VTAF REVIEWS:
The Absolute Sound, Issue No.153 April/May 2005, Stephan Harrell, Page 16
"Vertical Tracking Angle on the Fly
Here’s an indispensable bargain for users of the ubiquitous Rega arms. The VTAF™, from Pete Riggle Audio, allows VTA adjustment on the fly (yes, while the record is playing). Does it work? Absolutely. Better still, PRA sells this precision-machined bronze, steel, and lacquered brass product for $104[*] plus actual shipping. Why the VTAF? As you may know, other adjusters require loosening and retightening of a nut under the arm board for each adjustment. Getting under the turntable, making the adjustment, and re-leveling the table becomes tedious and rapidly gets one out of the fine-tuning mood. This one makes it easy. It’s no surprise that I experienced improved soundstage, detail, nuance and air; VTA adjustment is often necessary to get the most out of your cartridge. But the general improvement provided by the VTAF mounting system itself was a revelation: Only gravity holds the arm pedestal down. Riggle latched on to this scheme when his Origin Live Rega 250 instructions cautioned against snugging arm post nuts too tightly. He found loosening the nut improved the sound, and he was right, but this then allowed the pedestal to spin around the mounting post during arm handling. His straightforward guide system now prevents this. With the arm pedestal held by gravity to the bushing that guides the arm post up and down, one can now lift the arm and cables out of the turntable without getting under the arm board. Since it takes just 10 seconds to remove or return the arm, accommodating cartridge changes, multiple turntables, or multiple Regas with different cartridges is now uncomplicated. With little room left, I’ll just say that I’m having one made for my Nottingham rig, and refer you to PRA’s ongoing sales at www.audiogon.com. Once there, a quick search for VTAF will reward you with many details and illustrations."
[* Apology from Pete Riggle Audio:
We had to raise the price to $149.99 to allow a fair margin for our retailers]
6moons.com
We've been fortunate to help Jeff Day at 6moons.com with his ongoing Garrard 301 project - and to have garnered some praise as well...
6moons.com - Garrard Project Part 1...
and Part 2
"... Pete installed VTAF™ bushings on both turntables to allow us to swap tone arms in less time than it took me to write this paragraph! Once the VTAF bushing is installed, an arm can be removed and restored in moments without breaking or making mechanical connections; without removing the arm board; and without getting underneath the turntable plinth. While Pete's original purpose in designing the VTAF was an easy way to adjust vertical tracking angle on the fly, it turns out that it also sounds better than the standard ways of mounting a Rega or Origin Live arm. The VTAF gives markedly improved nuance, inner detail, air and soundstaging over the original rigid mounting system."
There have been many posts on the VTAF over at the Vinyl Asylum.
More reviews are in the pipe!
TESTIMONIALS:
Joseph P Horvath II, AudioAsylum Vinyl, (jphii) 6/26/04, Teres turntable:
"Installation is extremely easy. If you can change a tone arm, you can install the VTAF. Going in, I had a couple of reservations... the arm just sits there. No nut to tighten at all... I was skeptical... the guide is the only thing that holds the tone arm in place (keeps the tone arm pedestal from rotating)... that had me a little worried too. So I put on an album I know inside out... the VTAF seemed to bring out a new level of detail I had been missing... it just seemed more 'right.' So I put on another album I know well... Same thing. New levels of detail, previously unheard. And the fun thing is, now I can change VTA on the fly! Seriously, I changed it on the fly, and not one skip, period. And my TT sits on a rack that is , lets see, 'structurally challenged.' If you have a Rega based arm, this will be the best hundred bucks you ever spent."
Bill Luebke, BIX turntable, email 7/3/04:
"I have the VTAF in play. Very cool I must say. Slick even. The strange thing is that the VTA on the fly is secondary to the improvement in the soundstage. Even my wife is playing vinyl albums again, a good sign."
Jeff Kane, Clearaudio Evolution Turntable, email 7/13/04:
"I put off installing the VTAF for the longest time... Was afraid to trash my P25 etc etc etc. Well, I just got a Clearaudio Evolution and got REALLY tired of doing the 'ol up and down with the VTA adjustors it had on it so the Dremel and I got busy. Funny that I wouldn't touch the P25 but I dove right in on the Clearaudio. As for the sonics... Well just the ability to adjust VTA on the fly is a HUGE boon but for what ever reason (decoupling the arm from the plinth maybe?) the noise level has dropped and the imaging is quite a bit more focused and defined now... I definitely heard an improvement with the VTAF... LOVE it! P.S. The setup looks PERFECT on the Clearaudio as it matches their hardware 100%... It looks like something they would've done. VERY nice. Will be placing an order for a VTAF for the P25."
Khoa Dang, email, 6/27/04:
"I have not got a chance to set it up on my turntable yet... though by the look of the highly polished and well made parts I believe that it will do a great job. Comparing to the usual simple and flimsy VTA adjusters currently on the market, your VTAF should command another $50 to $100 easily."
Mike Price, VPI HW-19 Mk. IV turntable, email, 8/9/04:
"Couldn't be much easier. My platter mat was thick enough so that I didn't have to do any shimming. This thing works great and sounds even better!!"
Barry Howard, VPI HW-19, email, 8/15/04:
"The installation instructions were foolproof and after the 45 minutes that it took to remove my Expressimo Audio VTA and install yours (mostly sanding the hole in my Corian armboard and adjusting height so that the cartridge body was parallel with the record) I was playing music. I decided to test the VTAF with a new 180 gram pressing of Cat Steven's Tea For The Tillerman... my initial test disc as I have upgraded my VPI HW-19. Five seconds into "But I Might Die Tonight" I'm sure that my mouth was hanging open. Every aspect of the presentation had improved beginning with the bass that was better defined with more kick and there even seemed to be more quantity. There was more detail revealed at all frequencies. The mids and highs were more natural and the soundstage became wider and taller - just plain bigger with greater transparency. Amazingly there was not a compromise for all of this improvement . . .The improvement to my HW19 was greater than adding the SAMA ($400 stand alone motor assembly) and on par with adding the Scout platter and inverted bearing ($300)! All of this has been accomplished without even adjusting the VTA. I will look forward to playing with the height adjustment over time. Thanks again for a well engineered product."
Brad Ellis, heavily modified AR XA-1, emails, 9/5/04 and 9/12/04:
"It is just as you promised - more detail, tighter bass, better sound-stage, easy to install and use and gorgeous to look at! Thank you so much for another brilliant DIYer's dream item. The VTAF has just brought me closer to my ideal sound than I have ever been before. After 20 plus years, I think I am finally hearing what I have been searching for. I hope I have conveyed that I am thrilled with the VTAF."
Bill Van Winkle, blind Master Piano Rebuilder, Thorens TD125 turntable, by telephone, 4/16/04:
"The ability to change VTA on the fly brings life to many records. In addition there is an unmistakable improvement to the sound, at any VTA."
Leonard Cue, Luxman version of the Rega P3 turntable, 9/17/04:
"Well thought out and comprehensive instructions made installation a breeze. The precison cartridge shims supplied allowed the VTA adjustment range to be set just right. The arm being practically free of the deck has improved clarity, giving the perception of improved timing and space. The VTAF moves the Shure V15xMR cartridge from sounding like a good technological trick, to the production of actual music."
Ken Perkins, Audio Asylum, 12/19/04:
"I've just installed the VTAF on a VPI jr. with an Origin Live 250 and have come to the conclusion that it's one of the best tweaks or mods I've ever done to a turntable/arm. Regardless of the VTA adjustment (it's basically set where it was), I'm convinced the actual mount has contributed to my sound the most. It's more open, there's more air with a blacker background, and dynamics and 'pace' are outstanding. The depth of the image is hard to believe and I'm using 30 year old modified Large Advents!"
Brian Sloan, email, 1/31/05:
"Another convert here in New Zealand. Great kit. Appreciated that you even included the plastic pipe sanding forms for enlarging the mounting hole. I was surprised at how stable the tone arm feels after installation. That stability seems to transfer directly into the music. The soundstage became more focused and palpable. I was also surprised that I ended up adjusting the tone arm a lot higher than previous calculations had suggested. You can't argue with your ears as the final judge! I've saved the best for last... you gave me my vinyl "Kind of Blue" back! Previously unlistenable. That alone was worth the price of this kit."