Anxiety help needed. New instal of Hana ML

The observation was made while playing an LP or during installation? If the former, check and adjust antiskate. If the latter, and because it sounds fine, ignore it. We all prefer to see a cantilever perfectly aligned with the long axis of the cartridge body, but slight deviations don’t usually affect SQ in my experience.

you want it ’right’ not only for sound, but for proper contact down in/with the groove walls, reducing wear to the grooves and the stylus.

buy yourself one of these mirrors which is the thickness of an lp

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T31MRZ9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

now, for azimuth, simply carefully lower the arm/cartridge down onto the Mirror.

View from the front, ANY deviation from straight will be shown/doubled in the mirror. adjust for straight reflection, tighten.

tighten what? various solutions:

either the stylus is straight to the cartridge body, then you can view/use both the cartridge body and stylus.

or, stylus is slightly deviated from the cartridge body, in which case you view only the cantilever and stylus.

fixed headshells in fixed arms

may need a shim above the cartridge top on one side to adjust the cartridge for proper azimuth. PITA.

some fixed cartridges in arms, the arm itself can be loosened, rotated, tightened. tedious, but easier than shims. mine, but they put the allen set screw in a difficult to reach location, tedious, PITA.

does your arm have a removable headshell?

is there a bit of play/rotation in the fitting you can use to rotate left or right a bit before you tighten the headshell in the socket?

some arms like micro-seiki have adjustable fittings in the arm end, loosen, rotate fitting, tighten. some have a small screw in the bottom of the fitting, loosen, rotate, tighten

some headshells allow azimuth adjustment: you rotate the front body of the headshell relative to it’s own fitting, loosen, rotate front headshell portion, tighten.

 

Elliot, the OP has a slightly deviated cantilever. We know nothing about zenith or azimuth. True, the very slight deviation in cantilever can be compensated for during alignment using the grids provided on the Doctor F and most other protractors. I find that difficult to do with all but the Smartractor. 

I have had cartridges with the cantilevers slightly off, but looked fine when playing a record. Welcome to the world of analog. If this bothers you, call your dealer. That’s what they get paid for. 

Probably not a great help, but recently I've taken to aligning the cantilever and giving the cart only a fast check to make sure it's not way off.

Given the different cart body designs, aligning the cantilever seems to be easier and in my mind, makes more sense.

Technically, that's what you should do, align the cantilever. The problem is that for many cartridges, the cantilever is very hard to see while the cartridge is sitting on the grid of a protractor.  Only a few protractors provide help, like the Smartractor.  At the very least, you need a bright light and magnification to get it right.  Also, since you want the cantilever to align with the cartridge body longitudinally, then its just as good to align to the cartridge body if it is squared off with respect to the cantilever.

Yeah I use a flashlight on a grid.

OP,

could you select a photo or two, show us what yours looks like:

do a google search ’crooked stylus’, select images

select/enlarge appropriate image(s)

right click, copy image address, insert the images (top bar, 6th icon)

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or, your cartridge, take photos, get the photos on the web (not your computer). one way is to create a virtual system on this site, and upload the pics there. then open them, copy image address, back to your post here, 6th icon, insert (box waiting for image address, paste it in).

I have an Ortofon Cadenza Bronze that’s visibly skewed, certainly by more than a couple hairs. Align for the cantilever, and it sounds great. I know because I had another one with perfectly straight cantilever. If it starts drifting a lot then you’ve got a problem, but as its stands enjoy the fact you’ve got a great sounding cart. If the channel balance L/R is perfect, that’s the important thing!

Thank you for all the support my friends. I was able to upload three pictures in virtual systems. Can’t get them to show here. If you would t mind taking a look it’s under doyle3433 system new Hana ML

Looking at the pictures, I would just grab a Martini and listen to John Lee Hooker..!

Looking at the last pic, a thin spacer between the arm and cartridge on left mounting bolt should level the cantilever.

doyle, others

to post images:

select any photo on the web

right click the image, copy image address

back here, click on 6th icon top bar

box opens, waiting for URL

paste the image address,

magic

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In this case, the photos below are smaller than when viewed in OP’s Virtual System

https://www.audiogon.com/systems/11232

 

Looking closely (larger ones in virtual system), I would say the cantilever is not bent sideways, it’s the shadows that make it appear so,

the reflection on the LP of the cartridge body appears a bit off vertical. a reflection in a mirror would be better/easier to see than the reflection on the lp.

this shows you the advantage of using the mirror method to ’see’ off vertical.

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this is a case that shows you align azimuth using the stylus tip’s verticality, not necessarily the cartridge’s body.

because the stylus is mounted in the cantilever a speck, just a speck off perfectly vertical, the body is a bit off, but the stylus is straight into the grooves, thus leave it alone.

In this case, IF you make the cartridge body perfectly straight, then the stylus will be a speck off vertical into the grooves.

Get a light, a magnifying glass, view the difficult to see stylus for final decision.

Buy a Fozgometer and leave the guesswork behind

My ML was the same. Just adjust as others have suggested.

Great cart for the money btw.

Please tell me to just take my Lexapro and drink my coffee and relax. That’s all I’m asking.

Maybe decaf in future?

@baylinor this is very weird concept, I must say.

@knock1 

I have done it with good results. By example, on my 2nd TT with the sumiko starling cart, I used washer on both bolts since the Sumiko requires VTA tail down and the TT arm would not go down far enough to accomodate it. Once you get comfortable working with TTs, there are multiple unconventional ways to improve things.

Looks about perfect to me. Use your ears as your guide, at this point. The flat crimped part on these aluminum cantilevers may sometimes be a bit contorted, and might make things look a bit off kilter, even if the stylus is pretty well aligned. You can’t judge by the crimp. Boron cantilevers retain their shape through the mounting area, and perhaps make it easier to focus on the stylus itself.

I was really anxious too when I started the vinyl hobby too. Form good habits now (safety and awareness around turntable, good cleaning regimen), make them 2nd nature, and also learn to relax about "what could be wrong". If it sounds good, it is good. 

Thank you all for the feedback! 
I really appreciate it. I rechecked with the protractor and I feel pretty good about it. Listened to a couple familiar albums a couple of times, still blown away.

Was looking at that azimuth meter, I may pick that up soon.

what I hear some of you say is to see about using one of the washers as a shim .

 

Many of mine have looked a little off But if It blew you away....Leave it alone....you try to "FIX" it and it doesn't sound as good...then you're screwed.

I think you need the entire Michael Fremer pile of microscopes, measuring devices, and hours of tedious adjusting to get the anxiety out. Or, if it sounds good, leave the damn thing alone.

I am tending to agree with leaving it alone and letting the music tell me. I have a tendency to overcook things and end up one side or another off the baseline. I’ve rechecked, used my new force gauge and put everything back in its proper place. Rainy Sunday here in NE Buckeye state. Time to relax, switch to non caffeinated and spin some records! 
I hope everyone has a great and safe day.

doug