Denon DA 307 and DA 309

The trick is to set up the VTF right with the brush.

Correct, I'm not using the brush, it makes the stylus contact more complex and I wanted to initially try without it, planning on adding it later on.

If you're using your Pickering with the brush then tracking force must be 1g higher, 

Thanks for the tip

Recommended tracking force for XSV/3000SP is 2g !
You have to set tracking force at 3g with the brush to get desired 2g on the stylus @luisma31

 So the XSV3000 is 1g but the SP is 2g? (without the brush)

Yes, the difference between XSV/3000 and XSV/3000-SP is compliance, the SP is lower compliance 15cu vs. 30cu for XSV/3000. So the tracking force is higher for SP version (2g is recommended, read the manual). 

Thanks

VTF is not always or necessarily inversely proportional to compliance, but in this case I guess it is, if Chak says so. Also, historically many users removed those brushes from the Pickering and Stanton cartridges prior to use. If you consult the Internet you might find out why they did that. I really don’t remember myself. But I do own several of the exotic Pickering and Stanton cartridges, and I do remove the brush when I use them. For me, it just removes a level of complication and uncertainty that I would rather not deal with. When I mentioned the difficulty of setting the VTA with a tonearm that requires set screws on the vertical shaft to hold and secure the VTA, I was only referring to the fact that you somehow have to find the correct setting and hold the tonearm exactly at that height while also tightening the set screws. I remember when I purchased my Triplanar tonearm probably in the late 80s or early 90s, what a godsend that was for setting VTA.

luisma31

... Measured VTA, it is at 89 degrees, I need to readjust ...

Hmmm, something is not right. You are probably measuring the wrong thing - VTA should be somewhere around 20 degrees.

VTA/SRA is properly explained here.