Bent Cant, Can't get azimuth right. Does it matter

Hi,I would send it back and demand a good one.You should not have to accept a flawed brand new(I assume you mean brand new never used)cartridge no matter if it affects the sound or not.I bought several cartridges in the last five years or so some new some used and none have a bent cantilever.

Many here will tell you to send the cartridge back but it is not an uncommon problem. As long as it is not too severe and it doesn't look too severe from your photo then simply align using the cantilever rather than the cartridge body. Cartridge body alignment is not what you are aiming for. When you get Yip's Mint you will need to align the cantilever using parallax anyway. I have an Orpheus which is slightly twisted in the arm's head shell to ensure the cantilever is correctly aligned and I have no issue with azimuth adjustment as the cantilever is aligned correctly. The cartridge body simply looks a little odd in the head shell. Performance has been excellent for the last 700 hours. The Transfiguration manual makes a point of saying to align the cantilever and not the cartridge body so I guess that they are aware that the cantilevers are not always perfectly aligned. Should be but you have to deal with what you have not what you would like it to be.

In your system does it track OK when the cantilever is correctly adjusted for azimuth using your test record? If so then you will be OK. Seems like you are hearing good things so you can't be too far out.

Well-yeah. Reproduction of music via a phonograph is based on various parameters at a very, very small level. Any of those parameters, singly and by themselves, may not seem particularly important, but they all combine into a whole that will, or will not, provide the best that your system can offer. Your picture doesn't seem to show an issue, but if it's as you describe, I'd definitely see about a change.

Oh, and I wouldn't become too enamored with the Test Record. Set up the cart with the Mint, and you should be good to go.

Benz bent slide to the side???
You might have tracking issues and you'll need to test by listening your groves.
I'd ask for replacement by warranty.
Take a patience and replace it.

Dear Hanaleimike: Normaly a test record is a help to confirm that we have a good cartridge set-up but at the end our ears are the best tool to decide if what we are hearing is right on target.

There is no reason that a " bent " cantilever preclude to make azymuth changes ( by ear ), so I can't see any trouble with your cartridge where you like its quality performance.
Now, a brand new cartridge ( in theory ) must comes with a straight cantilever and if in your cartridge this is not happening then make sense that you claim for a change of the item according the manufacturer warranty.

If we take the attitude: " that if sounds good is ok ", then the build quality control on audio items can't improve in detriment of us the customers, we have to claim!, especially on brand new items.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.