Thoughts on VTA......

Not important....set the arm at level or slightly higher and be done with it.  Azimuth however should be as close to perfect as you can get it...greatly affects the sound

Count me among the VTA OTF & by ear crowd. IMO, it is the single most important adjustment in vinyl playback. Even minor changes are immediately audible. This is also true of azimuth, but azimuth can’t be changed OTF. Changing VTA OTF only takes a moment to do, too. Unless you go directly from an RCA "dynaflex" to a MFSL UHQR; then you need to make a guesstimate so you don’t spend an entire side turning the screw.

Also, I respectfully disagree that overhang is changed by changing VTA with arms that feature VTA OTF adjustment. The whole point of VTA OTF is to raise or lower the entire arm assembly with respect to the surface of the vinyl. This includes the arm pivot and the stylus, so that geometric relationship doesn’t change.

With arms that require traditional overhang adjustment via a protractor, it is a simple matter to set the VTA to the thickness of the protractor device (or platter surface or whatever), then adjust overhang as necessary. When one readjusts VTA to differing record thicknesses, the entire assembly retains correct overhang precisely because the entire arm is adjusted horizontally to match the vinyl surface.

Note that some arms make this a moot point because of how overhang is set with them. Both my current Graham and previous (and sadly deceased) Magnepan employ stylus alignment fixtures to get hyper-precise overhang. Tonearm axis for both is also set with a fixture. The Magnepan required a visual evaluation while the Graham is a fixed point.

VTF is a different issue, however. If you change tracking force enough to alter cantilever suspension geometry, then you have changed both overhang and VTA. Since VTF isn’t ordinarily changed once set, this is not all that common a concern. What you do have to remember to do is set VTF before adjusting VTA and overhang. That way, the geometry remains consistent.

So with arms requiring protractor-assisted overhang adjustment, adjust VTA for the scale used to set your VTF, readjust VTA to whatever is necessary for the protractor used, set azimuth and finally set your overhang. Then you can alter VTA as desired.

An aside on SRA/VTA terminology: I believe the issue is a red herring. SRA may be an acronym for changing the vertical relationship of the stylus to the surface of the record, but VTA is the one used by the vast majority of tonearm manufacturers to describe the adjustment. Hair-splitting the relationship between the stylus rake angle and the cantilever vertical tracking angle is functionally pointless because it is not possible to adjust one without affecting the other.

Only the individual user can decide if the extra few seconds of adjustment are worth the effort and expense. For me, adjusting VTA fully reveals why I’ve spent a lifetime investing in my audio system: The ethereal beauty of music. I have demonstrated the feature repeatedly to both audiophiles and non-audiophiles who have all heard the difference clearly. They have also all remarked on how much more natural it sounds in comparison to digital, including hi-rez formats.

We each pays our monies and takes our chances for happy listening. It’s all in the ear and wallet of the beholder.

One big issue with my present Nottingham arm is setting azimuth, it is really a bit hit and miss due to design of it.

I may start looking for a VTA OTF arm to try on this TT.

effischer

Also, I respectfully disagree that overhang is changed by changing VTA with arms that feature VTA OTF adjustment. The whole point of VTA OTF is to raise or lower the entire arm assembly with respect to the surface of the vinyl. This includes the arm pivot and the stylus, so that geometric relationship doesn’t change.

Clearly, changing VTA changes overhang. That is basic Pythagorean  geometry. Of course, the overhang will remain constant if you are able to precisely adjust arm height to compensate for various thicknesses of LPs. But if you are adjusting VTA by ear on the fly, what determines to your ear that you've reached the ideal arm height? Is it achieving the perfect VTA? Or is it achieving the perfect overhang?

Two things you can't cheat with vinyl play.

1) Physics and 2) the Record Pressing Plants.

PHYSICS (the obvious one)

Raise VTA ....you lower VTF and alter other set up parameters.
Lower VTA....you raise VTF and alter other setup parameters.

RECORD PROCESSING PLANTS. (not so obvious)

There were / are no standards for the vertical angles the records are cut at (the included angle).
American plants angles are different from European plants.
Each time the cutting stylus is replaced (every 10 hours?) the new one goes in a little different than before. 8^0

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What to do ?
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If with one average setting your vinyl rig does not allow you to hear these differences, or it does not bother you too much.... consider yourself BLESSED ...enjoy your records.

If however you hear differences even with same thickness records (different included angles) ....and...maybe..... suffer from a little Audiophilia Nervosa...... there are at least four things you can do from my personal experiences over the years. 
  
1) make the necessary adjustments after VTA changes.

2) acquire a preamp with adjustable on the fly "Gain". Lower gain for bright records and vice versa.
  
3) acquire an amp that allows for on the fly gain changes.

4) acquire a tonearm that was designed with VTA changes in mind and allows you to make these VTA changes, with ease, and not affect any other setup prarameters. FWIW - One tonearm only - exists - that I am aware of that has this capability. ET 2.0, and ET 2.5. They are protected by patent.

If there is another tonearm let me know.  

Cheers

Enjoy your records.