inch vinyl playback deserve Stevenson alternative, maybe?
Since it's a smaller format than normal "12 or "10 inch vinyl, it's like playin the last track's according to position of grooves on '7 inch (45 rpm) singles. RCA invented this format, i wonder which alignment did they used for radio broadcast studios.   

Thanks

chakster
Thom,  I am not sure what is your point in the last 3 paragraphs above, except to say that any protractor can give bad results if you don't know how to use it.  And I don't think any one of us takes a "buckshot approach" deliberately.  I am sure each of us is very meticulous, or at least feels that he has been as careful and precise as eyesight and lighting and the protractor make possible.

Wouldn't it be nice if we found out that underhung tonearms, which demand nowhere near the precision accorded to mounting overhung tonearms, were to become accepted as the superior sounding option?
@fleib

Chakster,

I bet you’ll wind up with Loefgren alignment. Both nulls are within the recorded part of a 7". Error will be much less through most of song. Stevenson will be better at the end, but much worse up until there.

No, only one null point is on the recorded part of the 7" inch. As you know Feickert use 3 steps: 1) for overhang. 2) for offset at outer null point. 3) for offset at inner null point.

Only Stevenson’s geometry is withing the 7" inch two times: First at step-1 (aka overhang), which is exactly the beggining of the recorded grooves (aka the beggining of the track, not the edge of the vinyl) on 7" inch, and step-3 (aka offset) on the inner null point which is exactly in the end of recorded music (not the edge of the label) on 7" inch vinyl. While the Baerwald and Lofgren are on the 7" inch ONLY at inner null point once.

Chakster, sorry, I made a mistake, but so did you.  None of the standard alignments have both nulls within the recorded part of a 7".

Baerwald - 66.0 & 120.9mm

Loefgren - 70.3 & 116.6mm

Stevenson - 60.325 & 117.42mm

7" record recorded band - 57 (approx.) to 84.15mm 

These are all distances from center spindle.  Only the inner null of each alignment will be within a 7". Loefgren will have least error at the beginning and Stevenson at the end.  If you want to see the alignment error for each arm and with each alignment - you have to log in.

http://www.vinylengine.com/tonearm_alignment_calculator_pro.php

Regards,

I have a Smartractor for a few days now and settle the Uni Din with good results. Today I changed the curve and trief the Loefgren B (DIN) and I clearly prefer the latter.
I listen mainly classical music and I find the flow of music more natural to my ears. Also the micro dynamics' the way the note begins has more snap.
tt is TW Acustic Raven AC wih Da Vinci arm and MC Anna cart.
Fleib, In defense of the arc type protractor, the converse of your criticism of it is that if the P2S distance is not precisely correct, the arc type will tell you that, and you can fix the problem.  Whereas the Dennesen and related types don't tell you that with as much precision and certainty.  I have an original all-metal Dennesen, which I never use, since I greatly prefer both the Feickert and the UNItractor from Dertonearm.  One reason I went away from it is the near impossibility of seeing either the tiny dimple into which the stylus must sit and the grid lines for aligning the cartridge body. They are SOOO faint.  It was never easy to use, even in my yout', when I could see real good.

Barbapapa, After only one day, is it not a little bit premature to conclude that you will live forever more with the Lofgren B alignment?  I myself am not given to love at first sight, which is why I ask.  For one thing, had you auditioned the very same LPs using your old alignment, just prior to the latest re-alignment?  Nice stuff, by the way.