The obsession, the trees. The music, the forest.

Jm88439,
It is okay for some of us, especially beginners to be obsessive about azimuth and vta at first. Once they are set right, we can then enjoy the music w/o worrying azimuth and vta and what not. Yes, enjoying the music is the goal, not listening to equipments. But I notice the "uptight", the tweakers are the kind of people who help me a lot in this art of music appreciation. So I like them very much too.

I would suppose that after some experience making those frequent adjustments, making them becomes second nature resulting in minimal detraction from musical enjoyment.

"But I notice the "uptight", the tweakers are the kind of people who help me a lot in this art of music appreciation. So I like them very much too."

I like that.

I'm pretty new and just trying to get my rig set up to the best compromise of settings for all my vinyls, from thin old ones to my 200g pressings. Once I find the best compromise--the settings that seem to do well with anything I throw on the platter--then I'll stop, and enjoy the music. Until then, I toy around and tweak and listen to the changes.

Since I don't have a dealer that I can call to come set everything up for me, I'm kind of forced to learn how to do it all myself. I find cartridge alignment the trickiest, but I'm learning alot and it's a great skill to have. Once I find the right balance, I can't wait to leave it all alone and just listen. I'll simply check on the setup periodically as the seasons change.

Well, since I'm the guilty party that started those two threads, let me just weigh in here.

I'm first and foremost a music fan. I love almost all kinds of music. My "obsession" with finding the correct adjustments is part of the quest to bring that music home in as perfect a form as possible. When I hit upon that precise VTA, I'm magically transported to Orchestra Hall in Chicago in 1954.

Imprecise adjustments *distance* me from the music. I think the better and more highly-resolving your system, the more critical and noticeable these adjustments will be.

As has been pointed out, with certain stylus shapes, changes in VTA are less audible. In these cases, you can pretty much set it and forget it. But in other cases, the shape of the stylus dictates that VTA be adjusted separately for different record thicknesses. Here, something like the adjustability of the more expensive JMW arms is really a tremendous thing for music lovers. And the fact that you have a numerical scale and can *repeat* the adjustment is something that *reduces* neurosis and anxiety rather than increases it. You never feel as if you've "lost" that perfect setting.

Just some thoughts from someone who's spent over 20 years fiddling with VTA, but above all, enjoying the music. Sometimes you have to *work* at making the music real.

Is someone who requires a higher standard, and has gained the skill to achieve it necessarily uptight? I hear "uptight" as, possibly, an excuse made by one who is unsure of his ability to wring the best from his gear and wishes to divert attention.

Many of us don't really give a care how one enjoys any aspect of this hobby, but are happy to have this forum to share and gain tweakers tips when needed, or musical performance recommendations when that is our interest.

Enjoy the hobby the way you prefer to. It's not necessary to characterize the method of other people's enjoyment.