2. analog
  3. 1097129745

Is extremely accurate "VTA" adjustment necessary?

Here's a very interesting article by Geoff Husband of TNT on the importance (or better relative unimportance) of overly accurate VTA adjustment.

Exposing the VTA myth?

A short quote form the article:

Quote - "VTA, or Vertical Tracking Angle is one of those topics that divides opinion...That 'VTA' matters is indisputable, but the purpose of this article is to examine the validity of the claims made for the relative importance of VTA...SRA/VTA matters of course, but in the real world not THAT much, rigidity, simplicity and lateral alignment are all more important"

What are your thought and comments on this issue?
restock
newbee
4,768 posts
 
Re Gandy's comments regarding the Rega - Wasn't one of the downsides of using a Rega TT/Arm was that there was no provision for simple repeatible adjustible VTA? If so, has anyone questioned Gandy's motive for the white paper?

It is obvious (I think even to Gandy) that setting VTA is critical to proper set-up. That proper VTA, once VTA is initially established, it is a moving target, dependible on many external issues, such as record thickness and tracking force changes for a couple of examples, doesn't mean that that you should ignore improving the VTA completely. For example I have used different TT mats with different thicknesses to compensate for different thicknesses of the record. I've even cheated by changing the tracking force a tad as well when I had a disc that needed a touch up.

Then I had an arm with VTA adjustible of the fly. The only problem, or risk if you will, of having the latter is if you become so anal about getting the perfect alignment that you spend all your time running between you listening chair and the TT adjusting VTA. Close can be good enuf, for me anyway! :-)

What I read into this fact sheet was nothing more than a rational for completely ignoring the issue, ergo the rational for buying a Rega TT.

FWIW.
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Newbee, yes, a rational for ignoring adjustment of your VTA-exactly but why have to tell others it is irrelevant and give incorrect or exaggerated information?

Once I had the Wheaton tone arm with a caliper scale. I did mark about 100 records to set this. I don't do that with the Shindo Labs but do make changes for thick records, such as 200 grams.
will_herrera
40 posts
 
I just set the goddam cartridge to level and forget about it. It sounds fine to me. I've got a collection of approx. 7,000 LPs, and buying more all the time. Life is short and there's too much good music to listen to.

Can I get an "amen brother"?
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Enjoy!
axelwahl
788 posts
 
Will_herrera,
>>> Can I get an "amen brother"? <<<

Sir, yes Sir! And all say AMEN! :-)

This whole REGA white paper rational could actually be seen just the other way round. BECAUSE of what Roy thinks about the subject the REGA tts are as they are?

I do of course figure out the best compromise with each new cart I listen to, followed by some fine tuning. But then after some time --- that's IT.
Amen brother, as life's too short. I rather get anal about other stuff (which in fact I do, e.g. cross-overs and such).
Greetings,
More to discover