Thanks Ben for taking the time to do this test. I sub to a lot of audiophile channels and haven't seen anyone go thru the different alignments before. Nice job keep up the good work and Happy New Year.
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the kind words! Hope it at least helps someone… Happy New Year!
@charlesludwig91732 жыл бұрын
I enjoyed this video. Now, if you set a cart to the 52mm Technics gauge and then square the cart to the headshell there is no need for a protractor. You will get the Technics tracking error scheme. I settled on this scheme since it produces a distortion free sound from LPs which is indistinguishable from CDs of same material. So far, the scheme has supported: Shure V15V-MR, Shure V15 Type III, Shure M97xE, A-T VM540ML, A-T OC9XML, and Ortofon 2M Red Carts without fuss.
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
The Stevenson protractor actually corresponds to the technics alignment which is used with the jig… however, this helps you make sure the straight line of the cart body corresponds to the cantilever 😀
@charlesludwig91732 жыл бұрын
@@BensAudioCave yeah of course if the cantilever is bent I’m sending the cart back.
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
@@charlesludwig9173 bent and slightly skewed are very different… all to my sight have a very small skew… so this helps… specifically at the microscopic level… the diamonds also sit a little wonky sometimes… so it depends on how precise you want to get 😃
@ninjareynolds2 жыл бұрын
Just a little tip in case you haven't thought of it. When using a arc protractor use a piece of thread and stretch it between center of spindle and center of pivot of tonearm. with gimbled bearing system its easy. then turn protractor till the alignment line for pivot to spindle is superimposed by the thread. Cool channel by the way.
@gregoryirwin2632 жыл бұрын
I have been wondering about this for months thank you 👍
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
Hopefully it helped a little… audio on KZfaq can be hit or miss but at least it’s a level playing field… thanks for watching 😃
@robertgreene19463 ай бұрын
Thanks for the video, One thing you should do when setting up the cart is lock down the platter with tape or some other way.
@defend2a2002 жыл бұрын
Great video! I was just contemplating changing the alignment on my Technics SL1200 MK2 - now I don’t have to! Keep up the great content! Btw, my Hudson Hifi stylus cleaner should be here Monday - purchased based on your video.
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
Thank you!!! Hope you enjoy the Hudson as much as I do
@tnarch2 жыл бұрын
Great video, i have never seen anyone making alighnments and explaining what he does. It is very informative and helpful for understanding the whole concept. Just someone must be a little patient and see the whole video, which i strongly suggest ... Furthermore i could not hear any deferences between the alignments from your video, perhaps stevenson is a bit better, i think i heard a little cleaner highs. No matter what, i choose stevenson just because the cartridge sits much better and normal on the shell, which i think is more important than these minor differences.
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
It is kind of preference and it all really depends on your stylus shape... The Stevenson works best on my Techie for the microline and shibata styli... That has been my best all rounder... Now for ellipticals; the loefrgren seems to do a bit better on the inner grooves where they are prone to inner groove distortion... Baerwald seems a bit better in the beginning of the album... but again stevenson has been my line of best fit for the styli I use which track the inners like a champ! Thanks for watching!
@jimsregaturntableshifijukebox2 жыл бұрын
Happy New Year to you and all your subscribers. Love from Scotland 🏴
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
Same to you 😀
@mertonnephake2 жыл бұрын
Lofgren B is suitable for maxi-singles, where actual audio takes only a half or two thirds of the playing area. Otherwise I do not percieve a difference, the cartridge seems to track it well regardless of alignment, the imperceptible difference is that one channel is a few or more microseconds ahead of the other or vice versa due to the tracking angle of the stylus (except for the null points).
@delgriffith4629 Жыл бұрын
NB: the instructions for the Baerwald alignment state (5): "set the anti-skate on the tonearm to zero (very important)."
@gregwilliams274610 ай бұрын
Yes, I've seen this message - why does setting the anti-skate to zero matter?
@leon90212 жыл бұрын
Good work, I think to be more fair the same parts of music should be played for them all. Regardless, I didnt hear much of any difference. The thing is, even a linear tracking arm will distort on some inner grooves because the problem is less so about alignment curvature and more about velocity reduction as you get closer to the label. Thats why different alignments will never do as much of a difference as going from a fat Elitpical to a Micro type stylus since only one of those things adresses the loss of speed issues.
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
Which is my ML is my preferred! 😃
@user-sk2rm9vy4n2 жыл бұрын
I guess if we could listen to the samples in stereo, they would be more revealing..
@TheMarkingegnoАй бұрын
Don't use only the original Technics plastic gauge but also the Stevenson protractor because the plastic one does well its job only in ideal position/ distance of tonearm from spindle. When you move the height of tonearm base up and down the tonearm moves slightly to right or left from ideal position so paper protractor let you to check and compensate. Then mind attention: all checks and settings must be done with antiskating set to zero to protect the cantilever and stylus. After alignments reset again the antiskating. For best sound set always the antiskating a little lower then tracking force.
@troyarmatti71672 жыл бұрын
Thanks for posting this video. I noticed each protractor gave you a different overhang. So what I took from this is that the recomended overhang for any given turntable may not neccessarly be the best one for my ears. So overhang may not be as important as alignment for any given protractor. In my case, the mobil fidelity geo disc gives me an overhang of around 52mm, as you mentioned, where as my turntable recomends a 49 mm overhang. To be sure, this is the headshel overhang from ring to stylus tip. I really obsess over this and I am never really sure I have done it right. I ordered an arc protractor specialy designed for my turntable. I am able to get it to follow the arc perfectly while pairing it up with a 49mm overhang guage. But I'm still not sure if it's better with the 49mm overhang or the 52mm. I would appreciate your feed back. And also, I have an AT-540ml and vm95esh. I don't think I would be happy anymore with an eliptical, especialy when it comes to siblance.
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
To me I like the Stevenson as the best all rounder… the geodisc is a baerwald and does generally put the cart more forward… I used baerwald for years and just recently tried the Stevenson on my AT33PTGII… honestly, I prefer it… sounds good all over… I did notice that while the ML is somewhat tolerant of less than perfect VTA/SRA; the shorter cart was at the bottom of the range on the SL-1200 and still not ideal… I purchased some 3D printed spacers and settled on a 3.5mm which put the ideal SRA around the 2.5-3mm mark (or in the middle of the range) what was already a sweet sounding cart quickly became an INCREDIBLE sounding cart… so you might also look into this 😀
@Lasse3 Жыл бұрын
You completely misunderstand the entire subject, allow me to clarify. For instance; The Technics table comes with stock cartridge already aligned using Technics own proprietary alignment which isn't either Stevenson nor Baerwald. To trace this arc (alignment) we get the numbers; Effective tonearm lenght' 230 mm Pivot to spindle 215 Overhang 15mm (And two null points) If we instead wanted to align using the Baerwald null points, we would need to track a larger arc because the null points are further apart in this setup. in order to do this we need first of all a baerwald protractor specific to our turntable, which would ask us to increase the effective lenght' of the tonearm by 2,8 mm (Doing so by moving the cart 2,8 mm further out on the headshell, and aligning it correctly with null points yada yada) So infact we change the 230 mm effective lenght' of the tonearm into 232.8 mm - And the overhang from 15 mm into 17.8 mm This is why Baerwald (Loefgren A) always puts the cartridge to the absolute forefront of the headshell. It's a larger arc simply put. We do not need to use math, we just need an arc protractor like the one you already have which specifically takes into account YOUR turntables specific parameters. Just throw the overhang gauge in the bin, it's useless now. The 49 and 52 mm overhang you're talking about, is a widely misunderstood number.. Infact the claimed 15 mm overhang on Technics tables as stated in the manual, is regarding how far beyond the spindle the stylus will be. The overhang gauge has nothing to do with overhang in the sense that people think.. - it's only purpose is to give an easy way to obtaining roughly 230 mm effective lenght' (Technics example) when using the little plastic overhang gauge provided by Technics. So yes, overhang and alignment are inseparable, if you want a different alignment you're going to alter the overhang inevitably. If one were to actually use the overhang gauge, that would result in gross misalignment. Btw I also have a mintLP best tractor - best there is! Track the entire arc, align perfectly at the two null points, and there is nothing more you can do. There is no point in thinking about those 49mm or 52mm. Those numbers are completely nonsensical and won't help you align the cart. The overhang gauge is a simple way of obtaining half decent alignment in 2 minutes, without knowing anything about a turntable. Which is why turntable manufacturers provided them for the consumers. You can't possibly tell me that you have aligned your cartridge with a protractor, and then afterwards you scoot the cartridge back and forth an entire 3mm while still maintaining alignment with the protractor... This is like a bad joke, common man. Throw the gauge in the bin!!!
@AudioGuyBrian2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Ben. Great video.
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Brian!!!
@homerjones32912 жыл бұрын
The Shure V15 Type V-MR cartridge came with its own alignment jig, where after you mounted the cartridge without the stylus you would put this plastic jig on the spindle and the cartridge body would sit down in the jig, and you would adjust the alignment until it fit perfectly.
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
Umm that is setting “overhang” which is generally a Stevenson alignment like the technics one I demonstrated… it has a jig too… if you read that Shure jig was likely for a specific tonearm and most vary as will alignment… also you need to use a razor blade with that jig… my fisher MT-6330 has an overhang gauge built in… if you have used the Shure jig on all your tables; chances are it’s not been aligned completely correct for years… try a protractor on here or setting overhang based on the Turntable specs… chances are the Shure jig was for an SME low mass arm and it has different geometry than the one you use… it might surprise you how much better things might sound for free!
@billwillard94102 жыл бұрын
@@BensAudioCave First, thanks for the painstaking work in setting this video up. A razor blade you say? Hmm, don’t know anything about that. I’ve only had a mkii since I bought it in 1987 or so (with the Shure cartridge) and a VPI Traveler for a brief period of time. Now I have the mkii and a GR, and mostly go to the Technics alignment tool for adjustments. I’ve mentioned that Steve Guttenberg(?) recently got a G and his cartridges are hanging waay off the front, so I suppose his friend who sets up his cartridges for him is more of a Bauerwald guy.
@richardmorgan1588 Жыл бұрын
Do you need to use the extra counter weight as compensation for the 2M Black weight on the technics arm? What does that added mass do to the compatibility of this cartridge to this tonearm? After looking at your video discussing compliance, I wasn’t sure anymore that My 2M Blue is appropriate for my SL1200mk2. I appreciate your time and effort in these vlogs.
@BensAudioCave Жыл бұрын
Use the OEM shell and it matches fine… the aux weight may make it better though… close as possible to the bearing helps… also, helps VTA… I use spacers with my ZuPreme… if you don’t use an aux weight; that resonance cap from KAB USA I listed on the other post is a must… those links from Amazon are affiliate links and I do appreciate the small commission I earn from them 😃
@budsmoker42011205 ай бұрын
Another Great Vid. 🎉
@wolfybaby9118 ай бұрын
Thanks for this great video ! I’ve watched it before but it’s gained more usefulness for me now that I’m considering a cartridge upgrade .. Been using a Concord cartridge by Reloop that has an Ortofon 40 OM with a Fritz Gyger stylus that supposedly gives the 2M Black a run for its money on my SL-1200 MkII ( supercharged/upgraded by KAB USA ) I’m considering the Ortofon Black LVB 250 .. do you think this is a good upgrade for my SL-1200 or should I just take the plunge and go to moving coil ?
@andrewward70422 жыл бұрын
I think that the Lofgren sounded better. But that's factoring in KZfaq compression of course.
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
Awesome and yes KZfaq compression does things but on an elliptical it might be a bit different… might do another experiment with something like an ATVM95E or something later 😄
@andrewward70422 жыл бұрын
@@BensAudioCave I have up until now used an ATVM95SH. I have just received my Ortofon 2m Black, but do to my current snow-in location, have not had the opportunity to install the Black. If it's better than my AT, I will be very happy. It should be given the price difference!
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
@@andrewward7042 the black in the video is a bit worn… but honestly to me I’m an AT ML guy… love the PTG33II… the black is revealing but brutal… you can really here the pops and clicks on that track… they aren’t there with the PTG33II
@andrewward70422 жыл бұрын
@@BensAudioCave Good to know. I will endeavour to keep my records as clean as possible. Nice video by-the-way :-)
@danashay2 жыл бұрын
Hi Ben, recent subscriber here. With a hearing problem. (Big hole at 12k...) So, some problems hearing speach. Anywho, I need to use captioning to understand what I'm hearing, and it doesn't work on your vids. Not sure why, so I have to ask, is that something you control?
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
I will check my captions and see if there is something I can do… I will admit I have a pretty thick accent so that might be contributing
@danashay2 жыл бұрын
As much as I spend on my music, too much, according to the loving wife, I have absolutely no idea what people are singing for lyrics. $30,000 on hearing aids helped, until I realized Beltone was fleecing me. And 'fleecing' isn't the term I would normally use. I used to be able to turn it up for some clarity, that no longer works... Many thanks for your help, the herd, in general, couldn't care less. Please carry on!
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
@@danashay Thanks Dana!
@homerjones32912 жыл бұрын
At 22:00 it doesn't look like the cantilever nor the front of the cartridge was aligned.
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
It was dead on with the naked eye… the scope was at an angle so I could make the video and the cantilever is slightly skewed in the 2M… the cantilever was straight as was the diamond which is what matters
@epg25012 жыл бұрын
Hey Ben, I want to get a USB microphone to adjust the rake angle of my cartridge and do the measurements, etc. However, I can't seem to find any software to use other than super expensive solutions that are proprietary with their own scopes, etc. Any ideas?
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
The usb scope included in the link description works with Max-see app for android and iOS wirelessly OR I just plug it in and it shows as a USB camera to my PC and Mac… I display it on my 50” QLED and use it to inspect stylus cleanliness
@BensAudioCave2 жыл бұрын
Here it is amzn.to/3aTnC7V
@user-yk4gd1fl4z Жыл бұрын
What is the song used , who is it ? That’s some music I need to check out.
@BensAudioCave Жыл бұрын
It’s called faded by the Afghan Whigs… one of my favorite bands ever… the album is black love and you can pick it up here: amzn.to/3U1v4hM
@Lasse3 Жыл бұрын
30:03 loefgren B 29:36 Stevenson A Also, disgusting 'music'
@BensAudioCave Жыл бұрын
If you don’t like the Afghan Whigs, that’s on you… LOLz 😂
@ColocasiaCorm Жыл бұрын
28:00 demos start 🙄
@BensAudioCave Жыл бұрын
It’s in chapters
@valentingheorghe16939 ай бұрын
On another note, instead of wasting alot of time doing protractor alignments, why not use an Ortofon Concorde cartridge? It is designed to work exactly with the Technics SL turntable geometry, it is plug and play and requires no alignments.
@BensAudioCave9 ай бұрын
Because it’s a demo for others and most of my carts are way above the food chain on a Concorde