Acoustical Systems SMARTractor Cartridge Alignment Set

Description

MY TAKE: This is best protractor I've used. The design of the gauge makes it both flexible (allowing one to choose different geometries) and easy to use. Everything is well thought out, even down to the loupe that provides a great view of the stylus and cantilever, making precise measurements much easier. - Galen Carol

Precise cartridge alignment is paramount to achieving the best performance from any analog set up. For the serious audiophile interested in optimizing his cartridge alignment, the SMARTractor from Acoustical Systems is the ideal tool.

The SMARTractor features the critically acclaimed UNI-DIN tangential curve. An all new tangential curve using the latest calculations. In the last 2/3 of the record's groove, the UNI-DIN curve offers significant (18-45%) less average - as well as less total! - distortion than Baerwald or Loefgren. Sonically this gives you less stress on human (female) voices, more subtle details, less "grain", increased "air" and considerable more "headroom" in critical passages and especially so in climaxes. 

Features:

• The SMARTractor features the critically acclaimed UNI-DIN tangential curve.
• The SMARTractor comes with 5 (five) tangential curves combined in 1 (one) template.
• The SMARTractor's template is made from 3mm (= same thickness as 180 gr LP) strong premium grade german XT mirrored acrylic supplied by Evonik.
• Error-free single-point alignment with 3mm deep parallax  for an extremely precise alignment.
• Simple to use - 1-point fixed setting for every tangential curve
• CNC laser cut alignment grids
• Incorporates real glass aluminum-frame magnifier with automatic focus jig for unrivaled precise magnified view during alignment
• All 5 tangential alignments are based on true triangular positioning and thus are independent of effective length and thus suitable for ALL pivot tonearms, no matter what their effective length or mounting position
• The SMARTractor further comes with in-built direct mounting distance - P2S -measurement with 0.05mm accuracy.
• The total of 5 tangential options of course includes the old audio phono standards set by Loefgren and Baerwald in the late 1930s and 1940s in both - IEC and DIN - norms.
• * Loefgren A / Baerwald DIN
• * Loefgren A / Baerwald IEC
• * Loefgren B DIN
• * Loefgren B IEC

Why 5 different options for alignment of cartridge/tonearm? - The vast number of tonearms introduced in the past 40 years not only displays a large number of different concepts, but also a considerable diversity in geometries. Furthermore it makes a significant difference whether the record we want to track with best possible results is a modern pressing with a very long run-out/lead-out ('unmodulated groove' or 'dead wax'), or whether the record's groove is cut close to the paper inner label. The later is often found with countless records made in the early stereo years from 1958 up till 1974. The SMARTractor takes into account the diversity of geometries found in pivot tonearms - as well as the different situations in records past and present. The SMARTractor offers the best possible tangential curve for every request. For every pivot tonearm - as well as for every record collection, SMARTractor insures the most precise alignment possible.
Setting up your analog front-end with unparalleled precision - and with the BEST SONIC results obtainable - is only a matter of a few minutes when using the SMARTractor.

SMARTractor and now SMARTractor XL - With the SMARTractor XL (NEW) the user can precisely alignment and position tonearms with up to 410 mm P2S / mounting distance!! Tonearms like Kuzma 4P 14" and some other extremly long effective length tonearms can now be precisely aligned with the SMARTractor.