This unique tonearm alignment gauge allows you to check the tonearm geometry of your record player / turntable and to install the pickup ideally aligned (offset angle and overhang) to keep distortion to a minimum.
Special features:
Comes with a letter sized, fine print six page very detailed English instruction pamphlet (not pictured) that explains the need for alignment and detailed instructions including color images.
At about 1mm thick it can be placed on top of an old 120 gram record for minimal height variations between tool and real world use.
Made of very high quality cardboard paper like stock. With the tiniest amount of movement, plastic protractors leave tiny bits of plastic on your diamond. Either way don't forget to clean your stylus after use.
This protractor is a reliable way to ensure proper alignment of your standard half-inch mount cartridge of any brand. The goal is to avoid tracking error that especially occurs as your needle plays songs towards the inner part of the record.
Just how important this is for audio quality is shown by a comparison of the distortion (harmonic distortion HD2) caused by the relative lateral tracking error when playing a record with the distortion in the signal processing within the phono stage, pre-amplifier and power amplifier. If the tonearm geometry is not ideal, which is often the case, or if the installation of the pickup system was not checked, the harmonic distortion HD2 caused by too high a relative lateral tracking error can reach values of more than 3%. In contrast to this, all electrical components in a hi-fi system combined would show a value below 0.1% or sometimes, even under 0.01%. The importance of optimizing the tonearm geometry with a high quality alignment gauge can therefore produce a much higher gain in audio quality than a much higher three to four figure investment in better components.