Extraordinary recordings on vinyl

So many things affect Soundstage from associated equipment to room acoustics to proper toe in of speakers. In one of your posts I commented on adjusting the VTA of your tone arm for the optimum sound from your table. It is key and that is the reason I moved on from that tonarm. It is to demanding to keep it in proper tune. Don't get me wrong it is one of the best bargins out there and I still own mine but the arm I have now is low maintence. I have been playing with the VTA on my tonearm for a week and it is locked in now. Albums that were unlistenable able 2 weeks ago (Killer/Alice, The Pretenders/ Nautilus Super Disc) now are sublime.90% of all recordings on my analog extend beyond my speakers and with proper VTA my obsession with owning an Original pressing is abated. I will take a 2nd pressing on a table with proper VTA over an original pressing with a arm where the VTA is slightly off.
In re:to soul in music it means to me can you feel or hear the emotion in the recording.
In re:to sterile sounding to me it sounds to clean stripped of it's emotion.
I think we have hi jacked this thread enough so let's let this be the end of our discussion. Happy listening partner.

Qdrone: In the thread you referred to, the topic was more about different pressings of a particular lp.. You (seemed) to ask if I made any adjustments to my arm in making comparisons to the green label re-issue of "Beautiful Loser" vs. the original orange label copy. My response was no. ( I think all will agree that in making comparisons to different lps, (all other things being equal), that you shouldn't change anything (except VTA if the lps were thicker by comparison). In the case you mentioned, the lps were the same thickness so, any adjustment wouldn't have been a fair comparison!

Anyway, I agree that we should move on. I do appreciate the lively discussion. Thanks.

Sorry... regarding the ET (2.5 arm optimized for high pressure), in my almost 30 years of experience with this arm, it is "key" that you really have it set up correctly, with an excellent/dry/ air source then and only then can one be confident in it's abilities on an ongoing basis. This is of coarse, my opinion. You do seem to make one think that the only difference between the ET and the other tonearm you are using is VTA. I find that to be misleading. I'm not sure if you've contributed to the (ET thread) or not. I think you should check it out.

A new recommendation:
Hot Tuna (S/T) "recorded live at the New Orleans House, Berkeley" (early black label pressing)

One/I, could/will, make a point that with all of the differences in varying recordings by varying artists in varying venues with varying electronics/acoustics, in the analog or digital era that, it is a good thing that (in my system) all of these varying differences are laid out for me to hear. I'm really glad that the vast majority of my collection doesn't sound similar. This, (IMO), would not be a system/room that I could honestly make recommendations on for sonics or electronics or extraordinary lps. Peace!

I too, apologize for "hijacking" this thread. It belongs to everyone. I felt that since I originated it, that I have a certain responsibility to "oversee it" to a degree.

I feel that this discussion was important in that, to me, it lets one see the difference between setting up one's system with a certain goal in mind that is either to do one of the following two things:

(A) Enjoy your record collection with primary goal being enjoying most recordings as much as possible disregarding the variances of differing recording venues, techniques, locations, live/studio, digital/analog, etc....or..
(B) Enjoy your record collection with the primary goal being listening to what's on the lp and being able to discern this for better or for worse.

If you agree with these two points, I think an appropriate question would be, which point makes the most sense in being able to evaluate and make a recommendation regarding sonics on a various recordings? This is the essence of what this hobby is all about, IMO.