WallyTools WallyReference Combo Kit
SRA/VTA Measurement Device
- Description
Description
WAM Engineering has been advancing turntable setup since 1994 and many of their tools are the only ones made of their type anywhere in the world. They are passionate about helping you to apply the mathematics, geometry and physics behind vinyl playback to allow you to START FROM CERTAINTY on your analog setup.
The original WallyVTA was developed to create a reference for your cartridge to repeatedly and easily find a perfectly level headshell when under nominal VTF. This development led to Wally’s research into what was happening at the microscopic level with the stylus alignment on the cantilever itself.
Wally found that though the ideal stylus rake angle (SRA) is 92 degrees when under nominal VTF, many cartridge manufacturers were not mounting their styli properly enough to achieve it. Worse, some very expensive manufacturers were far off the ideal. He shared with the audiophile community a method to inspect this for ourselves as shared here.
Since that time WAM Engineering have released the WallyReference Combo Kit. Here’s some features:
- The only tool that allows simple, quick and repeatable confirmation that the top surface of your cartridge is perfectly level in BOTH horizontal axes – front/back (SRA/VTA) & left/right (azimuth).
- Changing tonearm height changes not only Stylus Rake Angle (SRA) but in many tonearms models also changes azimuth angle. WallyReference allows you to compensate for the effect.
- On most tonearms, changing azimuth also changes SRA. WallyReference allows you to compensate for this and keep SRA/VTA constant.
- An essential tool for finding the ideal SRA/VTA for your specific cartridge.
- Quickly and easily move your cartridge to other tonearms with the same ideal SRA/VTA and azimuth angles – No need for a second turntable or tonearm when you can setup all cartridge/tonearm parameters in 15-20 minutes.
- Includes personalized support from Nirvana Sound and WAM Engineering.
Why Does The WallyReference Have Five Different Blades?
Each of the five blades has a different function:
- One Dual Axis Blade – A level headshell requires TWO axes to confirm a plane level to the record surface.
- Two blades for tonearms with indirect azimuth mechanisms – If your tonearm has a straight armwand it is almost certainly an Indirect Azimuth tonearm.
- SRA/VTA Blade displays headshell angle on front/back axis independently of any tilt on the left/right (azimuth) axis.
- Azimuth Blade displays headshell angle on left/right axis independently of any tilt on the front/back (SRA/VTA) axis.
- Two blades for tonearms with true azimuth mechanisms – If your tonearm has a curved or angled armwand it is a True Azimuth tonearm. Tonearms with no azimuth adjustment mechanism at all are also True Azimuth tonearms.
- SRA/VTA Blade displays headshell angle on front/back axis independently of any tilt on the left/right (azimuth) axis.
- Azimuth Blade displays headshell angle on left/right axis independently of any tilt on the front/back (SRA/VTA) axis
When you purchase a WallyReference, you choose Indirect Azimuth, True Azimuth or both in a combo set.
Azimuth Calibration Note: A solution for measuring azimuth angles on “free-rolling” unipivot tonearms is currently under development. “Free-rolling” unipivots (as opposed to unipivots designed with a rigid stabilizing mechanism) allow the pivot housing to rock atop the unipivot in a clockwise/ counterclockwise manner along the axis of the armwand.
Videos
WallyReference Instructional Series (1 of 3)
WallyReference Instructional Series (2 of 3) ver2
WallyReference Instructional Series (3 of 3) ver.2
