How important is precise VTA adjustment?


I am at the stage where I am about to make the plunge into the Vinyl arena. I have a opportunity to purchase a Michell TT with a package deal on the Stock Rega 300 tonearm.

My findings indicate that Rega makes the VTA adjustment process a nightmare. You actually have to remove the arm from the armboard and insert washers to change the VTA.

To me this sounds like a rather inaccurate way to make adjustments on such a high precision product like a tonearm.

Furthermore, I am not really sure that it's necessary to have this adjustment in the first place. I am no turntable expert and was wondering if a VTA adjustment in the hands of someone like me who is inexperienced with tweaking would only cause problems.

Does anyone know what adustments do come with the Rega arms and what adjustments are important to have?

Also if anyone could recommend a MC cartridge that works well with this arm I would appreciate it.

Thanks
tazuser

Showing 1 response by tazuser

I appreciate everyone's input on this issue. It appears that there are several VTA options available for Michell turntables, but they do not appear to be user friendly. It also seems that VTA is such an important adjustment that I am beginning to question the purchase of this tonearm.

I was told by a dealer that having a VTA adustment and not knowing what I was doing was worse that not having it at all. (Its a less important setting is what I gathered from this message.)

Why would anyone want to buy a tonearm that does not offer such a performance critical adjustment in the first place?

I am rather suprised that someone would invest such large amounts of money into a precision product like a turntable; go through all the trouble of leveling the table, the suspension, the tonearm, nit-picking over isolation and damping, and then place a tonearm that did not provide a easy and ACCURATE way to adjust this crucial parameter.

Perhaps this is why I am being offered this deal in the first place.

I want to thank all of you who contributed and I certainly welcome any new advice on this subject. I really do not want to commit funds and regret it later.

For the time being, I will attempt to purchase a TT without the REGA 300 arm and look at other tonearm options. If I am convinced that an option exists to simplify the REGA setup than I will reconsider it.