Cartridge setup experts: Azimuth critique

The object of the exercise is to have the stylus perpendicular to the record. It looks like you have achieved this. Small adjustments should be made by ear - but if this is difficult, I wouldn’t bother. You would probably end up worse.

I would not install a compliant pad between the cartridge body and the tonearm or shell. Rigidity is what I seek, not compliance.

As for the Fozgometer, if I remember correctly, it works by equalizing crosstalk. That may work for some cartridges. I tried this with a Koetsu and it ended up at an absurd angle, and sounded terrible. Probably made a mistake of some kind. Anyway, I adjusted by ear, and the stylus ended up perpendicular. With my new tonearm I adjust on the fly to a few minutes of arc and it does make a difference - subtle but it’s there.

I say, enjoy what you’ve accomplished. Well done!

Please watch this to understand WHY we adjust the azimuth angle. Spoiler alert: it has nothing at all to do with the stylus/cantilever assembly. 

Sorry- I meant to say it has nothing to do with the alignment of the stylus or cantilever with the groove. 

I'm not convinced. 

Happy, yes. Plenty good.

Shim kits are a real pain, and you might not improve your nearly perfect angle anyway, and you add something less solid between headshell and cartridge as well as a tiny unsupported gap both side to side and front to back.

Shims SUCK!!!

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I use a mirror the thickness of an LP.

looked at (not magnified) from the front, you see the actual and reflection of the headshell.cartridge body top.sides, straightness of the cantilever. Any error of angle is reflected 'opposite', so it becomes easy to rotate till reflection agrees with reality above. 

This unmagnified method 'assumes' the maker has mounted the diamond on the cantilever. Listening and looking at the diamond magnified can conform that as you have done here.

Seeing a slightly 'bent' cantilever is easy with this method.

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Now, this set of magnified mirrors, picked up, wobbled this way and that beow the stylus let you see the cantilever/diamond and it's cleanliness quite easily