Tracking error is not the same as mistracking, by the way. A cartridge can be aligned correctly and still mistrack, and vice-versa.
2 Likes
Or you might find that you simply didn’t understand it.
2 Likes
I was advised by said ‘expert’ that a Dynavector cartridge would not fit the headshell. There was no discussion of overhang, geometry or whatever.
I’m quite good at reading and understanding things, thanks.
I am so glad you mention this because I thought it was just me!
How many times on here do we see ‘What’s the best cartridge for my Rega Planar 3?’ etc.!? People just don’t seem to get it about the synergy between the cartridge and the phonostage and arm.
Looking at the OP’s post, thankfully @Chalshus does, and has mentioned their phonostage. (I’d like to be able to help but I can’t because I don’t know anything about the Aro.)
Rant over!
Perhaps because you mentioned “geometry”?
2 Likes
I have no idea what the poster meant. I consider the matter well and truly closed, so won’t participate further here.
Thank you, gentlemen.
I ordered an Ortofon 2M Bronze. My local dealer will install it in my living room next week.
4 Likes
Phew!!
Hope it works out well for you.
Peter
1 Like
Just because people use them, doesn’t mean they are working optimally. With no adjustment of the cartridge in the headshell, there is no alignment possibility. Unless the mounting hole to stylus tip is the same as Linn’s, they will be misaligned. No ifs, ands, or buts.
2 Likes
Cannot resist, and only in jest, but…I hope that the dealer actually installs it in the arm!
You’re wasting your time . 
1 Like
That will depend on the deck and in particular the armboard that is used for the ARO.
I had a custom armboard made by Loricraft specifically to give adjustment both front to back and side to side in order to give the ARO the necessary adjustments to better optimise alignment when used with a variety of cartridges of differing stylus to mounting hole distance.
For all that, even when it’s “wrong” at least it’s pretty much impossible to mount a cartridge askew (surprisingly easy to do with slotted headshells) in the original ARO thanks to the fixed mounting holes, and even with a cartridge with different stylus to mount hole distance, the difference is not enough to cause too many issues - all that really happens is a change to the distortion curve and tangent “null” points along the LP.
3 Likes
Feeding the numbers in to a certain online alignment calculator gives the Aro and alignment so close to Lofgren A IEC as to make no difference using either of a 211mm P to S and a 7mm hole line to stylus or 212.5 and 8.5mm of many Dynavectors. If you can achieve a P to S of 213.5 the 2M doesn’t get much worse but maximum distortion nearly doubles if you can’t. You’ll never really know unless you can compare and listen.
I’ve not used my Aro for several years and never with a Linn cartridge but it gave a good account of itself at 212.5cm with a DV17 and a Proteus.
Having moved overhang by 2mm longer on a rather different arm (Korf) with a very different alignment (UNIDIN as far as I can make out) the image narrowed between the speakers but it was restored by compensating with a similar P to S increase. I never tried this trick with the Aro but I’ll be mounting it again fairly soon for comparison purposes and I won’t be limited by Linn’s choices.
All you need to do to be sure is get an alignment protractor and do a simple set up test. Some of the decent mirrored ones are very easy to use.
Something I do every year along with azimuth and tracking force, then I use my ancient but loved HFS 75 test record.
Connection clean at the same time too
Doesn’t matter what protractor gets used there is no overhang adjustment on that arm .
Richard just took the time to explain what others and myself were trying to say.
Post #70? 
…not so sure that a badly misaligned cartridge will actually sound good though, particularly with modern stylus profiles (the best of which are going to be most sensitive to misalignment).
…and, let’s be honest, the arm manufacturer has set their arm up to have no degrees of fredom in all of its alignments, including pivot to spindle distance and the alignment protocol designed into the complex. Once this is understood and applied, it’s quite easy to do…unless the parameters of the arm and cartridge preclude this. I would never have been happy with a 1mm error or any degree of non-parallelness when using an alignment protractor. Now, I have no such concerns, as lonv as I use a Rega 3 point fixing cart.
That’s what I said you can’t set another cartridge optimally without having overhang adjustment.
If near enough is ok then spend and enjoy.
1 Like
I really am not worried at all about the Dynavector cartridge that I have (and have had in the past) in the ARO headshell.
My current TKR tracks perfectly, and sounds great. Audio T (who installed it) were perfectly happy as well.
There is no way of adjusting it in any event, once it is installed in the ARO.
Members need not be concerned on my behalf!
1 Like
Exactly, and a protractor will prove it to those that don’t believe
2 Likes