VPI Crosscheck Turntable Level

A Crosscheck Level That Reads One Axis at a Time

The VPI Crosscheck Turntable Level is a leveling gauge that reads a single axis at a time rather than two at once, sold each. That is the difference from a round bubble level, and it is the reason it is easier to act on.

A turntable that is not level makes the tonearm want to fall toward one side of the groove. The stylus is then pushed harder against one wall than the other, which is a lateral force the arm was never designed to resist, and it applies for the whole record.

Accuracy, Range and Fit

What It Reads and How

A round bubble shows you that something is off without telling you which way. A crosscheck level reads one axis at a time, so the reading maps directly onto a foot you can turn — you measure front to back, adjust, then turn the level ninety degrees and do it again.

It is a simple tool and a cheap one, which is the point. Leveling is a five-minute job that most turntables never get, and the barrier is usually not cost but not having anything in the drawer to do it with.

VPI publishes no sensitivity figure for the vial, which is normal for turntable levels — what you are buying is the reading method rather than a calibrated instrument. It fits any turntable, sitting on the platter rather than the plinth, since the platter is what the record lies on.

Who Is the Crosscheck Best For?

• You find round bubble levels vague — one axis at a time maps onto one foot at a time
• You have never leveled your turntable — most people have not, and it costs very little to start
• You have just moved the deck — a new shelf means a new set of feet to set
• You want something to keep in the drawer — inexpensive enough that there is no reason not to own one
• You want a machined instrument — for a precision-machined base, see turntable parts and add-ons

How Do You Use It?

Switch the turntable off and set the level on the platter, aligned front to back. Adjust the feet until it reads level, then turn it ninety degrees and repeat side to side. Go back and check the first axis — adjusting one usually disturbs the other. Rotate the platter half a turn and confirm the reading holds.

Pairs Well With

What most owners leveling a turntable shop next.

• Cartridge alignment tools — level first, then geometry
• Stylus force gauges — tracking force is measured on a level platter or not at all
• Test records — for confirming the result
• Record clamps and weights — the other thing that decides how the record sits

Frequently Asked Questions

How many do I need?

One, and it fits any turntable. Set it on the platter rather than the plinth, since the platter is the surface the record actually sits on.

Why one axis rather than two?

A round bubble tells you the deck is off without telling you which direction. Reading one axis at a time turns that into an instruction: this foot, this way. No turntable level carries a published sensitivity figure, so what you are choosing is the reading method.

How often should I re-check?

After any move, and once or twice a year otherwise. Floors and racks both shift with the seasons, slowly enough that the change is easy to miss.

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