AudiogoN Forums: VTA and cartridge loading

VTA and cartridge loading

I've been reading the various threads regarding VTA and how it affects what one hears. My understanding is that as VTA increases (arm is raised), there will be more emphasis on the higher frequencies and as it is decreased (arm is lowered), the lower frequencies will be more emphasized. A quicker, airier sound versus a richer, fuller sound.

Someone also told me that VTA is really an adjustment in the time domain, meaning that it affects how accurately transient information is reproduced. If it is too high, the leading edge becomes shrill and occurs too early in time thus becoming detached from the note's harmonics and if it is too low, the leading edge of a transient occurs too late and gets mixed in with the rest of the note and it becomes a bit muddy and poorly defined.

My understanding of the affects of proper cartridge loading is somewhat similar. That is, the higher the loading, the more life and dynamics one hears. The lower the loading, the fuller, richer the sound becomes.

Are these descriptions accurate and useful? Is there any relationship between VTA and cartridge loading? Which should be set first?

Peterayer (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-21-10

Responses (1-21 of 21)

Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

12-22-10 Hi peter, happy holidays. i can't directly answer your ques ... Jfrech

12-22-10 Vtf definitely affects vta and more importantly sra. actuall ... Corby

12-22-10: Syntax
In real life they have nothing in common. Whenever you change a cartridge or Phonostage, you will start all over again.
VTA
That is the main error in thinking, that doing up or down will create this or that.
It depends on the age of record, in which angle the grooves were cut. There are huge differences between an old Mercury and a MFSL reissue.
Next, all cartridges are different from angle of cantilever, stylus and the polish of it. When the needle is moved up/down in the groove, you also change the contact area of the needle.

Phonostage
There is no Standard, means, 100Ω from Phonostage A has have nothing in common with 100Ω of Phonostage B. You have to find you own best setting.
Analog is a chain, you have influence from the Arm cable, internal vibrations from the turntable too and from the gain to your speakers in general.
There is also a high frequency rise with MC's, a real task for Phonostage Designers (Solidstate). That is one reason why most Phonostage sound shrill when they are loaded with 1k-47k. It needs very much knowledge to make it right, the only Transistor Phonos I heard who did it were Curl Vendetta and Klyne 7.
To make the life easy, all recommend to "load" them down but in reality it is a damping and will make the carts slow and dull. But how much of "slow and dull" is each ones own try and error, more or less a compromise because the cycle starts all over agin with a new component and you can forget everything you did before. 47k for example is no damping, you can hear the cart the way it is made, without any limits, but most won't like it. But it has nothing to do with your taste, you will hear the limits from the Designers. Still a task today.

Your question to be set first?
It doesn't matter. Do whatever you like.
Syntax (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-22-10 I'm sorry, but i don't think my post was written clearly eno ... Peterayer

12-22-10 I think that you have the vta part, more or less, correct. b ... Viridian

12-22-10 Viridian is correct. they may seem coupled if you are using ... Drrsutliff

12-22-10 Just to clarify a confusing sentence in my post.."too l ... Viridian

12-23-10 I owned the xono and was amazed by how many choices it provi ... Samhar

03-28-11 Curious how cart setting has gone and what settings you've a ... Samhar

03-29-11 Hi sam, my airtight pc-1 cartridge is loaded at 22 ohms at m ... Peterayer

03-30-11 There is a useful thread going "mc loading at 47k" ... Stops

03-30-11 Set the cartridge loading at 1000 to start with (mc). set th ... Stops

04-01-11 Peter, thanks for the response. how do you go about setting ... Samhar

04-01-11 Sambar: read my link. i hope it is clear enough. numbers of ... Stops

04-01-11 Hi stops, i was thanking peterayer for his response to my in ... Samhar

04-01-11 Samhar, i start with setting the vtf in the middle of the re ... Peterayer

04-01-11 Sanhar: no problem. i think setting the vta/sra first is ver ... Stops

04-02-11 Stops, if you set vta/sra first, do you also adjust vta on-t ... Peterayer

04-02-11 Peterayer: that is a good question. i set the vta for the th ... Stops

04-02-11 Stops, thanks for the further explanation. i agree that vta ... Peterayer

04-02-11 You are welcome. i suggested a method for tweaking the load ... Stops