To LP Listeners: Fozgometer Experiences...

Azimuth adjustment does not have much effect on channel balance, actually, and it is not good practice to adjust channel balance by changing azimuth. Azimuth affects crosstalk primarily, the amount of the R channel information that leaks into the L channel, and vice-versa.

I once experimented to see how azimuth affects channel balance, using my Triplanar tonearm and a Signet Cartridge Analyzer which reads out channel balance and crosstalk in db, and a proper test LP.  Results showed that the most extreme azimuth angle I could achieve, an angle you never would live with because it would obviously cause distortion, stylus damage, and LP damage, had a 2db effect on channel balance. Much better to use a balance control or to find out why you have an imbalance in the first place and fix that.

Greetings,

 I had the V1 but I dropped it and it no longer worked. So I purchased the V2. I enjoy having tools/toys. I do use the AP test album. You can also set the azimuth visual. To my ears setting azimuth doesn’t make Huge changes in the sound, but I believe all adjustments you make will add up to a better sounding system. If you own a pricey cartridge you need to make sure all adjustments are correct as you can get. Trying to limit wear on the needle. I also spend the time to get my less then pricey cartridge setup to the best of my abilities.

If you own a oscilloscope you might not need the Foz.

Joe 

@inagroove 

If you're a bit computer and hardware savvy, you can download REW, buy a decent ADC, and good test LPs and you will have a very good test station. Using REW (and a test LP) allows one to see the channel balance and separation very accurately. You can balance the crosstalk to less than 1dB. Balance is easy to read out. In my decade of doing this, I have never seen channel balance disturbed by changes to azimuth. It is theoretically possible, but in practice, small changes to achieve a sharp minimum in crosstalk has little effect on the broad balance peak.

There are many more characteristics of your system you can measure with this setup, one important one is distortion. 

Test LPs that I've found most effective are: Ortofon "Accuracy in Sound" Record and CBS Laboratories' STR 100. You can find both at Discogs.

@lewm @avanti1960 @slaw @joenies @kevemaher 

Thanks to one and all for the sage advice. 

Much appreciated and well taken (I will save the $ for something else...)

Regards,

@inagroove Interesting thread, a question I wondered about, but never asked. Thank you. 
 

@kevemaher Thank you for chiming in. I have used an oscilloscope with Analog Productions test record to dial in my azimuth, and I have REW running on a Windows laptop; can you recommend a decent ADC that you reference so that I can ‘up my game’ as it were. I’m intrigued by your test method.