The key here is having a cart with a cantilever/stylus precisely aligned, the V doesnt allow for alignments "out of square" easily. Ive found with good straight carts (soundsmith, clearaudio, lyra etc) they pop right in with the supplied guide and a little tuning by ear of sra/vta vtf and possible tiny overhang adjustments. With a few out of whack carts couldnt get it to work at all.
SME V setup
FWIW:
I discovered recently (after acquiring a new DB cartridge alignment protractor,) that using the factory provided alignment tool (for the SME V anyway) produced results that were really just a close approximation.
After doing a precision alignment/overhang adjustment on my just-broken-in-after-100-hours Transfiguration Temper W, (and without changing any other setup parameters) the soundstage and the placement of instruments and soloists, gained a quantum leap in performance that I was totally unprepared for.
I'm sure some of you are going "Well, Duh!" But the kicker is, that I had been informed at CES, by one of the senior management people with a well known audio accessories vendors (no names) that sells DB alignment tools, that I shouldn't waste my money on one, because the tool that came with the SME was more accurate! Go figure.....
.
I discovered recently (after acquiring a new DB cartridge alignment protractor,) that using the factory provided alignment tool (for the SME V anyway) produced results that were really just a close approximation.
After doing a precision alignment/overhang adjustment on my just-broken-in-after-100-hours Transfiguration Temper W, (and without changing any other setup parameters) the soundstage and the placement of instruments and soloists, gained a quantum leap in performance that I was totally unprepared for.
I'm sure some of you are going "Well, Duh!" But the kicker is, that I had been informed at CES, by one of the senior management people with a well known audio accessories vendors (no names) that sells DB alignment tools, that I shouldn't waste my money on one, because the tool that came with the SME was more accurate! Go figure.....
.