Zyx cartridges best tracking

Always use the high end of the range for best sound and tracking.

Pretenders give the Answer

Of course we think, lightest successful tracking force = less wear to both vinyl and stylus. I still use that as a consideration when choosing.

However, the middle, the OEM's recommended ideal rather than the lightest end of a given range is what I find sounds best.

Keep in mind, any cartridge's range, and recommended # is based on it's design: compliance/guts and OEM testing. So even if all your records are perfect, not a warp within thousands of miles, the lightest end of a range might not be best.

my experiences

Shure V15VxMR tracking force, .75-1.25, recommended 1.0g is quite an achievement and it's test record demonstrated, not only could it track very light, but follow extremely high frequencies. It is assisted by it's damped brush, part of how that is achieved. Now, mine, with Jico replacement stylus, it has a brush, but it is NOT damped like Shure's brush, so setting force, what is the brush doing, is a guess, match the anti-skate visually with groove less LP, and listen.

Shure elliptical 97xe tracks at 1.25g avg, again achieved with the damped brush.

Audio Technica AT440 (same era as V15Vxmr) tracks at 1.25g without a brush, quite an achievement, and it has wider separation and tighter channel balance than the Shure. My favorite MM, the current versions must be darn good.

Grado Mono, elliptical 1.5g

Current Favorite, MC, AT33PTG/II tracks at 2.0g. It sounds a bit better than the Shure, wider separation combined with tight channel balance yields more precise imaging, so 2 gms it is.

Goldring Eroica LX MC 1.7g, sounds terrific, however it is my friends, here until he buys a SUT, so I don't want to wear it's special Gyger II Stylus.

Good answer.

No one knows the sweet spot, we only know it is somewhere in that range. Exactly where depends on your arm, your VTA and most of all you. Only you can decide these things, and only by listening. 

Start by setting VTF right smack in the middle, and then getting VTA dialed in. Then tweak VTF up very slightly up or down and see which one you prefer. If you have no strong preference (very likely, but you never know) then leave well enough be and focus on fine tuning VTA. 

Remember, VTF changes downward pressure on the stylus which will have a small effect on the cantilever angle, which affects SRA. So no point getting real precise with VTA until you are happy with VTF, as it may change leaving you to do it all over again.

From their site:

Recommended Tracking Force    2.0gm 〔 20 ゜C-25 ゜C 〕
Tracking Force Range    1.7gm - 2.5gm

As long as you stay within that range, you're fine. I track my Decca and Audio Technica cartridges at the lower end of their range for better air, speed and transient response.