Can Wrong VTA Damage the Stylus?


I have been using a Rega P3 and Goldring 1042 combo with the Rega spacer under the arm to add lift to the VTA. The sound sounded extremely bright, so I thought cartridge needed break-in time. I then was reading this forum and thought maybe the brightness is caused by VTA. I have been using this too high VTA setting for about 60 hours now. Could I have caused pernament damage to the stylus?

Thanks for your time,
DR
dr_
No damage. No harm done. The VTA effects people are talking about, bloated bass vs too bright, are gross. In other words that's what you hear when its way way off one way or the other. The closer you get to perfect the more you have to start listening for finer details. Unfortunately you'll never get the chance because the VTA adjustment I'm talking about is tiny fractions of a millimeter while your arm requires changing washers. The washers are fine for getting you into the ballpark. Perfectly dialed in VTA would have you measuring washers with calipers and the time and trouble just won't be worth it. 

The easiest method with your setup is to look closely at the cartridge while playing a record. Almost always you want the cartridge to be either perfectly flat and parallel with the record, or very very slightly tipped down at the back. There's a very small flat area on the bottom of your cartridge. Make sure that is parallel to the top (where it fastens to the headshell) and then use the washer that gets the bottom of the cartridge flat or very very slightly tipped down at the back. 


No damage, you may notice different high frequency presentation if a tonearm pivot is raised up a bit, some people love it. It's positive VTA. 

Negative VTA is something weird, don't do that. 


Actually, there are two stylus profiles that it might be dangerous to raise the tonearm too high. The Ortofon Replicant 100 and the Fritz Gyger S styluses are very sharp. It is possible that they could dig into the vinyl damaging the record and possibly pulling the stylus off if the stylus rake angle is too high, past 95 degrees (tip of stylus pointed into the oncoming record.)  Other styluses it is not an issue. 
As the stylus drifts either way off the angle of the cutter it can not longer fit into the highest frequency (small) modulations so the high frequencies roll off. If you older than 65 you can go quite a ways before hearing anything:)
No, it’s just a matter of preference. Ass down will increase bass and sound more bloated, whereas tipped forward will increase high frequency response and may sound too bright. Try and find a happy medium by listening. There really is no wrong or right, despite the general rule of 92 degrees and a parallel arm etc....it comes down to what you like. And absolutely no damage to stylus. Misalignment in other parameter, yes damage could result.