How to balance a tonearm 

Thank you!

Watched it again today as my tone arm looked wonky on my PL-400. So clear. This tutorial could be a template for others. Not rushed but at the same time not full of filler.

Thank you! The cuing lever helps to protect the stylus from accidental damage. In fairness, I did not have the lever up all the time, but it is good practice to do so. However, the lever must be down when checking the balance between adjustments.

For a turntable at this level, I just use the LP Gear Quick Alignment Protractor. That is, in combination with a conical or elliptical stylus. A more advanced stylus shape is not justified with a turntable as simple as this. A conical stylus is very tolerant of misalignment but, at the opposite end (with advanced stylus profiles), precise alignment is critical. A PL-100 does not offer the adjustability required to properly set up a high-end cart. So, horses for courses. I do own a H-Fi News Analogue Test LP that caters for tweaking high-end gear, that comes with 3 versions of protractors. I can't say that I ever saw breakthrough results because I never knew if I was dealing with the effects of a worn record or incorrect cartridge alignment. The more you move up the ladder to gear that is precise, the more your system reveals the shortcomings in your front end. You can read more about alignment strategies here: www.vinylengine.com/protractor-user-guide.shtml

I couldn't say what cart is best with this turntable. A safe choice would be Audio Technica AT95E. Finding the best performing cart with your turntable is usually a personal journey of discovery. In general I have had good results with various Audio Technica and Nagaoka carts. But a lot of models are no longer available. You can also look at the Hana brand.

Sorry for the very late reply. If there is a cartridge already in place, then the replacement stylus must match the the cartridge model. If you are going to replace the cartridge, a good value model is Audio Technica AT95E.

Yes. However, I have seen others set up the balance point with the arm horizontal. I believe that in practice there may not be a significant impact between the two zero balance points because the amount of adjustment required between the two is very small. My way may be more finicky, but it's what I prefer.

You are absolutely free to do that. Many references will tell you to. My observation of the dependability of the dial indication vs actual stylus pressure was derived using the method I described here.

This is an interesting point. Some say the arm should float level, but then different headshell/cartridge set ups will mean the stylus sits at different heights with a level arm, and so true zero should really be where the stylus ‘floats’ to. This is where this video was going by saying set zero = to the top of the rubber mat. This is then an actual zero reference to which the stylus pressure can be added. Where I would slightly disagree is that I think the horizontal reference point should be a record thickness above the mat.

@@duncanmatthews1977 your last sentence reflects my actual thinking. The person for whom I made this video was not familiar with turntables and I had to give him a "good enough" level of instruction. With more sophisticated turntable setups and advanced stylus profiles (in particular), the level of detail required can be critical. But the common or garden elliptical stylus is very forgiving. For the most part, applying audiophile knowledge to mass market turntables does not yield a benefit.

That would be safer. I do address this in the vid, though. Perhaps you missed it.

@@shaunonverwacht9626 the problem i have is that when the tonearm auto returns it can be heard going across the record??

@@johnvassallo7353 That will happen if the unit is powered on. It's not going to happen here because power is off. See 2:35.

It's fine if it sounds OK. I believe the arm only needs a bit of assistance to help counter inward momentum. But a lot of records have an off-centre hole, which causes it to swing left and right every rotation, which brings the advantage of anti-skate compensation into question.

The one in the vid is an Excell cartridge. I currently use an Aiwa AP-2200 turntable with a Rega Carbon cartridge. The Rega is a fairly nice budget cart which would suit your turntable. I have also recommended Audio Technica AT95E.

No, sorry. I believe that most turntables have a similar tonearm mass that works with most cartridges. It is only when you start looking at exotic setups that it may become a concern. Like when you fit an ultra-light headshell or cartridge, for instance.

Check 7:20 to 7:28. I do mention that the stylus weight I was setting to is the recommended range for the specific cartridge fitted. Also, having set up many turntables, I have discovered that the dial on the weight stub on mid-range turntables in general is reasonably accurate when compared to what is indicated on a dedicated stylus pressure gauge. I have made the audiophile journey and I can tell you that much of it is not relevant for the purposes of a turntable of this spec, which is representative of what most users own.