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In Reply to: RE: VTA posted by Rich Brkich on December 06, 2016 at 13:45:49
" While you can't go lower, I have not yet run into a cartridge that required a Rega arm to be lowered to get correct VTA... this is mainly due to the height of Rega's own cartridges being so low that to mount just about any non rega cartridge on a Rega table requires VTA spacer installed under the arm to raise it up to get correct (or more accurately- correct approximate) VTA."
This is only correct if you believe that cartridge height is the most significant consideration i.e. having the cartridge body level in relation to the disc surface (presumably using the mounting surface of the cart as the datum).
However having the cartridge level is not sufficient to set VTA or, more importantly, SRA.
The best Japanese suppliers of cantilever/stylus combinations can only offer an accuracy at best of mounting stylii to cantilevers of + or - 2 degrees. A 9 inch arm requires a variation of 4mm in height to change SRA by 1 degree. As you can deduce, given the range of adjustment necessary, it is unlikely that by merely setting the cartridge body level can correct alignment of the stylus in the groove be attained nor can adjustment upwards only always give the correct result.
Of course this is of academic interest only given conical or simple elliptical stylii. However it has significance with fine line profiles which I would imagine purchasers of top end Rega tables may be interested in using.
It is therefore also not necessarily the case that using a Rega cartridge in a Rega turntable will give the best results in regard to correct alignment due to manufacturing variations in the accuracy of mounting of stylus to cantilver.
Follow Ups:
Your right and I agree PAR.... but I was (I thought) talking about approximate VTA (and hence SRA) settings. Note I made no mention in my post about leveling the arm... my use/recommendation of spacers on Rega tables is in terms of trying to get VTA/SRA as reasonably near were it should be for the cartridge in use (which in my experience has meant getting the arm up higher than as it comes).
Because of the approximate adjustability (or lack of, or fixed adjustment levels) of Rega tables, I generally do not recommend (sell) cartridges that use line contact type styli on Rega tables (preferring good sounding cartridges with elpitical styli which are more forgiving to the crude adjustability offered with Rega tables and deliver very good sounding results).
Then there is the impact of tracking force on VTA/SRA, thickness of the TT mat and its impact, thickness of the LP to be played... etc. :-)
Happy Listening,
Rich Brkich
Retailer & Audio Asylum Industry Liaison
" Then there is the impact of tracking force on VTA/SRA, thickness of the TT mat and its impact, thickness of the LP to be played... etc. :-)"Indeed, indeed...
I have to say that I am sceptical enough to believe that Roy Gandy's mantra of rigidity over all resulting in no VTA adjustment ( beyond using shims - which is not greatly practical given that the arm has to be demounted to fit them), stems not from engineering theory but from economic necessity.
Given that the original Rega arm was very much built to a price I believe that Gandy simply could not figure how to make VTA adjustment that retained a realistic degree of rigidity at the pillar for the money. So rather than say that he couldn't do it he decided that it wasn't necessary. Believe me, a very British trait :-).
Edits: 12/08/16
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