chakster
... correct set up of any cartridge is important, once you can set up a cartridge you can do it with another one.If precision and accuracy are your goals, properly installing and aligning a cartridge with a conical stylus is a whole lot easier than one with an elliptical cartridge. Similarly, properly installing and aligning a cartridge with an elliptical cartridge is a lot easier than doing the same with a cartridge that uses a fine-line stylus.
Manufacturer recommendation for Shibata or LineContact or whatever is the same (tonearm must be parallel to the record surface when the needle is on the record ...I’ve never seen any phono cartridge manufacturer use the height of the pickup arm to specify how its cartridge should be aligned. Typically, a spec is given for VTA and/or SRA - that’s what should be measured to ensure correct alignment.
A tonearm with VTA on the fly is great, fine tuning by ears ...I think that’s an over-rated feature. When you change VTA, you also change overhang, SRA and VTF - even if only by a small amount.