Parallel? How do you set the VTA?

Actusreus-
You said in op "silly question", I want to agree with you.

You asked "how to detirmine conclusively if arm is parallel"
VTA is a "moving target" that changes everytime you change records.

So, it can't be detirmined conclusively.

Therefore, charts, levels, cards etc. seem like a waste of time/effort to me or "doesn't make sense to me"

Nothing personal, I was just sharing my experience with vta.

I am surprised no one has yet pointed out one of the most obvious considerations: having the tonearm parallel to the record surface tells you very little as far as wether the STYLUS is resting in the groove at the most desirable angle. As has been pointed out, attention needs to be paid to alignment/centering of the cartridge's coils; but, that does not necessarily guarantee that in that position the stylus will, likewise, be in the ideal position. Bottom line? It's a balancing act of various parameters, each of which will affect the resulting sound differently. So, experiment, experiment, experiment!

VTA is incorrect. It is SRA that you should be adjusting for. VTA is just a gross estimation of a starting point using the armwand as a guide, but the stylus rake angle is the rake of the stylus in the groove so the sides of the stylus that interact with the record groove are optomized for the angle of the waves cut into the vinyl by the cutting head when it was made.

Think of it this way, with a fine line or Shibata stylus the edges of the stylus are sharply pointed. The high pitched tinkly sounds are also highly pointed waveforms cut into the vinyl. You want to align the angle of the stylus fine edge with the tinkly waves so they are the same. Sonically it means that those tinkly tings are sharp and distinct without fuzz or sibilance. If they are aligned correctly then the bass and mids should also. Hard to describe, but easy to visualize with a simple picture. Think of the box in this picture as the small peak wave of the vinyl groove, and the blue oval as the edge of the stylus. I think you'll get it then.

http://hem.bredband.net/thomasakerlund/stylus.jpg

Fremer has come up with 92 degrees being optimal, but you need a super microscope to come close to even seeing that.

Enjoy,
Bob

200x usb microscopes with a focusing rail can be bought on ebay for less than $100. It takes some practice to get a serviceable image with a horizontal reference, but once obtained, you then overlay the image with protractor software to measure the stylus rack angle. Adjust the sra at the pivot point to obtain the recommended 92 degree sra. If you change the VTF, you will need to adjust the sra as the cantilever will flex thus changing the angle.

Get a Graham Phantom Supreme and your worries about consistently setting the correct VTA in seconds for every record thickness is over. The bubble level built into the pivot tower makes all the difference. Too bad other tonearm manufacturers don't get with the program by incorporating a level in their designs.