This is a false issue. If you hear a benefit, continue with VTA adjustment. If not, don't. |
Triumph, he says, "ility: We can see that cartridge VTA is normally around 10° higher than the record cutting angle. And the record cutting angle varies by around 7° whilst it is being played." Where is the proof that this is true? I think it is bs. |
Sunnyboy, your experiences are quite common. I used to have the Triplanar setting on each of the records I most commonly listened to. Now with my Shindo arm, I know them by changes I feel in my thumb as I raise and lower the VTA.
Many don't want to bother and thus argue it doesn't matter. Let them think so. |
vta stands for viaga testicular adjustment. |
One reason why the Wheaton tonearm was so easy to use was the micro adjustments it allowed. I now have a Schroeder, however, so I now know the benefits of its design. What we really need is a rigid, low mass, easily adjusted linear tracking arm. Having gotten my Schroeder adjusted, I can patiently await this perfect arm. |
How does going to a linear arm negate these adjustments? With it being absolutely level is added to your problems, and if your overhang is off, it is off all the time.
The idea of reversing the ground and hot on one channel is old and does not work with having any other input as you have to reverse that side's speaker cables also. |
In several instances where I have had others around while seeking to set the VTA, there has been total agreement. I do not think it is so totally subjective as TWL suggests. But I totally agree with him that it is a subjective experience, that you say, "Aha, that is it."
Dougdeacon, yes for most arms the VTA has to be a compromise setting. I once had the Wheaton arm which has an easy VTA adjustment with an easy reproducted marked scale. I did mark many albums as to where they should be set. One cannot do this with the Schroeder so I use the best overall setting. |
Jyprez, yours is a good starting point. Try very slightly lowering the arm in the back and take a listen. Continue lowering very slightly until it gets worse rather than better. If your sound is disproportionately coming from one channel, you may need to adjust the azmuth or left/rightness of the cartridge looking straight on to the arm over the cartridge. This too can be adjusted by ear, but the best method is to reverse on channel and playing a mono record, listening for the lowest sound level as one side will be out-of-p'hase with the other. |
I have a recent experience that causes me to reopen this thread. I got a new Shindo Labs mat to replace my cork mat on the Garrard 501. Although these mats are both 3 mm. thick. The mat makes an incredible change in sound. As one of these changes is greater body to the sound but diminished sparkle in the top end. I have spent three hours so far adjusting the vta, asmuth, anti-skate, and even dampening on the Schroeder Reference. All of these have proven quite important to what I am hearing and the new mat clearly has superior bass and is quieter. I think I have found the correct asmuth by way of the equal transparency of both channels. Today, I will try the tracking weight and vta some more. The overhang is right on as is the anti-skate.
Anyone who suggests that setting up a tt is easy is crazy. |
Viridian, I agree entirely. No one who has ever heard the magic of the right VTA would ever understate its impact. |
Certainly, 180 and 200 gram records are unusually thick, but there are not great differences among other records. Finding the right vta thus is not entirely dependent on which record you are playing. Some time ago when I had a Wheaton arm with calibrated settings, I went to the trouble of assessing about 50 LPs. Most had the same setting or very close to the same setting. |
If only we could have a very rigid, entirely free playing tone arm with adjustable vta, azmuth, overhang, and tracking weight. |
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I was unaware of this arm although I have heard the
SpJ La Luce Turntable several times and have a friend with one. He is thinking about buying the Schroeder Reference. It just strikes me that it would fail the rigidity test. |
Newbee, yes, a rational for ignoring adjustment of your VTA-exactly but why have to tell others it is irrelevant and give incorrect or exaggerated information?
Once I had the Wheaton tone arm with a caliper scale. I did mark about 100 records to set this. I don't do that with the Shindo Labs but do make changes for thick records, such as 200 grams. |
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