I'm taking a poll...


Vote for A, B, or C---

Assuming all other turntable set-up parameters are dialed-in, optimum vinyl playback is achieved when:

A. You set the tonearm at level and leave it there.
B. You use your ears and adjust the VTA incrementally up or down.
C. You get the stylus to ride in the groove at a 2 degree angle forward, to match the assumed angle of the cutting stylus.
will_herrera
Actually, the 22 degrees on that page refers to VTA. A few paragraphs down he talks about an ideal SRA being at 1 degree from vertical, but then if you click on his "PS" follow-up at the bottom he corrects his mistake and states that the ideal SRA is actually 2 degrees from vertical, so that's where the 2 degrees in my original post comes from.

Here's another interesting page, read the portion at the bottom:
http://www.theanalogdept.com/effective_length.htm

Personally, after spending days thinking endlessly about this stuff, I'm really beginning to believe that getting the stylus rake angle in the ball park is the way to go, no matter what the VTA and height of the tonearm pivot turns out to be in the process of getting it there. peace, Will
I dug up that thread a few months ago and use it as a starting point. With the VTF set midway in the range I set the VTA so that the stylus is leaning forward just a bit. I have not been able to tell two degrees but I can tell vertical.

Then I use the VTF and AS to fine tune the sound. Changes to the VTF cause much more change in SRA than changing the VTA does, which is why I don't bother trying to change the VTA with different thicknesses.

There is much more on this subject on the web, though I have not been able to find the original articals mentioned.

Regards,
Todd