Setting Azimuth


Details:
VPI Scoutmaster
JMW 9 standard tonearm
Soundsmith Zephyr cartridge band new
Using a Fozgometer and Hi Fi News Test LP both also brand new
I'm measuring at the interconnects off the turntable.
I cannot seem to achieve a proper azimuth that will give even channel balance. The only adjustment on this tonearm is the counterweight which is weighted a the bottom so turning it side to side should effect azimuth. Only extreme changes are affecting channel balance. I changed the interconnects in case they were causing the problem, but I get the same results. The right channel is a few decibels louder no matter what I do to the azimuth unless I make an extreme adjustment which has the tonearm cocked to one side and obviously this is not correct.
arnold_layne

Showing 3 responses by actusreus

Soundsmith cartridges are notorious for uneven channel balance. Fremer wrote about it in his Analog Corner a while ago. A friends of mine had a similar issue with his Soundsmith cart a few years ago. Apparently, Peter does not share the same opinion regarding channel balance in cartridges as many others do, i.e., he does not consider cartridges defective even if they exhibit differences in channel balance that many would consider unacceptable. I also have heard of problems with Fozgometer accuracy, but it just might be your cartridge.
Stringreen,
The CI allows minute adjustments without disturbing the counterweight. As I'm sure you know, VTF and azimuth changes on a VPI tonearm can be quite painstaking as fractional adjustments are very difficult. You still need to dial everything in quite closely, but the CI makes it much easier to make that final adjustment, whether it's your initial setup or not.
Stringreen,

I assure you that adjustments on any VPI tonearm are much easier with the Counter-Intuitive. Even reading your post confirms how much easier this device makes setting up the VTF and azimuth compared to all the effort you have to go through without it to get everything dialed in. If you're happy and ok with setting up your tonearm with several different Allen wrenches and trying to maneuver the counterweight so perfectly that it goes only where you want it to go, which to me is just impossible, that's great and more power to you. However, virtually all those who bought the CI agree that it makes adjustments much easier. Those are the people who have tried it both ways, while you haven't and it simply appears you don't like the tool for some reason. Arguing against something easily verifiable such as this device's benefit or lack thereof without first trying it is just silly.