Mintlp

I just purchased quite a few Mint LP protractors to cover all of my turntable/tonearm combinations. The expenditure was significant but not nearly as significant as the performance increase attributable to them.

More importantly if the Mint LP protractors are correct, and I believe they are after listening, not a single manufacturer's protractor/jig supplied with their tonearm is accurate. Some are close but others are not.

The point is if you've invested in a decent table and tonearm, you'd be foolish not to spend another $100 or so and ensure proper alignment.

This device is a no brainer IMO.

Thanks everyone. Just for clarity...the setup was done by the dealer when I bought the table, about a year ago. I haven't touched it since then and, had it not been for you folks, I wouldn't have investigated the mintlp. Hopefully I'll finally make the time this weekend to get the job done right.

I personally believe Mint's best advice is to be patient. I have done this three times now on the dame setup, with increasing amounts of anality and been stunned EVERY time. I believe that Stringreen said every time you think you've got it right, take a break and recheck. Your ears will love you for it. The difference on my Scoutmaster was huge when compared to the VPI jig.

the setup was done by the dealer when I bought the table..

The Dealer is no-fault , I saw many setting cartridges with the templates inside the TTs or arms and swear the set-up was perfect.
I trust them .. the problem is the impossibility to get the perfection with those templates.

VPI uses a proprietary, single null-point-jig to align the carts on the JMW series arms. I say 'proprietary' since HW has seemed unwilling to release any specifics on how it came to be, though I believe it's meant to skew the inevitable tracking compromise towards lower distortion on the inner grooves.

My experience has been that an arc protractor will provide more satisfying results, but at any rate, you need to learn how to mount a cartridge, for at least two reasons:

*Unless you have a dealer who will come to your home, and mount and adjust the cart on the turntable where it will be permanently situated, and said dealer has a long and revered reputation for doing exacting work, you're (much) better off doing it yourself.

*You shouldn't be going a year without checking your cart adjustment