VdH VTA setting preferences

Nsgarch:

God forbid I would be associated with the Intelligent Designers.

I don't doubt that you're right -- I'm sure you are -- maybe it's just that
"ass (pivot) end down" is what it takes to get the vdH
"spade"-shaped stylii seated in the grooves at the same
angle as the cutter head. Thanks for the info.

In any event, my VTA is only spot on for the LP I used to set it, as I lack
the patience to adjust VTA for LP's of differing thicknesses.

I just saw your loading post: my Froggie is vintage 2000 or so, and
recommended loading on the box is 500 Ohms. In addition to the 400
Ohm loading that I use, also have a 250 Ohm loading option -- the
sound is a bit closed down at 250. The loading options on the Cadence's
high gain settings are typical MC loading options of 30 and 50 Ohms,
but I've never spent any time listening to them, the gain being way too
high at 74 db. (my Frog has the 0.65 mV. output).

FWIW, in a related but not vdH specific matter, my Zyx Airy 3 likes the ass end down just a tad also. Not much mind you, but enough to make the difference quite noticeable.

Zyx owners talk to me.

Here's a little reading for you ZYX owners by Hisayoshi Nakatsuka san himself (translated into English)

http://www.sibatech.co.jp/ZYX/ZYXTalks.htm

in which he describes the complex windings of the ZYX cartridge coils, and particularly the importance of their axes being correctly oriented to the groove modulations to achieve what he calls "original stereo sound."

Why don't you write to him at:

sales@sibatech.co.jp

and ask him about the advisability of tilting his cartridges backwards. I'm sure he'll be politely horrified.

Two other points:

1.) ZYX styli have the sharpest edged micro-ridge diamonds of all. If they don't exactly lock into the forward slanting groove modulations, they will wear off the delicate high frequency undulations in the groove and

2.) Most tonearms are designed so that their geometry is most stable (center of gravity below the bearings) when the arm slopes slightly down toward the record. This configuration provides the most resonance-free platform for the cartridge. So if you insisted on tilting your cartridge backward, it would be best to shim it at the headshell and let the tonearm assume its natural downward slope.

Are you sure you still want to do this?

.

Allow me to chime in on my own thread. My Koetsu Urushi was not listenable unless it leaned back until the SME V almost was touching the perimeter of the record. With the VdH Condor in the current position I have tremendous clearance between the arm tube & record perimeter.

Now on to another few benefits of Nsgarch's ideas. I can now ad an outer ring from Bob Benn & keep my SME V tonearm. Also record wear will be reduced.

One question is that VdH recommends a load of 200 on his cartridge. Why then do all the reviewers & Nsgarch recommend 1000 Ohms? I find this confusing.

Also every article I have read on setting up VTA from Loyd Walker & others recommend setting VTA to neutral & then adjusting by ear. What I have done in the past is use a CD to compare to an LP & compare the output of the treble & bass to match the CD. This actually worked very well. I was hoping the advise would save me the work. Now I have to try both options but if I don't try it & then find out 5 years later I was wrong I will regret it.

You can lean the cartridge forward but then maybe compensate w. loading a little.

I am getting fabulous sound now. It still has a long way to go. My phono stage needs to break in. I have resistors to change loading but nothing above 1k besides 47K. I do have 100, 200, 500, 800. They are sloted to be placed directly in the phono stage. No dip switches so no combinations.

No harm in trying Nsgarch suggestion, so why don't we all do it & see. HTA will need adjusting as well with the amount of change which makes this a pain.

Now for a funny anecdote. I had a proffesor in Material Science @ Berkeley ( I can't spell so I am not sure) who was a big shot brought in to analyze all electrical failures on planes etc. I asked him about why some interconnects cost so much more.

His response was, "Ah heck I don't know, but I just spent a ton of money on some MIT cables". This just goes to say it all. Our ears often know what our minds don't.

Thanks for the info. Regarding the tilting back of the arm, I probably should clarify my earlier post. With a bubble level placed on my tonearm, only 5%-10% of the bubble sits outside of the guides. To a naked eye the tonearm appears perfectly level and I would venture a guess that most tonearms are not perfectly parallel.
That being said I do not advocate excessive "tilting" either way only a slight tweaking to fine tune performance. My current settings are the result of first my own ear and second the HiFi test record. I am quite comfortable with this setting. Sorry for any confusion.