What is best VTA for Clearaudio Maestro Cartridge?

Dcbingaman, what is so peculiar about CA MMs and unipivot arms and azimuth? The Maestro compliance is middle of the road: I believe 15. Why would other cartridges be a better match? I understand that the VPI Classic w/ stock arm is highly regarded. So I guess I am puzzled?? FWIW, while it takes a lot of fiddling for sure, I think my Maestro/VPI Classic combo seems ok. Maybe I just don't know what "good vinyl" is all about -- which really may be the case.

Take a look at my OP -- "VPI Classic/Clear Audio Maestro Wood Question." I'm tweaked out!

Bif, I wish I knew why. My guess is the combination of low / medium compliance and an unusually long cantilever. I talked to Mike at VPI and he recommended a 3G weight in the headshell, and a heavier "outrigger ring" to stabilize the azimuth. I tried the headshell weight, and it helped, but I still didn't get the bass response I wanted.

Dcbingaman, here's my post from the other thread:

"I'm still fiddling.

My most recent tweak is VTF. Clear Audio recommends between 2 amd 2.5 grams, with 2.2 grams recommended. I followed that recommendation, but I noticed that there was a low frequency resonance when I played classical music and the cellos and basses came on line, probably somewhere between 50 and 100 Hz.

I turned off my sub woofer, but still the resonance; the sub rolls off at 40 Hz. I fiddled around with VTA which resulted in a very slight improvement, but the low frequency resonance was still there. I then rechecked alignment -- no problem there. Azimuth was ok too.

So, I turned back to VTF. I increased weight. Yuck - even worse and the top-end took a vacation. I tried damping fluid. Worse still. I then lowered VTF to 2 grams and got rid of the damping fluid. The resonance disappeared and the top-end came back from vacation. Tomorrow, I may try reducing VTF by another .1 or .2 grams and see what gives.

Ok, so it was fun when I started, but now I'm getting bored. I just want to enjoy my music and stop listening to my equipment.

I share this tale because my experience shows just how much tweaking this arm requires. Hopefully, there WILL be an end-point, and then I can get back to the music. Also, I agree 100% with [the] comment 'that the ears will always be the final criterion in most matters concerning vinyl playback.' FWIW"

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BTW, Mike and I are trading e mails about this issue. Mike said that the Classic JMW arm, if set up properly, should be a good match-up with the Maestro. Hopefully, I'll hear back from Mike tomorrow about how to best set the arm up. I'll report back with his suggestions.

Cheers

If any of the contributor to this thread see this post, I have a follow up question. In connection with setting up and adjusting the Maestro Wood on the JMW tone arm, did anyone check playback quality with the mat on and off, or with the rubber washer on and off?

Maybe it's just "wishful hearing" on my part, but I think the low frequency resonance that I discussed above may be a little better with the mat and washer off. It also seems that the playback is tighter and more alive. However, as stated, it could just be "wishful hearing."

Thanks