Mint LP provides Stevenson Alignment

@downunder:"What tonearm do you use Bill?      or perhaps he has changed his views, or more like he has a more detailed database to do what generally sounds better."
I have several turntables, three of which have Mint LP protractors:  A VPI HW19 with SME III tonearm, a VPI Prime with two tonearms, a 3D and a metal arm (use the same protractor for both), and a Technics SL1200GAE.  All are Stevenson.  As you say perhaps he has changed his views over the years.  Clearly he has given different information at different times to those who have contributed here.  This could be a language based or contextual misunderstanding. 

I believe the Mint LP protractor to be the most accurate tool in my experience, but it is not the quickest, nor is it the easiest to use.  It also is very costly if multiple TTs are involved.  The Feickert if used carefully yields results that are very similar.  The sound differences of the various alignments are relatively easily evaluated using the Feickert, which is a major selling point.  The differences between Lofgren and Baerwald are very difficult to distinguish, at best, on most tracks.  Stevenson is more different and hence easier to hear, but it is not always easy to say which is better.  I think the vehemence surrounding this issue in our hobby is clearly irrational.

@billstevenson 

Hi Bill. thanks for the reply.

  Given the 3 tables you mention, logic dictates Yip used Stevenson. the VPI alignment jig, Harry says its designed to have the least distortion in the last 3rd of the LP so similar to Stevenson.  As we all know the last 3rd is the hardest part of any LP to track and play, hence why having the least distortion in alignment curves imo is the most important aspect ( despite our mexican friend not being able to hear as he only listens to specs, not music) 

  At some stage, it might be fun to use the VPI alignment jig to see if you still prefer the Mint Stevenson alignment.

cheers

Somehow lost in the ensuing discussion is a point made in my original post, which is that I recently bought a Feickert protractor.  It is from the use of it that my observations concerning Baerwald, Lofgren and Stevenson are derived.  I did compare the VPI jig with the Mint LP some years ago when the Prime was first purchased.  I felt that the Mint LP yielded the better results between the two, but admit that my conclusion could have been reached on the basis of expectation as much as on actual sound.  With that said, the VPI jig is not a particularly precise device and it is almost impossible to obtain repeatable results using it.  One of my curses is that I am an engineer, for better or for worse.

To complete this circle, I think properly executed any of the three alignments provides quite acceptable results.  The difference between Baerwald and Lofgren is often extremely subtle or some times even indecipherable.  Stevenson is different enough to be consistently noticeable and it can be better, worse, or neither depending on the position of the cartridge relative to the spindle and of course listener taste. 

Something that has not been mentioned yet is that the whole alignment issue is really very vague.  Rare is the perfectly flat record.  Equally rare is the record with a hole placement that is perfectly centered.  So we take our imperfect records and align them using one model or another and give a listen to side one.  Then, between hammer blows to one another, we turn the record over and get ready for side two.  Does anyone honestly think that the alignment on side two is identical to what it was on side one?  And of course the alignment on neither side is perfect because of the imperfections of the records anyway.  So alignment is all a set of approximations. The irrationality of all the fuss defies any semblance of logic.

billstevenson

... the VPI jig is not a particularly precise device and it is almost impossible to obtain repeatable results using it.

If the results are not repeatable, then it is by definition not precise. That’s not the kind of tool I’d want to be using.

... the alignment on neither side is perfect because of the imperfections of the records anyway. So alignment is all a set of approximations. The irrationality of all the fuss defies any semblance of logic.

That’s not the way I see it; I think it pays to start with as precise an alignment as possible. Consider the benefits of precise four-wheel alignment on your car. Roads aren’t level (they’re usually crowned by design), we don’t drive in straight lines or consistent curves, and roads are full of bumps and irregularities. But a good car handles better when the wheels are correctly aligned, regardless of the road.

In my view, setup is everything with LP playback. It doesn’t matter that virtually no LP is perfect.