What is best VTA for Clearaudio Maestro Cartridge?

Here is an update of my problems with getting my Clearaudio Maestro cartridge to sound good with my Super Scoutmaster Reference Turntable. As I have stated previously, because my Maestro Wood cartridge is so light in weight, I was not able to set the proper Vertical tracking force on the VPI 10.5 arm - I could not bring the rear counter weight forward enough. So, I had to use the extra small metal weight that Clearaudio includes with the Maestro cartridge. I installed this weight between the Maestro and the tone arm head shell. This enabled me to set the proper VTF of 2.5 grams.

After setting up the cartridge, the sound that was created was shrill, edgy, bright - really bad. I tried different tone arm cables with no change. I played with VTA and traking force and rechecked the arm set up. The terrible sound did not change. So, I decided to try putting the extra Clearaudio weight on top of the tone arm head shell, instead of in between the cartridge and head shell. The sound did not change much; still very unpleasant.

After living with this frustration for a while and thinking I should give up on this cartridge, I came up with the idea of trying the cartridge decoupler that came with an older MCZ Grado cartridge that I own. This decoupler is a light weight, metal like triangular piece that has three raised dimples on each of it's three corners. It is installed between the cartridge and the head shell and the three dimples rest against the cartridge, thereby decoupling it from the head shell to some extent. After setting up the cartridge for like the tenth time, I sat down for a listen. The sound was very different and much better. My records are now listenable and the sound is pretty good. I do believe there is room for more improvement though. For what I paid for this table, it should sound fantastic. So, I will continue to work with the Clearaudio Maestro. I think it can sound better.

There are a few more things that I think will improve the sound. One is the Mapleshade Nanomount system, which gets a lot of recommendations for the VPI tables. This will further isolate my cartridge from the tone arm. (see http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/nanomountsystem.php)

The other thing that I believe will help is to experiment with different resistance/capacitance loadings in my Magus preamp. Another Audiogon member has had good luck doing this using the same cartridge I have. Also, I spoke to Mike at VPI and he said they just got in a new McIntosh preamp that lets the user automatically change resistance/capacitance loading from a remote. Mike said that the change in sound can be startling.

The third thing is to keep trying different phone cables until I get one that sounds great.

Any comments or any other ideas that you readers may have are welcome. I have a feeling that I can make the Maestro sound great with my SSM table, but it may take a while.
Thanks for all you help. Joe

You may want to make sure that the Maestro's compliance is ideally matched to the VPI tonearm. With a Clearaudio tonearm at 2.2 grams, the Maestro tracks beatifully and does not giggle or wobble when playing warped or off-center discs, a sure sign of optimized cartridge compliance for the specific tonearm mass.
Also, the Maestro is sensitive to anti-skating force. Looking from the front, its stylus will play off-center if the anti-skating is not perfect, which seems to be difficult to set up with your tonearm.
AFAIK 2.0 to 2.2 grans is the correct VTF setting for the Maestro, not 2.5 grams. At 2,5 grams the moving iron will be misaligned with the stationary coils and the cartridge will sound dull and undynamic.
Also, if the tonearm weight pushed all the way forward gives a tracking force of 2.2 grams, do not worry about balancing the arm to zero or ading weights. A counterweight very close to the tonearmpivot will have minimal effective mass, which is a good thing to track warped records..
Good luck

Joe - I wanted to let you know that I own the Virtuoso that came with the Marantz TT, as sold by Crutchfield, and that I also purchased a used Maestro on ebay. I loaded the Maestro onto an inexpensive STANTON T.50 TT while breaking in the new Virtuoso on the Marantz. I could hear the Virtuoso open up and smooth out after about 35-40 hrs, while the used Maestro was pre-owned and already broken in. What I wanted to tell you is this: the Maestro on that Stanton (it has a removable headshell and installing a cartridge is super easy) made incredible playback of my LPs: RICHER and more plush sonics than the very fine Virtuoso, with as much and possibly more detail. The bass was so full and pleasant, while the spread and soundstage were excellent. You just wanted to stay and listen. The Virtuoso never quite gave me that same feeling. It sounded really fine, and I enjoyed analyzing each record it played in sonic terms, but with the Maestro, you just immediately heard this "richer" sound and thought: "yeah, baby - this is what I was after!", which is odd since they are so close in price. I guess my point is - before you totally sour on the Maestro due to all the histrionics you are going through with it, consider buying a (approx. $100) Stanton turntable and loading on your Maestro - it seems a great match, and will let you know what you've been missing immediately, for very little cash outlay!

There is a resonance frequency calculation tool that should give you a pretty good idea of how well a cartridge and arm will mate. You simply need to know the mass of the arm and cartridge and the compliance of the cartridge. If memory serves me right, the best resonance frequency is in the 8-12 hertz range. The problem I've had with this is that Clearaudio doesn't provide a spec for compliance (they do use a spec called trackability, but I'm not sure what that is or if it converts to compliance somehow). I've been considering a Maestro or Virtuoso wood for my VPI Scoutmaster with JWM 9 arm but can't be sure I'm even in the ballpark. But from what I'm reading here, it appears to me that the Maestro is not a good match for the arm. It's not a good/bad arm or cartridge, it's just a compatibility issue. According to the tool, and info I've gathered, the vpi 10.5 has a mass of about 10.9 gm, the Maestro wood's mass is 7 gm. Therefore it's looking for cartridge compliance of between 9 and 22 µm/mN to hit that 8-12 hertz mark. I'd really be interested in finding out if anyone has calculated the compliance for these cartridges - it would at least give us a ballpark within which to work.

I've own this exact setup for about 3yrs and have been fairly happy with it but am now looking to change the cartridge. Has anyone tried the Soundsmith Zephyer Moving Iron Cart? Looks like it's designed to go with the VPI Arm.