Excellent read ... thx.
I particularity appreciate this ...
"except for the hand-wringers who sit there worrying that it's not good enough or could be better. It always can, but I used to get just as much pleasure listening to my Hafler DH 101/DH-200, Spica TC-50 system using a Denon direct drive AC motor turntable with a Lustre GST-1 arm and Dynavector Ruby cartridge as I do with what I've got now. Of course now is much better! But more pleasurable? Not really. Equally pleasurable."
and especially this ...
"Most of the time when you change VTA you're really hearing a change in azimuth due to the offset angle of the headshell."
... Azimuth error I've long related to VTA adjustment, but this notion is far too often ignored or left unrecognized by the vast majority of audiophiles who tend to confuse VTA adjustment with proper SRA settings ... including MANY reviewers who have never allude to this situation, and those that probably never recognized what's actually happening when they adjust "VTA".
"The azimuth changes as you lower and raise the back of the arm and tiny azimuth changes make bigger sonic differences than VTA/SRA changes IF you have the SRA set to 92 degrees. That's the magic number. Forget about VTA."
Exactly, and in doing so, Mickey (as I figured long ago) further puts into question those who claim that this or that particular LC stylus cartridge is more "forgiving" of VTA compared to others. It may in fact be true in some cases, but as far as I'm concerned, all LC stylus types should sonically focus SRA equally in theory ... so therefore ... a perceived lack of focus from one LC stylus cart to another has little to do with actual stylus shape, and more to do with implementation, either from a manufacturing side or from an audiophile setup perspective.
tb1