Mint lp best tractor for VPI Classic

Been there, done that.

  The VPI alignment jig sounds best imo.

The setup with a Mint is more accurate.  Do you have a 10.5 inch arm?

Yes I have a 10.5 arm.  I used the VPI jig, but inner groove distortion is definitely there.  

I just got my Mint for my Classic 3 with 3D 10 arm, and spent the painstaking hour doing the proper Mint process for alignment.

Relative to the VPI jig-based positioning, the Mint moved the cart (Dynavector XX2-II) forward on the headshell by ~1.5 mm and added a teeny little twist of the body clockwise on cantilever alignment. The sound difference was definitely noticeable:

1. Better stereo separation and ’solidity’ throughout (I suspect I did not perfectly set the cantilever straight on the VPI jig against its grid lines... no doubt the Mint allows for more accuracy on this critical dimension).

2. Relaxed, utterly natural sound at the beginnings of records, but definitely more inner groove distortion on LP’s cut near the spindle, esp. on more highly modulated passages

Overall it is better I think but it is rather unfortunate as it renders some of my favorite records with songs ending a side almost unlistenable... now thinking about moving the cart body back a touch, closer to the VPI setting.

It does seems correct that the VPI jig optimizes for inner groove playback, vs Mint minimizing distortion across the record face at expense of inner groove playback.

jjss49 -
I have the XX2 also but with no (zero) inner groove distortion, using no antiskate.  An hour for your first time with the Mint is phenomenal!  May I suggest that your cart is misaligned?  Check spindle-to-pivot distance before you realign the cart.  If it's off the Mint curve will be wrong.   A 30x loupe would be handy too.  The ones supplied by Mint are Fail.  Good luck!