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Us poor folks are out of luck as we just trust the manufacturers to do right, but clearly this is not being done. Just have to enjoy what I have. I have enough keeping me up at night, and now this.

And they should be on notice. I have seen my share of utterly sloppy work very recently, less than 2 months ago, from a reputed manufacturer.

Thankfully, I went to the mattresses with this manufacturer, much to his ire. He did comply with a much better manufactured product and in record time (the previous rebuild took 40 weeks)!

I will read the rest of this excellent, ground-breaking article and be utterly PUMPED that Michael is protecting MY INTERESTS!!

Kudos to the Analog Maven!

I could tell you (but won’t do here) from a famous and very expensive cartridge series which due to its cantilever/diamond construction is far way off on any tonearm except one which offers extreme options of adjustment. Nearly all users in the world (and there are many) have totally misaligned setups without knowing.

Michael, if a vendor is selling a Cartridge for thousand's of dollars I think they would have an in house Microscope that could correct this problem during production? I've watched many of your videos that show even lesser costly units that are meticulously manufactured, I would think this step is added quality with minimal cost added to the Cartridge. Sending a 6 or 10 thousand dollar unit thru the mail is a much more involved process and scary. This may be good for units used already in the field or if they can offer a re-tipping service as well.

Very interesting information. Can software like the AnalogMagik correct for some of these problems stated in your article ?

I find the use of the USB microscope a compelling idea for getting the correct SRA, where it has failed for me, is the frustration in getting it to stay still and not move, drift, or even get bumped when setting up the cartridge. I bought one several years back to do just this but the dang thing just doesn’t stay still, it would continually drift from its cradle, and getting it back to where it was supposed to be ended up being an extremely frustrating experience. In the end for me slightly above parallel has worked fine and with other cartridges I own parallel. I listen using one or two records I am familiar with and use the surface noise i know on the record to judge and how well it sounds. Perhaps it might be time to consider the AnalogMajik software, as mentioned above.

I forgot to mention I also use a small little bubble level that I place over the headshell as a useful guide when setting up.

I am 65 and own 25,000 LPs. The worst thing about my upper end audiophile analog system is installing a cartridge. I have a Benz Ruby 3 on a modified SME IV arm. It took at least 10 hours of fiddling with the tracking force and VTA to get it where it sounded excellent after a 50 hour break-in. It may still be off but sounds excellent. My friends who are remastering engineers and audio equipment manufacturers agree. I HATE setting up a new cartridge because I don't know it the cartridge is manufactured correctly and what is really the correct physical installation parameters. Then I have to decide on an MC what the correct gain and impedance settings should be. This is almost equal to getting a colonoscopy but worse than getting a tooth filling. My friends say that it's easy to set up their cartridges. Do I know if they have set them up correctly? No I don't. Setting up my Grado 78 elliptical cartridge on another VPI table was a breeze. Maybe it's wrong but it was so easy. I would pay someone $350 to set up my next cartridge but there is no assurance that it would be correct or that the cartridge is correctly manufactured. P.S. The Benz Ruby 3 likes to see a lower than parallel VTA, just as the U.S. distributor told me.

it should be quite easy to set up the cartridge in all directions.

From my point of view zenith is one of the most important alignments together with azimuth. It has a great impact on sound quality. More important than vta/sra.
You can use Wallytools service or you can use Analogmagik software’s vta track to align zenith angle. It’s a confirmed method by the creator of Analogmagik software.
Zenith is the first alignment I concentrate after finishing optical aligning process (actually the first one is speed check via software but it’s not related with cartridge alignment). Afterwards It’s much more easier to align vta and azimuth and even antiskating.
Or you can wait for upcoming release of Analogmagik software which will have a dedicated zenith track.

As a recent owner of a Miyajima Infinity .7mil mono cart I was wondering how this discussion affects the set-up of mono cartridges ? My stereo cart is a Lyra Etna and I wasn't 100% happy after it was installed. The dealer re-installed it using the AnalogMagik (at a cost) and was I impressed with the results. Is it worthwhile using AnalogMagik for a mono cart ?

I do not think it is too much to ask that the manufacturer sets the damn stylus tip up correctly during the building process. Look at the labor that does into building a high-end cartridge, look at the equipment used to make alignments-- there is just NO EXCUSE for selling a multi-thousand dollar cartridge with a misaligned stylus tip that then places the burden on the user to correct what can only be described as a flawed product-- by spending hours (or hundreds more dollars) trying to compensate for a misaligned stylus tip.

And let's not kid ourselves about the profits made on high-end cartridges. Perhaps not as blatantly obscene as the profits extracted from high-end cables-- but crazy-high none-the-less. Yes, you are paying stupid money when you drop $10k or more on a phono cartridge whose actual cost to manufacture is vastly VASTLY less than that.

There is no economic explanation-- it's aspirational pricing totally decoupled from reality. I say this as someone that has purchased cartridges in the $5k-$10k range multiple times and who does appreciate their power to extract more nuance and detail from those record grooves.

Could you imagine driving a new Ferrari off the lot with misaligned wheels and steering as a matter of course? You are then told you need to spend more time and money fixing that. Who would tolerate this?!

What I would like is a simple method of checking that the cartridge that I just spend many thousands of dollars on IS correctly aligned-- and if not then I'd prefer to send the unit back for a properly manufactured replacement. Is this too much to ask?

For this kind of money the makers have an OBLIGATION TO GET IT RIGHT BEFORE SELLING IT.

I don't know if anyone else is concerned about this, but isn't it a bit troubling that cartridge manufacturers' quality control is apparently so pathetic that "Wallytools offers (or will soon offer) a service whereby you send your new cartridge to them for inspection?" Think about it: Wallytools believes that there's enough of a market to inspect NEW cartridges to set up such a service. Would any audiophile consider sending a new amplifier to an outside service to check to see if the capacitors are in spec, if there are cold solder joints, if all the screws are tightened, etc.? So why should purchasers (a.k.a."the customers") or some secondary source serve as quality control for cartridge manufacturers? Given the fact that many vinyl aficionados will never possess some of the gear needed to determine whether or not cartridge construction is up to spec, shouldn't that make cartridge manufacturers even MORE concerned about quality control?

Yet, Micheal shows an image of a "$6,000+ cartridge" that's evidently egregiously mis-manufactured. And, by the way, who is the manufacturer? It would be a service to analog mavens to know the name of the cartridge builder who let this thing out on to the world. Stereophile doesn't seem to mind citing deficiencies--as well as excellences--in their test reports for the gear that's reported on, so I wouldn't think there's any sensitivity as to embarrassing the manufacturer. The fact is that until analog-oriented audiophiles hold the cartridge MANUFACTURERS accountable for the quality control of their products, then cartridge buyers will have to continue to perform this function themselves--or farm it out to Wallytools, et al.

All of that said, my own experience with high-end cartridges (Lyra, Allaerts, Air-Tight, Ikeda, among others) has been positive, and the only problem I've ever had after all these years was graciously set to rights. However, Michael's discussed the issue of out-of-spec cartridges enough that I've got to believe it's a problem that needs to be resolved--by the manufacturers.

more than a decade ago, i bought a used monster cable cartridge from a dealer in NYS and upon inspection with my handy dandy handheld microsope, i saw that the zenith (though i didn't know it was called that then) was visually off. i complained and got my money back upon return. i was quite disappointed because a friend had one that sounded glorious.

i feel that we would be foolish to accept that sort of defect especially in light ot the fact that advanced instrumentation of today should preclude the sale of a product that far out of spec.

Great article!

In the pictured example, given a four degree zenith error, couldn’t one calculate the relative timing error, since we also know the velocity the ‘passing’ groove?

That seems like we could get an idea of the magnitude of the parameter being discussed.

It would be appreciated if data could overtime be gathered and shared to tell the general public which manufacturers ship out more defective cartridges than others.

"The photo supplied by Wallytool's J.R. Boisclair makes clear that setting zenith angle, like the other set-up parameters cannot be done reliably "by eye"—unless the stylus/cantilever assembly (at the very least) has been correctly manufactured, and based upon his experience, too many are not!"

Wallytool has a service to sell, so they are clever enough to provide a picture of an undisclosed, clearly faulty needle, not within the 2% tolerance range. I'm sure needle manufacturers have decent quality control and they will be happy to help their customers when there is an issue. When not happy with a product, the first step should be to contact the company where you bought your product.
(I'm happily spinning albums on my Pro-ject Essential III with Ortofon OM10 needle ($49), so I needn't worry about zenith and azimuth angles...)

If you ask yourself whats wrong with our hobby the answer is right here. Bob in the Caribbean.

Michael, Could you describe what you heard with the Transfiguration Temper Supreme when you first set it up. I’m guessing the misaligned stylus was immediately apparent, especially with cymbals. Where you able to get proper alignment with the groove or is the stylus so far off square that it couldn’t be aligned?

The message I get from this is that line contact styli are impractical due to the difficulty of alignment of the diamond and the cantilever during manufacture. That may be why conical and elliptical styli are still quite popular, because these azimuth and SRA errors are much less critical WRT alignment for "fatter" side radii.

Let the buyer beware, but the vast experience is that NO phono cartridge manufacturer is very good at getting this right.

"if you think you can "dial in SRA by ear" you are wrong."

I've heard from some audiophiles that you can. An Audiogon poster who is highly respected, a Doug Deacon, claims as much. However, if it's true that one cannot "dial in SRA by ear," then can one say that dialing it in at all makes any difference? Presumably the reason for dialing in SRA at all is because one should be able to "hear" the difference, right?

1.) Getting a decent picture with a USB microscope does not require spending $500. I bought a cheap one from Amazon and I get nice pictures. You need to move your table into the shop and figure out a good way to clamp the microscope. You need the kind of clamps common in chemistry labs that hold cylinders etc. So spend a few dollars on some clamps.

2) The problem I have with relying on the USB scope is that not all styli look like the nice symmetric one shown in this article. Many look like the photos shown in this thread on the VPI forum. http://www.vpiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=16529
I have a couple of Benz carts that look similar. To me there is no sure way to measure SRA with a stylus like the micro-line. The method of averaging the two angles is hokey. You will be able to determine if it is catastrophically off, like that shown in the article. So there is some utility to the scope inspection. But there is no way to "dial in" 92 degrees with that kind of stylus.

Very SMALL adjustments can make a HUGE difference. You can gauge this by listening and finally getting enough fix for the night, to staying up WAY late and only shutting the stereo down because of the time on your watch or idiot-phone.
Most important thing is your SOURCE, what might you think might be the next critical criteria, WAY before you send the signal downstream.
Orientating a "cartridge ", diamond in the groove properly whether by luck ( not often ), or skill by set-up tools and decent ears is worth some time, money and effort. When you do hit it close or near close, you will be thinking of the next record you want to hear before the one you are smiling about has even ended. William

I had a nice conversation with JR at Wallytools and he and I speak the same language. I chatted with him because this article and subsequent comments raised some questions. One concern was that only about 1.2% of the population run $5000+ cartridges, while the rest of us are $1000 or less and mostly with elliptical styli and have the same problem that has been the norm for 70 years.
For anyone worried about "hey what about the rest of us who have lower cost cartridges"? You can rest easy, JR is working on an affordable way for the rest of us to check SRA and styli mount no matter what cart we run, but be patient please.
JR is the real deal and has a passion for this, is a nice guy and most importantly, honest! I personally run vintage tables of two different flavors (Why? = "Why not"?! I learned to setup tables thanks to inspiration from Michael years ago. (Discussing table setup with a local dealer once gave me a lot of motivation if you know what I mean).
Anyway, I'm happy with my tables and don't hear anything disturbing, but I do not have any Wallytools as they are bit pricey, but not terrible. Actually, they are a bargain compared to Audiomagik. I do have questions about one of my tables where I am pushing the envelope. So now I am considering saving up to get at least a couple of the tools if they will work with my tables (it is always a shock to discover what you don't know), one being 50 years old and one being 30+ years old. When I'm ready I'll make sure before purchase.

...incorporating WallyTolls inspection service as part of your review process?
Would it be practical to have them take a look, post review, to assess the build quality of review cartridges and include their analysis in the review? Certainly, that would provide meaningful correlations between your listening impressions and build quality.
I imagine there are obstacles to taking that approach, however, it would be a huge step toward shifting responsibility for quality compliance from the consumer to the cartridge maker, where it belongs.

I understand how this sort of misalignment can cause audible (usually subtle) coloration or distortion. As the owner of one Shibata stylus and one elliptical (both track in the 1.8 to 2.0 gram area), I want to know if there's any chance that the problem could cause damage or premature wear to the vinyl.

Amazing place:

https://www.lathetrolls.com/index.php

I don't think you should dismiss a product just because they don't need you to review it. Many manufacturer
s are happy to let the end user judge the product for themselves.

You don’t need to write “he (or she)” might...”

Just say “They may” or “they might”.

Instead of “His or her” just write “their”.

The implication male is the default is a bit silly, as is the idea only people with binary pronouns might be involved in analog appreciation. Easy and clean fix!

is what you hear.
Why is audible setup not acceptable but audible analysis/testing is prove that it makes a difference?
How do EMT and Ortofon handle the case for their TSD and SPU systems?
No data on manufacturers, but Service Ads tweaked into "scientific" statements.
Hmmmm.
You can do better.

We all expect manufacturers to do the right thing in all walks of life. Our Drs. car makers, food suppliers, etc. and if seems like there are so many recalls it is beyond ridiculous. Yes no one is going to die over this issue.

It still seem that if there are some basic parameters that must be met to insure the the stylus is sitting in the groove properly based on years of disc cutting science it should be done at any price point. This should be a given in the beginning stages of the design process. What is clear is that 'statistical sampling" is taking place here in that regardless of cost, once the production line starts only a few out of a 100 are check for anything. Did not Shure years ago with the the V15MR include a graph of the Freq. response of each unit that left the factory. What other cart manufacturer made test records that one could buy to verify performance for yourself?

Those of you who are able to spend thousands on a cart do deserve to know that your cart is perfectly made. You should not have to trust or expect it is right and then find out is is not even close.

I will say that not all vinyl is manufactured equal, we all know that and Michael is good enough to rate pressing quality, but when you are dropping hundreds on a 4-6 LP boxed set you should have confidence that your TT system is right and can play them properly.

I think this is a Big Deal and when we worry about even the smallest detail of CD quality, or a DAC that does not have near perfect linearity, or nearly the lowest measured jitter; it is not clear that there is much more to be worried about when it comes to LP playback. Yes, when wrong LPs can sound amazing, but we should not have to worry about poor cart. manufacturing.

I think back to my days in the custom sheet metal business and we worried and backed up our promise of a tolerance of .005" and in some aerospace work, .003 and did everything we could to check all our parts in QC, what is happening here is not acceptable.

For azymuth, I would play a mono record, invert the two channels, and find the cart angle that makes the two phases cancel each other. Is this reasonable? How about SRA? I can’t think of a method other than maybe play a record with one tone and make the spectrum distribution of the tone as narrow as possible (much harder to do I think).