Best tonearm position for VTA?

To give credit where it's due, Nsgarch was the first to mention the Walker link on this thread, not me.

I stumbled across it several years ago while googling around. I subsequently forgot the link but remembered the content and wrote out essentially the same ideas from scratch. Rushton was kind enough to point out I was duplicating Walker's page - saved me a bunch of typing!

Dan_Ed,
What kind of wood do you prefer for those blocks? Cocobolo?

DougDeacon, there actually walnut and hard maple. I've been in New England long enough to start turning Yankee. I don't through anything away, especially from my humble wood shop. The blocks I am using are from my audio rack system. I pulled them out of the scrap pile and they seem to be about 1/8 inch different in thickness, so each one seems to get me in the ball park with the Vector depending on if I have the Glider or the 103 mounted. The Glider likes to be way up, the 103 likes to be up just a little.

I don't get the comments from some that the best VTA is always near parallel. Not to say that they are wrong just that I have not found that to be the case with my setup, nor did I find that to be the case with my old MMF 7 and V15VxMR setup. Seems most cartridges in my system like to be somewhat tail up. Perhaps it is because my 10t's are kind of difficult to tame in the lower frequencies. I am finding that I usually have to raise the arm to focus the bass, which is great cuz the HF seems to like that.

RE: Tail-down tonearm configuration: I agree with Dan_ed's findings. For tail-down configuration to be viable, it seems to me the cartridge maker would have had to build the cartridge with so much SRA to begin with, that to get the SRA down to the 1 degree (+/-) ballpark would require lowering the rear end of the tonearm. So would anyone care to speculate on (or explain to me what I'm missing here) why a cartridge maker might want to do that??

I don't get the comments from some that the best VTA is always near parallel.

Me neither. It depends on the cartridge. Shelters like to be a bit tail down, ZYX's like to be level or *very* slightly nose down. Other cartridges would like other attitudes, depending on their construction and stylus profile. Since there can be manufacturing and age-related differences from one cartridge to the next, even two cartridges of the same model might prefer slightly different attitudes. I agree there's certainly no "always" about it.

Seems most cartridges in my system like to be somewhat tail up. Perhaps it is because my 10t's are kind of difficult to tame in the lower frequencies. I am finding that I usually have to raise the arm to focus the bass, which is great cuz the HF seems to like that.

Here I think we part ways. Except for really gross movements VTA/SRA adjustment is not a tone control. Taming your 10t's bass is not the job of your cartridge or tonearm, its the job (primarily) of your amplifier.

Read Lloyd Walker's VTA/VTF tips again. He does mention tone control-like effects, but only as the first step in setting arm height. With most cartridges there's a pretty wide zone of height settings that yields neutral tonal response. Once you've identified that zone you're not done, you're only getting started.

The most important sonic effects from VTA/SRA changes occur with *very* tiny adjustments inside that tonally neutral zone. These tiny adjustments typically have no effect on tonality at all.

Even some guys with entry level rigs hear this. Check out the many VTA/SRA posts by 'jnhvac' on VA. His ears are way better than his rig. He hears exactly what Lloyd Walker describes on his MMF-5/Goldring 1012GX. He uses playing cards too BTW.

The ONLY way to get accurate(proper)vta is to "LISTEN" for it.Play a wide variety of recordings,and listen for the "BEST" timbres and harmonics.When you feel this is good,you will notice that the BASS and soundstage will fall into place as well.TOO many people set vta for BASS(I'm sure you don't,DOUG),and IMO this is a mistake.Forget about parallel or whatever setting "LOOKS" right,and start to listen for what sounds like the most accurate timbral definition.This should take a few listening sessions with a wide variety of material to play.

Also,and importantly,try to have some GOLDEN EARED audio pals over while you play with the vta.Experimentation is a "GOOD" thing here,and you will learn about your set-up.