Well, I left out the trouble of mounting the cart, which as we all know takes all 3 hands if the cart doesn't have threads. Do it when you're alert and relaxed, not jittery or fatigued.
I suppose a pro could fine adjust VTF, VTA, and anti-skate. The 5 does not offer azimuth adjustment. However, supposing a pro was good enough to fine adjust VTA by ear, it would be off with the first record that wasn't as thick as the reference he used.
As for alignment, that's not something that should be set "by ear". I'd just use the alignment jig provided by SME. I doubt you could do better except perhaps with a Mint protractor customized for the arm and cartridge.
My advice:
* Set VTA by setting the arm as level as shown in the manual, relative to some beater Lp in your collection with a typical thickness.
* Set the VTF to the highest specified for the cart so you get the best tracking (more important that lower VTF).
* Align using the SME jig (on top of the same beater Lp). As they say in the manual, you may have to look to the left or right of center to make it line up, but as long as it *does* line up you've got the alignment right.
* Set the anti-skate as specified in the manual.
To me the whole point of the SME arms is that they make dialing in the correct settings easy so you don't need a guru to set things up.
