I walked into a dealer and got a shock....

IMHO, using a TT with an arm that does not allow VTA adjustment is not a fatal problem, just restrictive and a PITA to set up. The problem usually arrises out of the differnt thickness of LP's which you might play. If your original set up is calculated for 180gm LP's it won't sound as good when you play 200gm or stuff thinner than 180 gm. You can do some down and dirty adjustments by just selecting mats platter mats of different thicknesses to compensate for the difference in thickness of the LPs so that you can always have an 'in the ball park' setting. An arm with an easily adjustible VTA is preferable. The other possibility which would help would be selecting a cartridge with a stylus that wasn't a line-source type, more conical in shape, and not as in need of an absolutely perpendicular cantact with the record groove. Your dealer could be right but you'd sure what to hear/research what he proposed as a solution.

BTW, IMHO, unless you have a preference for a speaker/amp combo that is best described as tonally neutral and tending to sound lean and analytical, and many folks do seem to like this, I think you would be dissapointed in the short and long run. But, if its free it is not much of an effort to plug it in, let it warm up, and get a free education. That is how we all learn, I think. :-) Who knows maybe you'll love it, they are your ears, not mine, or your dealers.

Another bit of BS. Lack of VTA adjustment will impact any cartridge, not just the Blackbird. The Blackbird should work fine with that arm and your equipment. They probably want you to get a low output MC so you'll have to buy the cartridge and a step up device that they'll sell you.

I wouldn't trust these guys one bit. They're making stuff up and it doesn't make any sense.

Dave

Your Blackbird's compliance at 12x10-6Cm/dyne is considered at the high end of low compliance. Your RB300 tonearm's mass is 11.5gm, which is at the very low end of what's considered "moderate mass". The two should be a very good match up with regards to resonance, which is the primary consideration when picking a combo. Like Dave said; Addressing VTA is everyones' cross to bear, and this saleman's observation was unadulterated BS. Too much electronics for the room? Give me a break!! He must have been selling used cars before he started in audio. I would most definitely take the AR home and try it. you may just fall in love with the fully tubed system. If so: return it and find one here on AudiogoN, or elsewhere. I wouldn't spend a dime at a store that viewed me as a patsy!

That's either the biggest crock I've heard in 35 years with this hobby (including sales when I worked my way through college on commission) or some amazing physics: "too much gear in the room". Well, maybe, if the gear keeps you from locating your speakers properly or youlisteing chair is in the middle of a standing wave.

Otherwise, you need either a new dealer or a lot better explanation of what "too much..." means. I think it means they're insulting your intelligence, your ears and your common sense and they think you're foolish enough to buy stuff just because they tell you to. Very suspicious and grossly weird explanation. You've got nice gear.

Maybe if they meant "you have a lot of gear with impedence interface problems that can be cured with a nice integrated", I could understand that, but the way you put it, it sounds like pure, unadultered (and insulting) hogwash.