Hi Samir,
You're correct that arm height and VTF are interrelated. If you have a sufficiently accurate scale you can easily measure changes in VTF as you raise or lower your arm.
I'd suggest letting that nice new arm settle in a bit before fretting too much about fine tuning VTA. You need to get used to the sound, no doubt much improved, before attempting any subtle fine tuning.
For an interim/average setting, I'd suggest the method explained in the thead linked below. With a line contact stylus like most VdH's it should be fairly easy to do:
Jon Risch's "VTA once and for all!"
If/when you want to get more into it, setting by ear is the only way of course. There are two levels of differences one can hear. Largish VTA changes alter the tonal balance. Dropping the arm emphasizes bass and attenuates highs. Raising the arm does the opposite. This is true on any record, just find the middle ground.
When you approach the sweet spot very small VTA changes will have little impact on tonal balance. The thing to listen for at this stage is image focus. On any given record there will be a tiny range of VTA (SRA) settings that will "snap" images into sharp focus. Now you won't just hear a piano, you'll hear individual strings and hammers. On my Shelter 901 changing arm height by .04mm or less makes the difference between being in this sweet spot or not. A line contact stylus is likely to be even more particular.
What you're seeking is the precise spot where the contact lines of your stylus *exactly* match the angle of the cutting stylus. When you hit it your stylus can trace the highest freq's on the record while keeping both channels exactly in phase. Perfect reproduction of phase relationships between the two channels is what re-creates clear sonic images.
There is no "best" record for this level of fine tuning. At this level each record (or at least each label) will need its own setting. This may be the path to the best possible sound, but of course it's also the path to obsessive madness! Beware.
You're correct that arm height and VTF are interrelated. If you have a sufficiently accurate scale you can easily measure changes in VTF as you raise or lower your arm.
I'd suggest letting that nice new arm settle in a bit before fretting too much about fine tuning VTA. You need to get used to the sound, no doubt much improved, before attempting any subtle fine tuning.
For an interim/average setting, I'd suggest the method explained in the thead linked below. With a line contact stylus like most VdH's it should be fairly easy to do:
Jon Risch's "VTA once and for all!"
If/when you want to get more into it, setting by ear is the only way of course. There are two levels of differences one can hear. Largish VTA changes alter the tonal balance. Dropping the arm emphasizes bass and attenuates highs. Raising the arm does the opposite. This is true on any record, just find the middle ground.
When you approach the sweet spot very small VTA changes will have little impact on tonal balance. The thing to listen for at this stage is image focus. On any given record there will be a tiny range of VTA (SRA) settings that will "snap" images into sharp focus. Now you won't just hear a piano, you'll hear individual strings and hammers. On my Shelter 901 changing arm height by .04mm or less makes the difference between being in this sweet spot or not. A line contact stylus is likely to be even more particular.
What you're seeking is the precise spot where the contact lines of your stylus *exactly* match the angle of the cutting stylus. When you hit it your stylus can trace the highest freq's on the record while keeping both channels exactly in phase. Perfect reproduction of phase relationships between the two channels is what re-creates clear sonic images.
There is no "best" record for this level of fine tuning. At this level each record (or at least each label) will need its own setting. This may be the path to the best possible sound, but of course it's also the path to obsessive madness! Beware.