Parallel? How do you set the VTA?

Every cartridge I have requires a different vta to sound best and, as Raul mentioned, records are all different in thickness which changes the vta.
Dougdeacon is the only other post that makes any sense to me because first, most tables are not 'dead nuts' level so using a bubble only compounds the error. Bubble levels are not very accurate to begin with. Parallel to the record surface is a starting point and we can all get there by eye quicker than with levels, cards, graphs etc. From there it becomes listening by trial and error to find the sweet spot.

Zenblaster,

"Parallel to the record surface is a starting point" you said. What then in this thread does not make sense to you?

I think we all agree that final adjustments should be done by ear, but starting with a tonearm parallel to the surface makes total sense to me as a reference. Ballparking it by eye does not work for me. So what's nonsensical about it? What does not make sense to me is going blind back and forth not knowing whether tail up or down sounds best to your ears.

Raul,

I think you, just like Zenblaster, missed the point of my original post. Knowing if your tonearm is parallel to the record surface is a point of reference, not an end goal. It might or might not end up sounding best with a given cartridge and set-up. If it does not make sense to you, then please don't waste your time and move on to other posts that do make sense to you. You're acting as if I asked what the best DJ turntable to scratch my records with a Lyra Atlas was.

Actusreus, we flawed creatures without mystical audio powers like objective, repeatable, accurate frames of reference. The block works.

Wrm57,

Good to know there are other flawed creatures without mystical audio powers out there. I was about to commit myself to an audio asylum for VTA challenged individuals.

..another way is to take a lined index card, fold it in half like a tent with the blue lines horizontal.... This tent can be propped up against a straight arm like the VPI and if you site it properly, you can get an idea where horizontal is. The VPI arm is especially easy to adjust VTA, but this will give you a beginning ref. point.