[jackman]

After adjusting my VTA on my tonearm, I noticed a dramatic decrease in bass and sharper highs.  My VTA was set too high, so I lowered the arm, only to have muted highs and muddy bass.  I re-set it and things sounded good but it looks like it's set with the arm too high.  I thought he cartridge should be paralell with the record and the needle or diamond tip should be flat with the record.  This setting produces the muddy sound and the bad highs.  It sounds best when it looks like it's too high (arm too high).  

Does anyone have any VTA adjustment tricks?  

Thanks,
Jack

[Malcolm Fear]

I think you're on the right track. Set it where it sounds best. Try not to look at the arm height after that.

[Tonto Yoder]

.....  I thought he cartridge should be paralell with the record and the needle or diamond tip should be flat with the record.  
...
Jack

Often the top of the cartridge or the armtube IS parallel to the record surface.  I don't understand what you mean by the needle being "flat with the record."  The neutral position is for the stylus to be perpendicular to the record:



http://www.users.nac.net/markowitzgd/cartalign.html#vta

Malcolm is right--set VTA for what sounds best.

[jackman]

Thanks for the advice and the picture.   When my needle is in the position you show, it's a bit muddy.  If the picture you show were a dog's tail (use your imagenation), my setup doesn't sound right unless the tail is a bit higher.  Setting it up as you show does not sound right.  Highs are muted and bass is muddy.  

Strange.

J

[Tonto Yoder]

That's surprising, but I don't know of any reason not to raise the tail end until it sounds best.

[michael w]

Cartridges often do sound good when the top is parallel as TY suggests but there are also many cartridges that sound good when the tail is down or even up.

It all depends on your specific arm/cartridge/preamp combination and even the Stylus Rake Angle at which the record was cut.

The whole thing is a compromise so don't get too hung up on whether your arm/cart is parallel or not, use the setting that sounds best in your  system.


cheerio