I can't believe how good this cartridge alignment tool is!

[Grayson Dere]

If anyone is searching for a cartridge alignment tool for taking their Lp playing to the next level I can whole heartedly recommend the Mint Lp Best Tractor.
I just completed the setup procedure (took about an hour) and I'm floored at how much more detailed my record collection sounds. Right now I have Miles Davis' Kind of Blue playing and gone is the muddiness I had before along with much more articulate sounding instruments : D

https://mintlp.com/best.htm

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

That type of custom-tailored protractor certainly is better than the one-size-fits-all variety. A little pricier, but anything that gets me closer to the music is worth it. You may want to look into Jim Fosgate’s handy Fozgometer. It will give your ‘table another leap forward in performance.

 

[Grayson Dere]

That type of custom-tailored protractor certainly is better than the one-size-fits-all variety. A little pricier, but anything that gets me closer to the music is worth it. You may want to look into Jim Fosgate’s handy Fozgometer. It will give your ‘table another leap forward in performance.

Thanks! I will look into the Fozgometer.

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

You’re welcome @Grayson Dere. Keep in mind that you can accomplish the same thing on a budget with a multimeter while swapping cables. There are many online guides, but the method is necessarily involved.the Fozgometer simplifies the procedure and removes frustration.

 

[tesseract]

Great topic!

The one thing my TT system lacks is a protractor. I borrowed one from a friend and it did help. I am not confident it is optimal, so I play less vinyl than I would like.

 

[Grayson Dere]

Great topic!

The one thing my TT system lacks is a protractor. I borrowed one from a friend and it did help. I am not confident it is optimal, so I play less vinyl than I would like.

I was genuinely amazed at how much more musical information there was on my records just because of the change in alignment : )

 

[tesseract]

I was genuinely amazed at how much more musical information there was on my records just because of the change in alignment : )

Yes, sir. Alignment is of utmost importance. I let the protector get me in the ballpark, but final adjustment is by ear.

 

[Grayson Dere]

After my experience I'm thinking it should actually be a required practice to buy the best protractor one can afford and not settle with the generic paper
ones that sometimes come prepackaged with turntables/arms.

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

....final adjustment is by ear.

The extra effort is richly rewarded, I’ve heard. Individual instruments and performers seem to gel into distinct positions across the stage, which suddenly locks into place when the cartridge’s sweet spot is found.

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

After my experience I'm thinking it should actually be a required practice to buy the best protractor one can afford and not settle with the generic paper ones that sometimes come prepackaged with turntables/arms.

Yeah, and people should be required to earn a pet license, too. Maybe that would help avoid a few less million abandoned dogs per year.

Anyway, I think “best” may have different meanings depending on your listening priorities. On one hand, some enthusiasts don’t mind laboring over an extremely fragile system component in order to enjoy music to its utmost. On the other hand, there are enthusiasts who would willingly give up that last ounce of realism in favor of enjoying music sooner and without interruptions to tweak adjustments.

 

[Grayson Dere]

I was thinking about cartridge alignment recently and how setup can possibly influence or bias reviews. Since there are so many ways one
can tweak their turntable setup to get better sound from them does that mean one person's experience with a cart could be vastly different
from someone else that took more time during the setup phase? So maybe that $200 cart 'could' sound like a $1000 cart?
Maybe I'm being too optimistic here : P

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

Fascinating observation and thought experiment! Hearing differences aside and all else being equal, I concur. An OCD vinyl enthusiast (is there any other kind?!) would invest significantly more alignment effort than a casual listener, and thus reap greater audible rewards. Some reviewers may shortcut the alignment process to simulate cartridge performance expected for the average user. Others may laboriously dial-in best performance for reporting a cartridge’s potential.

AnalogPlanet.com prepared a comparison of 10 cartridges mounted to the same arm using the same phono stage and song. They didn’t mention how the cartridges were aligned, or to what tolerance(s), but the files at least provide a method by which quick comparisons can be made—something not possible when physically swapping and aligning cartridges.

 

[Grayson Dere]

Fascinating observation and thought experiment! Hearing differences aside and all else being equal, I concur. An OCD vinyl enthusiast (is there any other kind?!) would invest significantly more alignment effort than a casual listener, and thus reap greater audible rewards. Some reviewers may shortcut the alignment process to simulate cartridge performance expected for the average user. Others may laboriously dial-in best performance for reporting a cartridge’s potential.

AnalogPlanet.com prepared a comparison of 10 cartridges mounted to the same arm using the same phono stage and song. They didn’t mention how the cartridges were aligned, or to what tolerance(s), but the files at least provide a method by which quick comparisons can be made—something not possible when physically swapping and aligning cartridges.

Thanks for the link! I will check it out : )