[b]Clearaudio VTA adjustment -- Whats your preference???[/b]

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[b]Clearaudio VTA adjustment -- Whats your preference???[/b]

Postby Patman » Tue Jun 03, 2003 11:35 am

Hello there audio-nuts :o Just wanted to start a new thread that looks at what effects you get when playing around with VTA using a Clearaudio cartridge? This surely will help clear some questions in some people's minds (specially mine) :)

So here is my experience:

I use a Clearaudio Victory Gold Low Output MC cartridige and have been playing around with VTA for some time. Some of the things I noticed was "contrary" to what other review states. For me, I get better sounding bass and tonality when i do a negative VTA (i.e. the back of the cartridge is slightly lower than the front) as opposed to what reviews say that Clearaudio cartridges sound better with positive VTA (i.e. back of the cartridge is slightly higher than the front) :roll: .

Do you also experience the same effects as mine :?:

Please share and post here!
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Postby Hyperion » Tue Jun 03, 2003 12:14 pm

I have the same experience with most clearaudio cartridges.

I have heard the Aurum Beta, Aurum Beta S, Virtuoso Wood, Sigma Wood, Sigma, Signature, Discovery and Accurate in various systems.

They all sounded smoother, richer and weightier when the VTA was lowered. Otherwise they sounded thin, lightweight and brittle (read: cd like sound) at the "recommended" high VTA, including high surface noise and irritating glazed treble.

The reviewer who recommended positive VTA probably had a bass happy speaker in a small room hehehe. :twisted:
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Postby Patman » Tue Jun 03, 2003 12:59 pm

I have the same experience with most clearaudio cartridges.

I have heard the Aurum Beta, Aurum Beta S, Virtuoso Wood, Sigma Wood, Sigma, Signature, Discovery and Accurate in various systems.



Thanks Hyperion :D !!!

That sure makes me feel better especially the fact that you heard the same effects on various clearaudio cartridges. Now I can kill that small voice saying "Baka mas maganda ang positive VTA kasi RECOMMENDED." :twisted:

Those reviews sometimes make you crazy. :x

As the old saying goes: "Trust your ears!"
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Postby m_shoe_maker » Tue Jun 03, 2003 6:38 pm

Hehehehehehe :lol: :lol:

I have listened to an Alpha (MM), Beta (MM), Sigma (MC), VictoryH (MC) using MY analog front-end, MY amp, My speakers, in MY room, with the same speaker placement / room acoustics, same time of the day (to those who believe that Meralco contributes changes in the sound of your equipment during peak hours), with the same hot environment (some guys know how hot my room is :lol: ). Ergo, nothing changed except probably my clothes (in some cases my underwear had skidmarks :lol: - to some, that could change my perception of the sound ). :lol: :lol:

Oh, I forgot to mention, I was the one who installed, and aligned all four cartridges, using the same type of alignment procedures, using identical tools. :P

If ever there will be changes in the sound, I am 99% sure that it would come from the different cartridges. So what happened to the 1%? Oh, that would be the "condition of the ear" factor. I am sure that in certain days during the comparison, my ears had different levels of Tutuli. :lol: Oh, for those who have goldern ears, I must reiterate, that in certain days, the level of skidmarks on my underwear was also different. :lol: I'm so sorry for this. :( Forgive me, for I have sinned. :cry:

Now that's how to make a fair comparison. I say "comparison" since this is way different in trying to act like Michael Fremmer and giving his "assessment". Bla! Bla! and more Bla! :lol: :lol: Now, he is one heck of a Nerd. :lol: But a lucky Nerd at that! :P


Anyway, here is my take...

For the typical Clearaudio buyer, I did find the Clearaudio MMs - Alpha, Beta, to be more of Low Frequency Animals :P . With my system, I had to lift the butt of the arm to "lean-out" and tighten the flabby/exagerated bass. Hmmmmm..........

For the MC boys - Sigma, Victory H, ahhh, this is another story. I call these the Midrange Detail Animals :P . To make the lower spectrum have more body, I had to lower the butt of my arm.

Hmmmmm.......... Mr. Oswaldo Martinez of Enjoy the Music mentioned that the Sigma MC worked best when his arm was set "slightly higher in the back". Well, who the heck is he anyway. We are different! Most importantly, we have different levels of Tutuli! :lol: :lol: :lol:


Some say the Virtuoso is already in Clearaudio MC territory. I can't make a justifiable comparison on this, as I have not heard it in MY system and in MY room. If I do that, I could be evaluating the merits or demerits of the other components in the chain. An unfair and crazy comparison. :twisted:

So, are the Alpha and Beta really, Low Frequency Animals? After the exercise, I decided that they are not. They were probably just a bit subdued at the top end for my taste. Well, that is as compared to the Midrange Detail Animals. Hmmmmm.... come to think of it, maybe the MMs were OK, and that the Sigma and Victory are just to clinical and analytical... :? :?: :? :lol: :lol: :lol:

I won't claim the superiority of any cartridge over another. I am not a Nerd nor a Geek who can claim this and that. :) :D :lol: I can just say that the MMs and MCs of Clearaudio are 2 different animals, when compared using identical gear and identical situations. Does that make me a Nerd? :cry:


Anyway, don't enjoy the Music. Enjoy the Paranoia. :twisted: Its more fullfilling! :twisted:


That's what makes the audiophile world go round. :P


You spin me right, round, baby right, round,
Like a record baby, right, round, round, round :lol:
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Postby m_shoe_maker » Tue Jun 10, 2003 4:45 pm

hehehehehehehe :lol:

VTA seems to be a tone control for tonearms. :lol:
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