Confused about Rega and VTA....


Hello audiophiles-

I have a Rega Rp6 TT with Exact 2 cartridge.  I’m interested in upgrading the cartridge to a MC and am deciding between the Hana EL and the Hana SL.  The dealer I am working with (who will install the Hana cartridge) says Hana SL is only better if VTA can be adjusted.  

So this is the source my confusion!  It looks like Rega discourages adjusting VTA on its tables.  Yet it also looks like people do it all the time (and use spacers etc).  So my question is am I making a mistake getting the technically better cartridge (the SL) if it requires VTA adjustment?  With the Rp6 would I be better off with the Hana EL for this reason?

Two other questions:  does anyone have a recommendation about where to buy spacers?

Should I also get a Groovetracer counterweight while I am futzing around with the table?  (It looks like the Hana cartridges are pretty similar in weight to the Exact, so not sure if this would be something with sonic advantages or not,)

I do have the Groovetracer subplatter now.

Thanks for any insights!  Margot
mcanaday
IMO, the single biggest difference you can make to vinyl playback is to go to an arm that has VTA on-the-fly adjustment.  Irrespective of cartridge, minute adjustments when you can hear the results reveal a whole new world of resolution.

I had a Planar 2 with a DV MR23RS back in the day and was very happy with it until I auditioned a table with a VTA OTF arm and the same cart.  Blew me away.  Bought the demo table and arm right off the dealer's floor the next day and have never looked back.

My 2 cents:  Look at the arm first.  Micro Seiki, Graham and a few others can be found second-hand, are easily mounted to the RP 6 and won't bust the budget.  Any one of them will get more out of your Exact 2 than you've heard before.  

Is going that route a bigger spend than just a new cartridge and some shims?  Yes.  The return on investment is unmatched, however.  After using VTA OTF for awhile, then you can make a truly high-ROI decision on which MC to go with.

Good luck no matter which way you go and happy listening!
SRA (stylus rake angle) is more important than VTA! And this is set just once for a particular tonearm/cartridge. Fiddling with VTA for every LP is a waste of time and detracts from your listening enjoyment! Set the SRA properly just once and forget about VTA! The Hana low output mc cartridge will certainly sound better than the Rega mm and requires no on-the-fly adjustments! My advice comes from 40+ years of LP playback!