fsonicsmith
Can someone please explain the concept of a gauge for cantilever angle? http://www.arche-headshell.de/alignment-tools/smartstylus/They are fixed in respect to each other, but they are not fixed with respect to the record surface. One of the best ways to set the correct VTA is to measure the actual cantilever angle to the LP, as opposed to trying to get it right by looking only at the height of the pickup arm.
It seems obvious that cantilever angle and the relative angle of the stylus on the cantilever are fixed.
Any change of the cantilever angle is not going to change the stylus angle, it will only change the SRA relative to the record surface.Changing the angle between the cantilever and the LP surface will change both VTA and SRA.
I also understand that more often than not, the angle of the stylus on the cantilever is not optimum-a parallel armwand to record surface is no guarantee of achieving even approximate optimum SRA. So why even bother aligning with cantilever angle in mind?Correct - a pickup arm that is parallel to the LP is no assurance of correct VTA. That’s why it makes sense to measure the actual VTA, which measuring the cantilever itself facilitates.