What angle should I set the VTA on my VPI turntable?

Kleos (and every Lyra I've owned) should start with arm tube level and parallel with record surface with stylus playing.  Then turn the VTA adjustment knob one full turn up and listen.  Then back to level and listen, then one full turn down and listen.  Return to parallel with record surface and listen.  Whatever sounds best, adjust to that position.  Then use that as a starting point to repeat the process.  

At some point, moving the arm pivot up or down one full turn will degrade the balance, timing and imaging.  That means you've gone too far and should start heading in the opposite direction.  

Just as a reminder, tracking force may change slightly with VTA changes.  Check the rest of the alignment during the testing to make sure VTA changes haven't change them.  

remember to use your protractor after raising/lowering the arm....the cartridge will need to be moved forward/backward.

millercarbon, then you need to adjust your VTA with each record as they are all a little different and you think you can hear it. Knock yourself out.

Read the number off the dial, write it down on the record sleeve, done. Next time you can dial it back precisely where it was, fast and simple as reset the dial.

Sounds like a lot of work and that puts a lot of guys off. But, how many hours, weeks, months of working and saving did it take to get the thing in the first place? Ever wonder why it is people pay hundreds of dollars for some guy to come tune their table and say it was well worth it? Ever wonder what it was they did that was so magical? This is it.

Needless to say this will not be worth it if you are unable to hear the improvement. But then how did you manage to set it in the first place?

I’m one of the contributors on vinyl asylum that posted pics with SRA measurements from my USB camera. The last time I did this I was attempting to set a Soundsmith Sussoro ES Mk 2. Peter L. chimed in and explained that there’s a tiny facet that determines the contact geometry that’s practically hidden from view, even with a USB camera. I could barely make it out, but only with the stylus raised, not in the groove. Seeing the futility of this effort, I went another route, starting with parallel and then fine tuning with Analog Magic. I am NOT one to fine tune VTA/SRA for every record and my SME doesn’t have that provision anyway.