Thank you all for your responses.
4yanx - Thanks for your response. Of course I could just go ahead and get the vta adjuster anyway. I just wanted to have some more rational reasons before handing out $200 for vta. Since everybody here seems to agree that differences in record thickness need vta adjustment possibility, it would be difficult to find a better solution for the price.
Rushton - Thank you very much for all the details about the Walker Proscenium turntable. Out of own experiences I know that any tolerance below a thousands of inch takes a lot of effort and care and is certainly not cheap to produce. I very much doubt that my Michell turntable is even close in tolerances. I never had a chance to see the Walker table live, I would be very interested to see the solution they found for a rigid vta adjuster. Another number I am really interested in is the thickness variation of a record. I probably should call Classic records to find out what the tolerances are in the production of their current Quiex LP's. I'll keep you updated if I find out more.
Psychic - For now I was more thinking along the lines of an acrylic platter, which is probably closer in tolerances. I doubt I will be able to afford a Teres with wood platter anytime soon.
Raul - Thanks for your support. So far I haven't really worried too much about vta. I do have a Rega arm which is a pain to adjust on any table. The Michell vta adjuster (or the incognito for that matter) is fine but I suspect it is going to have exactly the mechanical problems mentioned in the article. The vta I found with the adjuster was actually close (less than +-0.5mm) to the 2mm Rega spacer, which I thought sounded actually slightly better when I changed it. I would certainly appreciate a more solid vta solution, however I doubt I will play with vta adjustment too much. I usually adjust everything in my system so that I really like the way it sounds and then usually just leave it alone for a while and just enjoy the music. As with respect to my experience in analog: I only have had three different turntables and four cartridges, which certainly does not make me an expert. Also I never really had a high-end setup. Also I do think Doug does give good and thoughtful answers. I have posted several times in the same thread as Doug and I always thought he was quite spot on. Also on Personal turntable/cartridge evolution he did mention that he had a various tables since 1967. (If you get a chance it would be great if you would post your history there as well.) Otherwise, I agree: Enjoy the music.
Also one more comment: I just think the science perspective on audio has always led to heated debates, and vta adjustment is right on the line in that respect. I would prefer though if we can keep personal attacks aside.
All the best to everyone,
Rene
4yanx - Thanks for your response. Of course I could just go ahead and get the vta adjuster anyway. I just wanted to have some more rational reasons before handing out $200 for vta. Since everybody here seems to agree that differences in record thickness need vta adjustment possibility, it would be difficult to find a better solution for the price.
Rushton - Thank you very much for all the details about the Walker Proscenium turntable. Out of own experiences I know that any tolerance below a thousands of inch takes a lot of effort and care and is certainly not cheap to produce. I very much doubt that my Michell turntable is even close in tolerances. I never had a chance to see the Walker table live, I would be very interested to see the solution they found for a rigid vta adjuster. Another number I am really interested in is the thickness variation of a record. I probably should call Classic records to find out what the tolerances are in the production of their current Quiex LP's. I'll keep you updated if I find out more.
Psychic - For now I was more thinking along the lines of an acrylic platter, which is probably closer in tolerances. I doubt I will be able to afford a Teres with wood platter anytime soon.
Raul - Thanks for your support. So far I haven't really worried too much about vta. I do have a Rega arm which is a pain to adjust on any table. The Michell vta adjuster (or the incognito for that matter) is fine but I suspect it is going to have exactly the mechanical problems mentioned in the article. The vta I found with the adjuster was actually close (less than +-0.5mm) to the 2mm Rega spacer, which I thought sounded actually slightly better when I changed it. I would certainly appreciate a more solid vta solution, however I doubt I will play with vta adjustment too much. I usually adjust everything in my system so that I really like the way it sounds and then usually just leave it alone for a while and just enjoy the music. As with respect to my experience in analog: I only have had three different turntables and four cartridges, which certainly does not make me an expert. Also I never really had a high-end setup. Also I do think Doug does give good and thoughtful answers. I have posted several times in the same thread as Doug and I always thought he was quite spot on. Also on Personal turntable/cartridge evolution he did mention that he had a various tables since 1967. (If you get a chance it would be great if you would post your history there as well.) Otherwise, I agree: Enjoy the music.
Also one more comment: I just think the science perspective on audio has always led to heated debates, and vta adjustment is right on the line in that respect. I would prefer though if we can keep personal attacks aside.
All the best to everyone,
Rene