ORTOFON - Bubble level

Turntable accessories - Adjustment & setup

Before a turntable can sound its best, it must be level - and precisely so. This may sound banal, but it has physical consequences: a drive that is not aligned horizontally changes the anti-skating force, puts one-sided strain on the platter bearing, shifts the tracking force asymmetrically onto the groove edges and thus impairs every subsequent adjustment step. No matter how carefully a cartridge's tracking force and anti-skating have been adjusted, it cannot develop its full potential if the basis - the horizontal alignment - is not correct. The Ortofon level is the elegant, precise tool that takes care of this first and most important step at a glance.

Made of high-quality, transparent acrylic with a diameter of 40 mm, you simply place the Ortofon level on the turntable - and the air bubble immediately shows whether adjustment is necessary. No recalculating, no estimating, no repeated placement in different places. The transparent acrylic allows a clear view of the bubble from above and from the side, the rich material lies securely on the platter and does not cause any imbalance. Form and function are not opposites with the Ortofon Libelle - they complement each other to create an instrument that is a pleasure to hold.

The turntable is a physically highly sensitive system in which all setting parameters are interdependent. Horizontal alignment is the basic prerequisite, without which no further adjustment can have its full effect. An inclined record player noticeably changes the anti-skating force: the tonearm follows the force of gravity slightly in the direction of the incline, the needle presses against one side of the groove, one side of the groove is loaded more than the other. The result is channel-related sound differences, increased stylus and platter wear, and - particularly audible - distortion in dynamically demanding passages near the run-out groove.

Added to this is the effect on the platter bearing: if the turntable is not positioned exactly in the water, the bearing sleeve rests against the bearing wall on one side. This increases the mechanical friction, generates micro-vibrations in the bearing point and transmits these into the platter - and from there into the groove. Anyone investing in high-quality bearing blocks and isolation platforms should therefore first ensure that the turntable is exactly level. The Ortofon level is the first and most important step in this optimization chain.

The level is placed on the turntable and read once. For maximum measuring accuracy, we recommend a little trick from measurement technology: turn the bubble level once through 180° and read it again. If the bubble has not changed its position, the bubble level is calibrated and the measured value can be used directly. If the bubble has moved, the actual horizontal is exactly in the middle of both bubble positions - this way you can obtain a reliable result even with a simple circular bubble level. Most high-quality turntables have height-adjustable feet that can be used for precise alignment.

For turntables with a sprung sub-chassis - such as many Thorens models - the spirit level should be as light as possible so as not to strain the sub-chassis and produce a distorted measurement image. With its 40 mm diameter and slim acrylic body, the Ortofon spirit level is ideally dimensioned for this application. If you require even greater accuracy, the Ortofon Libelle 2 is the more precise further development with a narrower bubble tolerance.