Best tonearm position for VTA?

I've been doing this for more years than I want to admit. I've always had to lower the back end slightly. I now use a Benz Ebony - lower the back of the tonearm (weight side) down slightly.

Stefanl, hese guys know alot more about this than I do, but since I'm learning this stuff too, we may as well learn together. I hope something in my post here will help.

I just the last two days going throught this very exercise. I've become bored with life, so I decided to switch back to my Benz Glider. Partly to compare the performance to my 103r, partly 'cuz I thought I might be having tracking issues with the 103r on my Vector arm, partly 'cuz I have sado-masochistic tendencies. But mostly 'cus I need the practice listening for the changes.

Your very question has been on my mind. The answer came quickly for the Glider as Benz is kind enought to put the recommended angle on the little piece of paper that came with it. It says 20 degrees, so I was betting that would mean "tail up". After going throught the method spelled out on the Walker Audio page DougDeacon referenced, that is just how my Vector has ended up. Way, way "tail up". I have devised a method using small blocks of hardwoods and and old deck of playing cards so that I can record which block of wood and how many playing cards it took to get the Vector at its current position. ( You guys who do "on-the-fly" VTA have to be rolling on the floor at this! :) )

So now I want to go back and do the same for the 103r. But where to start? Denon doesn't provide a recommended angle. I've read where some users of this cartridge have ended up a bit tail up and some prefer abit tail down. I guess I'll start with the head level while the stylus is resting on a regular weight lp. It's as good a place as any to start. Then follow the "Walker method" until I get that range where the soundstage opens and I begin to here the spatial effects.

Fortunately, the Vector comes with a mirror guage so setting the overhang and azimuth are not much of an issue. I could use a better eye piece to see with.

Hey guys I got you all beat, because don't have to make a long post, LOL.

I remenber from a old thread this link to Walker Audio that is really good for setting vta good luck!!

http://www.walkeraudio.com/fine_tuning_your_turntable.htm

peace Ron

Hmm?, I just read the whole thread seems Doug already gave the walker reference, Doh!!

Here's the deal.
The top of your cartridge should be parallel with the record surface for the starting point. If your armtube is not tapered you can use the arm tube as a reference to measure this.
Now, you only raise or lower you arm by small increments. If it is way up or down something else is probably is wrong

The Walker site is really good and helps you out.

Good luck, remember it will be worth it when you get done. I have found it if you have everything else set correctly first.

Your vta sweet spot should be near parallel, if not right on it.

Peace
Ron

To give credit where it's due, Nsgarch was the first to mention the Walker link on this thread, not me.

I stumbled across it several years ago while googling around. I subsequently forgot the link but remembered the content and wrote out essentially the same ideas from scratch. Rushton was kind enough to point out I was duplicating Walker's page - saved me a bunch of typing!

Dan_Ed,
What kind of wood do you prefer for those blocks? Cocobolo?