jazman Posted April 10, 2002 Share Posted April 10, 2002 I have a large Jazz vinyl collection and soon plan to add the the latest VPI turntable offering, the Aries Scout, to my 2 channel system. I also plan using the RB300 tonearm from my current Rega 3 turntable as the tonearm for the VPI Aries Scout unless I find a great deal on a much higher quality tonearm before it arrives. I realize there is always risk when buying the first production runs of a new product so...... I would like comments from any current or past VPI turntable owners about their experiences with VPI tt products. Particularly with respect to quality, durability, upgrades, longevity, satisfaction, and were benefits worth the cost, etc.? Thanks in advance for any input. Klipsch out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShapeShifter Posted April 10, 2002 Share Posted April 10, 2002 Wish I knew something, but I'm clueless. Wes ------------------ "KLIPSCH IS MUSIC"f> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted April 10, 2002 Author Share Posted April 10, 2002 Wes, Thanks. I realize that most, not all, here are more CD than vinyl. Even though I upgraded the motor on my Rega 3 and it's performing well, it's time I devoted more resources within my 2 channel setup to playing my LPs. In spite of no input, I have placed an order for the new VPI Aries Scout. The other candidate was the ClearAudio Champion. The VPI happens to come in a few hundred dollars less. The remaining choice will be which cartridge. A Sumiko Blue Point MC, or the BENZ MICRO MC-20E II MC. Does anyone favor either one of the two cartridges. I know Mobile prefers the Sumiko. Too bad dealers won't let you take them home for a spin. Klipsch out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joemcten Posted April 18, 2002 Share Posted April 18, 2002 I have a VPI HW 19 mkiii that I love to death. It absolutely killed my old Planar 2. It was easy to set up, and it yields a large soundstage with great definition in the bass region. I am using an Ortofon X5MC that seems to be an excellent match for my listening tastes. I listen primarily to jazz guitar and blues on vinyl and I am completely happy with my purchase of this table. It has been utterly reliable. I think the new Scout looks great. I am sure I would love that table as well.Keep us posted as to your progress..Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted April 18, 2002 Author Share Posted April 18, 2002 joemcten(Joe) Thanks for the input. I knew there must be VPI user within the Klipsch Forum. My initial order was going to be the HW19 JR with a MKIII platter upgrade. With VPI's upgrades I would work my way to a MKIII or IV. Corresponding with VPI lead me to ordering the new Aires Scout model based on the AC synchronous motor is contained in a separate steel housing and drives the platter via an Aries belt. I don't think I'll ever be able to afford the TNT, but hoping this will maybe be the last TT I need to buy. It will probably be another 4 weeks or more until my Scout arrives. BTW, did you move your Rega tonearm from the Planar 2 to the MKIII? If not, which arm did you install? Klipsch out. 1974 Belle Klipsch Welborne Labs 2A3 Moondogs Cary SLP90L Preamplifier Asusa modified PP-1 Phono preamplifier Rega 3 turntable, Rega 300 tonearm; Grado cartridge Rega Planet CDP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joemcten Posted April 20, 2002 Share Posted April 20, 2002 I am using an Audioquest PT-9 and it seems to work beautifully. With the enjoyment I get from this table, it could easily be my last turntable for a long time. I would rather spend the extra money on more vinyl. I will be anxiously awaiting an update once you finally get your Scout..Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derik Posted April 21, 2002 Share Posted April 21, 2002 I'm glad i saw this post. I'm getting into vinyl and I don't have a turntable yet(except for my grandfater's 25 year old one)so obviously, I need a new one. But like shapeshifter, I am clueless. I have no idea of any good brands (in turntables) and would like some suggestions. And also, how much does a decent one cost? Would a $100 sony from Circuit City suck? Thanks. Derik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted April 21, 2002 Share Posted April 21, 2002 "Would a $100 sony from Circuit City suck?" Not worth the money! "I don't have a turntable yet(except for my grandfater's 25 year old one)so obviously, I need a new one." Maybe or maybe not! It depends on what turntable grandpappy had been using. Some 25 year old turntables still bring mucho dollare - (an LP-12 with a high end tonearm and a quality cartridge Ebayed at over U$ 1500.00 recently). Admittedly most 25 year old turntables would be crap now simply because they were crap when they left the factory. Just out of curiosity - what turntable did old grandad have ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted April 21, 2002 Author Share Posted April 21, 2002 derik and lynnm, Yes, the $100 turntable from Circuit City will surely suck. Yet for a few, and I mean a few bucks more you can get something GOOD, and NEW. Project and MMF both manufacture low end, belt driven turntables that anyone on a budget can afford,(around $200-$300 starting prices), and are highly regarded products that will treat your vinyl well. Some additional general information on turntables can be found at the following link. Turntable buying info. If you want to avoid setup and possible repair/restoration cost of more high end, but used, TTs, the Project and MMF offerings are good "starter" units and are offered at many online sites. Welcome to the wonderful world of vinyl. Klipsch out. This message has been edited by jazman on 04-21-2002 at 10:19 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted April 21, 2002 Author Share Posted April 21, 2002 joemcten, That AudioquestP9 arm is a nice one. It will take me some time to work up to it, or one of the other many higher offerings from VPI, SME, Rega, or Audioquest, but I'll get there. Klipsch out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted April 21, 2002 Share Posted April 21, 2002 Lynnm, re: "Admittedly, most twenty five year old turntables would be crap now just because they were crap when they left the factory" 25 years ago was 1977, and admittedly, from that time FORWARD... there were fewer and fewer turntables being offered with high quality for a variety of reasons: the bad U.S. economy (trust me, we were the world's largest consumer of home electronics back then too), the advent of CD's, the tendency of manufacturers to cut quality in order to cut costs so a product would move, etc. BUT, for a short period during the five or six years prior to that, some of the very best turntables ever made were produced" Empire Troubadour, Thorens TD 125, and others from the aging belt-driven fleet were still high tech standards striving to survive against the new tech arrivals into the marketplace that were not only promising to improve upon the performance of the established "Kings of the Hill," but living up to those promises. Enter the direct-drive heavyweights from Japanese and other manufacturers firmly establishing a reputation for reliability and shaking the foundations of the industry, with a burning desire to steel a crown for themselves and a sizeable chunk of sales with their lower prices. Technics introduced its SL110, a direct-drive designed to be a giant killer, with half the wow and flutter of the standards of the day, 3-8 dB less rumble, and precison speed control and adjustments...designed to accept the audiophile Micro, Ortofon, and SME tone arms of the time...this was followed within a few months by its bigger brother SL120, then a few months later were introduced the first of Technics' complete models based on these...the SL1100, the SL1200, and the SL1300. The race was on!!!!!, and the cartridge manufacturers jumped onboard...with a healthy shove by the advent of the short-lived CD-4/Discrete era which pushed cartridge technology to its limits.... SOOOOOOOOOO... Let's not be too hasty in our judgements of the quality of turntables from that time period, please. (I write this as I sit here listening to CD-4 vinyl recording of Jethro Tull, Aqualung playing on my Technics SL 1300 turntable bought in 1975, with JVC CD-4 cartridge with shibata nude stylus running the signal through the CD-4 demodulator in my Harman Kardon 900+ receiver and coming out of my Heresys) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted April 22, 2002 Share Posted April 22, 2002 A minor clarification: I did not mean to imply that All turntables produced 25 years ago were junk - just most. In fact great turntables have been in the minority throughout the history of recorded sound. Suprisingly enough many of the better ones were not necessarily the most expensive. I have heard some of the current breed of quality turntables and agree there are some nice units available at reasonable prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derik Posted April 22, 2002 Share Posted April 22, 2002 I am definitely going to get a new one because me grandpa's turntable is not high end at all! It is a sylvania. It was in our garage so I was just using it for the time being. It won't even hook up to my new reciever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted April 22, 2002 Share Posted April 22, 2002 "me grandpa's turntable is not high end at all! It is a sylvania" It would seem a replacement would be in odor --err umm order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshT Posted April 22, 2002 Share Posted April 22, 2002 Jazzman, I'll be interested to find out what you think of the Aries Scout. It looks promising. Have you posted your question on the Vinyl Asylum of audioasylum.com? I first saw an advertisement for the Scout in the Accoustic Sounds catalog a few weeks ago. It is advertised as a $1,500 package with a new JMW9 arm (I suppose a mini version of the JMW 10 and JMW 12). Have you considered that package? Has anyone any information on that package? It seems like a great deal. Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted April 22, 2002 Share Posted April 22, 2002 Lynnm, I did realize you weren't "knocking" ALL of the turntables from that era...but I was trying to give a hint to the savvy reader on this forum...if one notices that the Technics SL1200 turntables (greatly loved by DJ's for many years) are going for a small fortune in excellent used condition (yes, they are still considered one helluva turntable, or else people wouldn't be paying so damned much for em), one may also note that the SL1300 of that era in excellent condition goes for a song!!!!...For the life of me I can't understand why!!!! Even new, it was IDENTICAL to the SL1200, in design and quality...even specs, but it had the added feature of automatic tonearm return in the manual mode (and one could use the automatic start lever, which I never did)...and new, it cost more than the SL1200 due to the addition of these features!!! WARNING: The SL1300 is NOT the same as the later lightweight 1300 "series" models that had letter suffixes(most of which had adjustments for speed pitch, etc. ahead of the dustcover instead of under it)...It is also not the same as ones which had numbers following the "13" in their designations, instead of a pair of zeros!!!!!...the easy way to tell?...pick em up!!!...The SL1300 is a heavyweight just like its twin brother the SL1200. BTW, the Technics SL1300 MSRP in 1976 was $299.95, with the MSRP of the SL1200 being $279.95...alot of money in those days, but still alot cheaper than the top of the line Thorens belt-drive model TD-125AB MarkII at $410.00 or the belt-drive Empire Troubadour III 598 at $399.95, and the two Technics' specs placed them between the two...(BTW, the Empire was the "King"...had better specs...BUT had to be returned often for repairs in those days, whereas the Technics models just kept playing and playing and playing....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted April 22, 2002 Author Share Posted April 22, 2002 JoshT, I have not posted the question to the Vinyl Asylum and maybe I should. I did spend some time emailing VPI customer service, Sales, and Cust. Support about the Scout before placing my order. I did not consider the JMW arm because I have a Rega RB300 arm which should work well as my intro to VPI tables, without the adiitional expenditure. The Scout comes predrilled at no cost for the RB300 arm. When I bought my Rega 3 turntable with the RB300 arm, part of my plan was to one day go to a better table and not have to buy a new arm. I will eventually upgrade the arm, but for now, the RB300 arm will do because that's what the budget allows and many upgrade mods are available for the RB300 arm to improve it's sonic properties. The Aries Scout will be a huge upgrade turntable wise. There are also so many tonearm choices, that I don't want to rush into a decision before spending time with the table. There is always a possibility a great "used" tonearm may surface from someone with upgrade-itis. I try to make improvements to my system one piece at a time, mostly based on how much disposable cash is available. Adding one piece at a time also gives me a better idea what each newly purchased component contributes to the whole. Klipsch out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshT Posted April 23, 2002 Share Posted April 23, 2002 Hey Jazzman, Sounds like a good plan, and please let us how it works out. I have a Rega Planar 3 with the RB300 and also an NAD 533 with the RB250 (or some version of it). I have considered getting a Basis 1400 without arm and installing the RB300 or RB250 to save money. I think those two tables are similarly priced, though I have not heard either. Have the folks at VTI indicated that the verticle tracking of the RB300 will be correct on the Scout? Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted April 23, 2002 Author Share Posted April 23, 2002 Josh, From what I know so far, the Rega is a direct drop in for the Scout table. They have not mentioned any modifications would be required. As you know, the Rega does not provide a VTA adjustment, which is one reason I am considering other tonearm options. The RB300 arm though, is well liked by many, especially after wiring and VTA mods are added. My initial VPI order was going to be an HW 19Jr with the MKIII platter upgrade, or the VPI HW 19 MKIII. The nice thing about VPI tables is, all are upgradeable so you can get good VPI quality even with the bottom of the line, and move up as ones budget allows. BTW, I also like the Basis tables and the Clear Audio tables among others. Klipsch out. PS. Did you ever look into the Creek passive with remote as a way to put more into a tube power amp without having to rush out and also spend big bucks on a tube preamp to power those Heresy IIs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshT Posted April 23, 2002 Share Posted April 23, 2002 Hey Jazman, I'm still on the fence on the tube amp/pre amp, but am certainly considering the Creek as an interim preamp. I forgot whether I asked this, but would it work with the ASL Wave 8s, or do they need an active preamp? One thing I am seriously considering, separate from the tube set up for the bedroom system with the Heresy IIs, is to get the CJ PV-14L tube preamp for my HT system, since the CJ preamp has a theater loop. I have not home auditioned yet, but I bet the CJ would sound nice with the KLF20s and Rotel power amp. I figure it would warm up the midrange nicely -- also I would get a pure analog signal with my TT and CDP, which I don't get using the Sherwood Newcastle processor. BTW, what cartridge would you use with the Scout and RB300? I'm currently using the Grado Silver on the Rega Planar 3 and, despite the mild hum in the inner grooves, I think it sounds great. Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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