[B&B Musmon]

Hello,
I have been using an AR-XA for almost 40 years, but only now am I
trying to make it sound a little better short of putting on an
expensive tonearm. Any one that knows these tables knows the tonearm
is a weak link. The headshells are infamous for thread failures. If
I can get it to work and I think I can others have used universal
headshells but they do have to be slotted out most times to the get
overhang right. You can buy them for as little as $6 but I found the
SUMIKO-HS-12 which has extended slots and from my measurement won't
have to be drilled out to get the proper overhang, it has an azimuth
adjustment that I thought was a great idea, a bit pricey $50 with
shipping but if it does what I think it will it will be well worth it.
I also like that is is solid and is rigid. But my question is about
the azimuth adjustment. I have never had the capability to do this
before. I know how to make the cable and I do have an old preamp(as
all my equipment is old) that has a mono switch. I have read that the
source also has to be mono, I don't think I have any mono records and
the HiFi test records are pretty expensive but also have other
advantages. I am confused because I am thinking that once you sum A
and B channels that effectively makes the source mono.

Any thoughts,
Barry

[Greg Wormald]

In article ,
B&B Musmon wrote:

Hello,
I have been using an AR-XA for almost 40 years, but only now am I
trying to make it sound a little better short of putting on an
expensive tonearm. Any one that knows these tables knows the tonearm
is a weak link. The headshells are infamous for thread failures. If
I can get it to work and I think I can others have used universal
headshells but they do have to be slotted out most times to the get
overhang right. You can buy them for as little as $6 but I found the
SUMIKO-HS-12 which has extended slots and from my measurement won't
have to be drilled out to get the proper overhang, it has an azimuth
adjustment that I thought was a great idea, a bit pricey $50 with
shipping but if it does what I think it will it will be well worth it.
I also like that is is solid and is rigid. But my question is about
the azimuth adjustment. I have never had the capability to do this
before. I know how to make the cable and I do have an old preamp(as
all my equipment is old) that has a mono switch. I have read that the
source also has to be mono, I don't think I have any mono records and
the HiFi test records are pretty expensive but also have other
advantages. I am confused because I am thinking that once you sum A
and B channels that effectively makes the source mono.

Any thoughts,
Barry

Barry,
Azimuth adjustment by ear usually requires a mono source (LP). You are
trying to have identical tracks in which the stylus rides, because the
azimuth adjustment is a stylus adjustment. If you are summing the
output, then the output of that stage is mono--NOT THE SOURCE!
Greg

[c. leeds]

B&B Musmon wrote:
But my question is about
the azimuth adjustment. I have never had the capability to do this
before. I know how to make the cable and I do have an old preamp(as
all my equipment is old) that has a mono switch. I have read that the
source also has to be mono, I don't think I have any mono records and
the HiFi test records are pretty expensive but also have other
advantages. I am confused because I am thinking that once you sum A
and B channels that effectively makes the source mono.

You will need a mono record to set azimuth by ear. What you want to do
is listen for a minimum level of difference signal (L-R, or R-L) between
the two mono channels.

Or, you can use a proper alignment gauge to set azimuth.