I suspect that a shim between the armboard and the arm collar will provide a good solution. I'll be back. |
Thanks for all your helpful responses. I checked the base and then the headshell with a bubble level, and there is a discrepancy between the two. Halcro, Peter and Jolanda just sent me a helpful email with exactly that suggestion, which I will try tonight. |
Hi all,
as I mentioned in another thread just now, in the case of the SME V the locking of the arm-post in the case of the V allows for some 1-2 deg. tilt relative to the mounting surface. If I read Halcro's comment with the VTA lifter = threaded rod, I think immediately of the same being the case with the SME V.
In fact I have given up using this "tool" altogether and now use a number of shims made of hard wood --- which also is a bit more "repeatability" then some threaded rod that happens to push the arm post *always* to the opposite side of the where the threaded rod is located.
Ladies and Gentlemen ---- so much for azimuth precision!
Guess why Graham's Phantom II has now an added, permanent "spirit bubble" to his latest creation...
Greetings,
Axel |
I agree that on an arm at this cost should be built correctly.
Having the headshell level, though, gives absolutely no assurance of optimum azimuth setting. Getting it properly aligned is a must. |
Psag,
Another thought occurred to me.
The DaVinci VTA Tower is elevated by a threaded rod operated from the top of the pivot housing.
Once you are happy with the VTA alignment, you must lock the base clamp in and then RETRACT the adjustable threaded rod so that it is no longer bearing on the base plate. In other words, the VTA Tower is held solely by the base clamp and NOT also resting on the elevating rod.
If you still have a problem with the level of the headshell after this, Peter Brem and Jolanda will certainly help you. |
Hi Daniel,
Only 6 degrees below??........that MUST be global warming!
Here in Sydney, after a hot Spring, we are having a cool start to Summer.
Of course Doug and Daniel are correct and perfect azimuth is great to achieve.
I have never had a visual discrepancy of 'several degrees' with the DaVinci and the effect is simply manifested in a 1-1.5 dB attenuation in the right channel of my speaker which I accommodate with the balance control.
Having said that, it may simply be my preamp at fault because the correction seems to suit ALL my cartridges and all my other arms?
In other words.....ignore my previous comments and check your DaVinci as other posters suggest. |
I would add anything Soundscape Hi Fi said with a grain of sald after spending an hour talking to him in the store. |
I don't have this problem with my first generation Da Vinci Grandezza arm and the Clearaudio Harmony Mg.
For what it is worth, and I don't vouch for its accuracy, Soundscape Hi Fi in Singapore state the following about the Grandezza arm:
"Double gimballed ruby bearing, no need for azimuth adjustments"
link: soundscapehifi.com/da-vinci-grandezza-grand.htm |
Hi Pasg,
having read all the previous inputs I suspect the mounting base is not level with the platter or the pivot post not 90 deg. relative to the plater level. This would cause an azimuth off-set from the arm post relative to the platter...
If this (for what ever reason) is the case, it can be checked with a small level on top of the head-shell. It could possibly corrected --- at the source of the trouble.
Note: IF the arm post is correct (90 deg. with the platter) the azimuth deviation ought to be of the same off-set at the start, middle and end of the record. ALSO, this measurement is ONLY correct if the head-shell is very close or at the level position where the stylus contacts the record!
In the case of my SME V arm with SME 10 tt, I had to shim the arm mounting by ~ 0.2 mm to correct for such a deviation.
In this case it is an issue with the arm's pivot-post somehow not aligning a proper 90 deg. to the mounting base, (which in my case is level relative to the platter)
Yet, playing with out the shim, I can not detect any shift in imaging or one side louder then the other, it is not enough of a deviation (I think). However, when corrected there is less miss-tracking, OR groove distortion with very critical tracks :-)
Axel |
Alectiong,
Since Psag hasn't adjusted his azimuth he may not be able to identify what effects it has.
Azimuth inaccuracy has all the effects Dertonarm described and it also has a major influence on L-to-R image focus. I used to take electronic crosstalk measurements to adjust azimuth. With practice, I've learned to adjust just as accurately by listening. Image focus (tight vs. fat) changes more than the soundstage shifts, at least IME.
Optimal adjustment needs to be much finer than is possible with headshell shims, but if that's all your arm allows AND it's visibly off, they're certainly better than nothing.
|
Psag,
With the azimuth off, is one side louder than the other, or is the soundstage shifted to one side?
rgds
alec |
Dear Halcro, you can not compensate azimuth offset with balance control. Azimuth offset means - always! - a misalignment of the stylus towards BOTH groove walls. This has to be fixed at the source. You can mask the sonic result to some degree (in fact only the channel imbalance.. ) with the balance control, but the problem remains and it will shorten both - the life-time of your stylus AND records.
Aside from the sonic presentation (soundstage width and depth and high frequency reproduction) which does suffer too.
To fix this issue, do get AND use very thin plastic washers (sometimes part of cartridge screws by-pack assembly) to eliminate the problem where it occurs.
Greetings to sunny Australia - its 6 degrees below zero here at my place....
D. |
Agree with Syntax. If it's truly the arm that's out and not the cartridge, get it fixed. If it's visible to you, it was visible to the builder. IMO there's no reason to accept clearly visible inaccuracies at this price point. You can get those on a Rega.
Azimuth affects more than L/R channel balance. That isn't even the main thing it affects. As good as the DaVinci arms are, the lack of adjustable azimuth would be an annoyance for me. But Halcro already knows I'm one o' them purists! ;-)
|
Never had that problem, but I would send it back for repair. |
I think the DaVinci head shell is machined dead flat and with the pivot point being contained in its jewelled double gimbal bearing, it ain't moving anywhere out of alignment.
The problem is of course, that not all cartridge bodies are as perfectly flat nor are the cantilevers for the stylus assembly perfectly aligned and rarely are the styli themselves mounted in perfectly vertical alignment to their cantilevers.
This seems in practice to put most cartridges I mount in my DaVinci 12" Grandezza Ref 'out' of perfect azimuth alignment.
I compensate (as you suggest), with the 'balance' control on the pre-amp.
Not ideal for the 'purists' out there but in the real world of sound, it's hard to find an arm to beat the DaVinci IMHO. |
