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.
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.
