VTA and SRA?

same thingie

They are the same thing. VTA = vertical tracking angle; SRA = stylus rake angle. Both are measures of the angle of the stylus to the groove along the axis of the cantilever. The measure of the angle of the stylus to the groove perpendicular to the axis of the cantilever is called azimuth. Hope this helps.

They are absolutely NOT the same thing. I started the following thread right here on Audiogon -- long before M. Fremer figured it out by the way;~):
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1140840022&openmine&Nsgarch&4&5&st0

Unfortunately, my IP doesn't support my picture files anymore. Sorry.
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Czarivey and Effischer,

Your posts are incorrect. For a basic understanding read the link posted by Mofimadness above, which is *almost* correct.

VTA and SRA are both viewed from the side of the cartridge (along the axis of the cantilever, as Effischer put it) but that's where the similarity ends.

VTA = the angle formed between:
1) the horizontal surface of the record and
2) a line extended from the point of the stylus through the axis of vertical rotation of the cantilever (this would be the same as the line of the cantilever, except for the offset provided by the height of the stylus).

VTA's range from 15-25 degrees, with 20 degrees being the industry standard since the mid-1960s.

SRA = the angle formed between:
1) a vertical line through the lowest contact point of the stylus and
2) the line of the stylus's contact ridge or edge.

SRA's on elliptical, line contact, micro-ridge and cutting styli tend to be 1-2 degrees forward from vertical, but there is no industry standard. A conical stylus can be said to have no SRA. Its spherical contact surface results in a single contact point, so there's no contact ridge or edge to measure.

As can be seen, VTA and SRA are very different.

Here we go again.
And I was no fan of Ronald Reagan.