On my tt from the factory it had variable cam timing. Supposedly only for cold start emissions. I've read a post elsewhere where someone had dug further into it and found that the cam timing changes during a pull. Two different positions I guess.  Well I swapped to a aeb head from the stock awp and I kept with the NON vct tensioner. Now that I have aftermarket cams coming in...   should I stick with the aeb tensioner and tune it out or should I go back to the awp with vct?  Googling hasn't learned me much in the 1.8t world and mixing performance cams with vct.

AFAIK all aftermarket camshafts for 1.8T could be only used without VVT or at least all manufacturers claims so!

The cam timing varies depending on engine load and RPM. It is not just for cold start up emissions, but it does function to provide a lot of overlap for fast cat warm up in addition to the torque increasing function.  The VVT has better low speed torque and some gain at the top end too. It is illogical for Audi to use the VVT for only cold start up emissions, when the VVT can increase torque also. With a small displacement engine, more torque at low RPM is needed, so why would Audi not take advantage of that? The emissions at cold start up, don't need to rely on the VVT, there are other ways of achieving the required emissions limits at lower cost. More torque at lower RPMs with the VVT helps the turbo spool faster as well. VVT will have a fatter torque curve than the same engine running the same cams without it. I don't know why anyone would not use VVT by disabling that function, unless reduced area under the torque curve is preferred. In addition, it is also illogical, makes no sense for a performance cam designer to offer cams for VVT engines where the VVT must be disabled in order to use the cams. If that was the case, the cam design is not appropriate for the application, IMO. 

Yes, daily. Using a performance intake cam profile that requires that VVT be disabled, will result in reduced area under the torque curve, although a fixed timing cam profile may provide higher torque at a specific RPM, the area under the torque curve will be reduced. VVT allows better volumetric efficiency and torque over a wider RPM range compared to a non VVT intake cam profile. If you need a specific cam profile to produce best high RPM torque suitable for only drag racing, then a fixed intake cam timing profile may be preferred, even if the low RPM torque  is a lot lower. A car with a fixed cam timing optimized for best high RPM torque, will be practically useless at low RPM and will be difficult to drive on the street. The main benefit of VVT, is for increased torque and low and high RPM, a wider useful torque RPM range, and more area under the torque curve, compared to a non VVT cam design. A fixed cam timing profile will require accepting more compromise over the entire RPM range. A cam profile optimize for best useful torque for street driving will not require the VVT be disabled. Any cam requiring a fixed cam timing, is not a good cam for use on a street driven car. The main point of this is that Audi does not limit VVT to only cold starts. More torque is always better than less. It is fundamentally illogical and unreasonable to believe Audi limits VVT to only cold start up. The technical facts involved with VVT cannot support this untrue allegation. It is much better to use balanced measures of  higher boost pressure, advanced ignition timing, proper A/F ratios, fuel anti-knock rating and effective intercooling capacity compared to relying on extreme cam profiles. A cam profile requiring fixed timing, is not a suitable cam design for a VVT 1.8T IMO. 

There is no such thing as to much low RPM torque, especially with a 1.8T. I don't know how much torque "silly high torque" is. The earlier non VVT 1.8Ts do not have as much area under the torque curve compared to a newer VVT 1.8T. With only 150 HP, stock, that is because there is less torque available. HP is the product of torque and RPM. No way around this.

150HP is there only because the boost is lower. Cams and VVT/non-VVT does not make any difference there. Just try to run older 150HP engine with same boost as 180HP and check torque/power levels.

I will tell you once again - VVT is used only for emissions in stock 1.8T ECUs. Replacing stock cams does give better torque at midrange and top end.

Keeping VVT active until 3000rpm with a K04-020 gained me 14lb/ft over the stock mapping.

I agree on the emissions as well. That was obviously not the intention.

Source?
More peak torque and peak hp, at the expense of low down torque.