Clearaudio IEC Cartridge Alignment Gauge - Black

A Machined Aluminum Alignment Gauge Cut to the IEC Standard

The Clearaudio Cartridge Alignment Gauge is a machined aluminum jig for setting cartridge geometry on any pivoted tonearm. It is cut to the IEC standard, which places the two null points at roughly 66 and 121 millimeters from the spindle.

A cartridge on a pivoted arm traces an arc across a record cut in a straight line. Alignment is the compromise that makes the two agree at two points on the disc, and which two points you choose is what the word IEC in the name is telling you.

Accuracy, Range and Fit

What It Sets and How

The gauge follows the IEC alignment standard. Under IEC the null points sit at approximately 66 and 121 millimeters, spreading tracking error evenly across the playing surface rather than concentrating accuracy at the run-out.

It is machined from aluminum rather than printed on plastic or card. A metal jig locates positively on the spindle and stays where you set it, so both hands are free for the headshell screws and the reference does not slide while you are sighting down a cantilever.

Clearaudio specifies it for all pivoted tonearms. A tangential or linear-tracking arm works to a different principle and follows its maker's own procedure, so check which kind you have before ordering.

Who Is the Clearaudio Alignment Gauge Best For?

• You want IEC geometry specifically — the standard is stated rather than left for you to work out
• You own any pivoted tonearm — Clearaudio specifies the gauge across the type rather than for one arm length
• You are tired of paper templates sliding — machined aluminum locates on the spindle and stays there
• You align cartridges more than once — a metal jig outlasts a printed sheet by decades
• You run a tangential or linear-tracking arm — those align by a different method; the tools that suit them are in cartridge alignment tools

How Do You Set Up and Use It?

Locate the gauge on the spindle and let it settle flat against the platter. Lower the stylus to the first null point and adjust the cartridge in the headshell until the cantilever aligns with the reference. Move to the second null point and repeat. The two interact, so return to the first and confirm before tightening anything.

Pairs Well With

What most owners of an alignment tool shop next.

• Stylus force gauges — geometry and force are the two halves of a cartridge setup
• Phono cartridges — a protractor is what makes fitting one yourself reasonable
• Test records — for hearing whether the alignment landed
• Tonearms — the mounting distance a protractor measures is set when the arm goes on

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate is it?

It is cut to the IEC standard, so the geometry itself is defined rather than approximated. Machined aluminum holds that reference without flexing or sliding, which leaves your eye at the cantilever as the only variable.

What is IEC alignment?

One of the recognized two-point alignment geometries. It places the null points at roughly 66 and 121 millimeters from the spindle, which spreads tracking error across the disc instead of favoring one part of it.

Will it fit my tonearm?

Clearaudio specifies it for all pivoted tonearms. Linear and tangential trackers align by their maker's own method and are outside its scope.

What does it not set?

Overhang and offset angle are its job. Tracking force, azimuth and vertical tracking angle are separate adjustments needing their own tools.

Do I need to re-align after fitting a new cartridge?

Yes. Each cartridge body places the stylus slightly differently relative to the headshell, so the geometry is set again whenever one changes.

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