How best to eliminate LP warps

Though late to conversation i think that azimuth is not the holly grail of alignment.

Too much effort with little return but fortunately once there you do not have to look back again. Set and forget.

Overhung, VTA/SRA, VTF, are definitely more important adjustments and should be accurate before any attempt for setting up azimuth. Bias included.

If a system is correctly designed and adjusted then the only source for error regarding azimuth would be any imprecision of the cartridge assembly. So we are trying to correct a faulty product for either stylus or generator, that would require two different settings. Impossible. I choose to check the stylus.

How many incorrectly, by a huge margin, assembled cartridges have you met, that would require so drastic adjustments? Twisting a headshell may help but they can become loose and have slack, so would put azimuth off plus they have to many connections, so finer details would be lost. My understanding is that an arm should not have so much freedom as it would introduce more errors than needed.

A visual set up with the aid of good lighting, magnifying glass or microscope ( much better than shooting macro photos), mirror and a test lp or one with good content of high frequencies would be enough to get you perfectly close (if needed).

Started with wraps and we talk about azimuth, audio is great.

Orb user here. Got it from ebay.  I've flattened thirty or forty records so far and they've all come out much better and although some still aren't perfect they play just fine. Saved me from the PITA of exchanging. Mine is rated 100-125 volts. As to audibility depending on the shape of the warp it's absolutely audible on my system. I have found the rate of change of the warp seems to be the most important factor...not sure if I'm wording that correctly.  If you only have a few warped records I can't see the value unless you're OCD or have money burning a hole in your pocket.

Hi Folks,

Here's a guy 😉 who made some modifications to be able to use a VPI Periphery Ring clamp on a platter it wasn't designed for. Together with a center clamp, best warp solution I am aware of - and reduces LP surface resonance reactions from lower compliance, more significant VTF carts.

Cheers, John

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=124081.msg1307306#msg1307306

petgo, I guess the only clue an end user would have that a cartridge is internally misaligned would be if he attempts to set azimuth electrically (equal crosstalk in each channel) and this result requires tilting the cartridge in either direction from a 90 degree orientation of the stylus tip to the groove walls. By that criterion, most cartridges are not perfect, but they are not far off, either.

I have used the Vinyl Flat for several years.  Initially I would borrow from a friend that has one about 10+ years old.  I believe that pouch only had low and high.  I would use the high, regardless, for about 3 hours and worked well.  I eventually decided to get my own and the high setting for 3 hours melted the grooves.  It was pretty wild and thankfully nothing special.  I went to medium for about 2 hours and eventually found the sweet spot of medium for 3.5 hours.  

My experience is that this works well for new vinyl.  Any of my collection of older vinyl I have not had any success.  I don't have as much of a problem with older vinyl so there's that.  

Pressing plants basically suck for new vinyl as it can be so awful right out of the sleeve on new releases.  I used to return them to amazon but got tired of the fight as the replacement was often the same.  Now on new vinyl if it is warped at all, it goes right in the Vinyl Flat for the 3.5 hours and is all good.