Quote Originally Posted by Wakefield Turntables View Post
Whatever sounds best, how hard can this hobby be?
This is where the technical/measurements philosophy to hifi can get in the way of "real world" listening and how you perceive the sound from any change you make to a cartridge set up, turntable isolation, valves, room set up, equipment change, cables etc etc.

Does knowing something is technically perfect automatically mean it sounds perfect? No. Amplifiers can have high levels of distortion but still sound great. The VTA of your cartridge may not achieve 92 degrees but still sound great. Speakers can be positioned in numerous ways and can sound great to your own ears.

I suppose the theoretical perfect set up of anything is a good place to start but I have found my own listening preferences have often over ridden the ideal set up of many aspects of my system.

As you say Andy "Whatever sounds best " should be the mantra by which we put anything together or set anything up. I think our own individual hearing is definitely the best final arbiter.