Tonearm Parallel?

The late , brilliant AJ Conti of Basis Turntables said that he thought that being obsessed w/ “perfect” VTA was mostly a waste of time because records can be different thicknesses & can be cut to different depths too. And this was a man OBSESSED w/ precision & details! He 

His turntables & tone arms have stood the test  of time are amongst the very best available. I’ve had my 2500 & Vector 4 arm for 20 years, changed the belt & cartridge once & still sounds excellent & only recently has digital music sources truly competed vs. it. 

I assume that the angles mentionned with the cartridge instructions will be achieved when the tonearm is parallel. 
 

now every cartridge has a different height, mostly between 17 and 19 mm. As i swap cartridges regularly i would have to optimize with every swap. Which i am too lazy. 
 

I read values of 4 to 8 mm for the tonearm to be raised which sounds enormous. Other statements are ‚slightly, higher  at the bearing side. 
 

I will give it 2-3 mm.

FWIW, I always start with top of headshell parallel to platter surface and if necessary adjust up or down in tiny increments (<2mm typically) if need is perceived. And yes you can do this by ear.

Parallel is the recommended place to begin.

FWIW, I always start with top of headshell parallel to platter surface and if necessary adjust up or down in tiny increments (<2mm typically) if need is perceived. And yes you can do this by ear.

👍 - Unfortunately, not all arm tubes are on line with their cartridge mount - where you’re trying begin as @lewm mentions

Potential pitfall 2.) Many tonearms create VTF changes for the cartridge/stylus when VTA is adjusted - be aware of what you’re listening to/for

Cartridge setups are a combing-through process that should finish in most cases as a “set & forget” with all the variables in-the-window 🎶

If differences are not experienced, then just go for a technically correct setup and call it a day.

I have to say that I really like using the WAM reference tool kit. It is a great way to know when the headshell will hold the cart parallel to the record surface. It will also confirm a neutral azimuth from the headshell perspective.  Great set up tools.