Best New TT for $1500 (2015)

Users manuals prepared in amateur Word documents? You've got to be kidding. They are not capable for generating PDF files for their manuals?

 

Traveler vs Scout Jr.

Traveler has an inbound motor to the main chassis vs the Scout Jr. motor which is standalone. The Traveler motor is easier to deal with (when moving your table) because your motor is attached but the Scout Jr. is quieter because of the separation and additional isolation.

Traveler was originally gimballed sapphire bearings. The sapphire bearings had a sweet sound but were very fragile and easy to break. We later switched to ball bearings to make the arm more robust. The Scout Jr. arm is a gimballed yoke arm but it differs from the Traveler because it is in an oil bath bearing. The gimballed yoke with stainless steel rod made the arm much more robust and the oil bath bearing gave the arm the smooth sweet sound that the sapphire bearings once provided in the Traveler.

We discontinued the table because there were production problems with it as well as it not providing an upgrade path. Upgrade paths are available to great stepping stones to build up your table to make it more affordable. That and tweaking and working on your rig is part of the fun!

Also, the Scout Jr. is ready out of the box. It comes mounted with the Ortofon 2M red so there is no fine set-up needed. That being said, the Scout Jr. gives the user the ability to fine tune their sound to what they like while making it easy to switch out your cartridge when ready (I agree with someone's post I read about the Ortofon 2M Black, easy to put the black stylus in the red body and you're set!

You're right, the website still needs work but it has been a work in progress with us adding more information, instructional videos, professional pictures, and yes PDF files

Actually here is the link for the Scout Jr. to help answer some question about the table.

Honestly though, there were some great tables mentioned on this thread. I always appreciate constructive criticism on our tables and try to learn and apply the feedback into the VPI tables. As long as you're getting a turntable and spinning records you'll be keeping vinyl alive!

 

afaik the red and blue have common cartridge bodies as do the bronze and black. so putting a black onto a red body is probably not the way to go

 

Yes, you should. The $1500 pricepoint is all about one's personal preference between the Clearaudio Concept and Rega RP6 IMO. I was the former, most folks seem to be the latter.

 

Totally not true...... The VPI tables are extremely good across all their price points (and I sell some of the other brands as well).

The new Scout JR is an exceptional table at $1500. Slap a 2m Black/Bronze on the table and see what happens.

 

You are making some assumptions that are blanket statements about VPI supporters.
As a VPI owner I know their products are not perfect and they can do some wrong. The manual was amateur, the original "shelf liner" mat was not user friendly or attractive and they have had some product launch issues. Absolutely.
However, my personal support has zero to do with "made in USA" flag waving or the company's history. My support comes from the fact that my turntable looks and sounds incredible and is built to last a lifetime with a minimum amount of maintenance. The sound it allows my cartridge to produce through my amplification and speakers is wonderful, incredible actually and it transcends whatever minor issues and glitches that the table possessed.

I do find the company's quirkiness and lack of "big corporation" slickness somewhat charming but it has nothing to do with opinions of the product.

When I compared to the competition at the same price points, there was no contest for my needs. I looked and I listened.

One could speculate and make assumptions about why supporters of other turntable manufacturers are so passionate- but most likely it's the sound that they have come to love- despite the quirks and limitations it possesses.

 

Reading can only get you so far..... and really not far enough.

 

I'm not attempting to change someone's mind about the Traveler, but mine is noisy. Of course you can't hear it when music is playing, but it's there. I get frustrated when I'm reminded of the motor noise as I change records or when I turn the power on. Mine is the V2 purchased March 2013. Otherwise, I'm interested in upgrading to the Classic 1 or Prime in the future.

 

Just to add some facts here...
I "avoided" the Clearaudio based on its sensitivity to vibration.
I "avoided" the Rega because you can not set proper VTA on non-Rega cartridges without low profile counterweights and tome arm shims. Also the "process" of fine tuning VTA using shims was not user or turntable friendly and the final +6mm height would have voided a dust cover fit even with the low profile counterweight.

 

Err...you go over budget?

 

Mine has the startup belt chirp and a faint motor sound I can hear standing over the table. Once I move away I can't hear it. If yours is worse, you should consult customer service.

 

I bet it's about the same as yours. I've lived with it for a while and I guess that's okay. I'll replace it someday, but until then it's record playing time.

 

That is why I am considering getting rid of my P25 and the Scout Jr. is at the top of my list. Quality control concerns are a bit of a concern, but that seems to be a Traveler issue more than anything. If the Traveler had no problems then I gather a lot of this talk wouldn't exist.

Part of this hobby for me will be experimenting with different carts and the lack of VTA and azimuth adjustibility on Rega turntables is such a turn off. That's fine if all you want to do is run Rega carts, and I'm sure they sound more than good. But if one wants to get deeper into the hobby cart-wise then it's the Rega tables that become finicky. Getting my 2M Blue set up on my P25 was more hassle than it should have been. The one thing I like about Rega is the many ways their tables can be upgraded for a reasonable price (e.g. Groovetracer).

I don't have much experience with VPI but comments about their tables being hard to set up are puzzling. Perhaps on some models that I am unaware of, but if you watch the set up video that VPI posted on YouTube for the Scout Jr., it really couldn't be any simpler.

As for complaints about their manuals being in Word format? Really? A lot of high end audio companies have amateur looking manuals. I'm not bothered by it. These are audio component manufacturers, not publishers.

 

Are Clearaudio, Rega and VPI the only options at the OP's budget without getting into the super-boutique?

 

The Marantz TT-15S1 has come up as well. My understanding is that it's a modded Clearaudio Emotion but at a better price.

 

I looked seriously at the Marantz earlier this year. It looks like a great deal, especially with the included cartridge. I was told by a dealer that this table is no longer being made, and one reason was that it was undercutting Clearaudio's own models. I've not heard either point repeated elsewhere, but even if true there are still some units in the product pipeline so it can still be found new.

 

Here is a VPI Traveler at Music Direct - a demo deal for $1200 ...

http://www.musicdirect.com/p-228208...n=soundbytes&[email protected]

 

Another option in the $1,500 range: George Merrill's GEM-Dandy PolyTable. $1,495.00 w/o cartridge. This would include the Jelco SA-250 Tonearm. Anyone interested in a table in this price range owes it to themselves to give it a look. George is a great guy, & just a phone call away. His phone number is on the Gem-Dandy site.
I see that someone mentions noise from their table. The PolyTable is dead quite.
Also; the dustcover is about ready for these. As I mentioned in my other post, George told me these will be about $59.95. It will cover the platter only. He is one that is not concerned about dust anywhere else.
The PolyTable was designed by George Merrill from the ground up, & is made right in his shop in Cordova, TN. The motor, he designed in the 70s to his exact specs. It is U.S. made, as well. He has used this motor in all of his tables through the years, including yes; his $6,000+ R.E.A.L. 101 turntable.
I've owned my PolyTable a week now. All +'s. No --'s. I love this table!

 

Edit; the PolyCover Platter Dust Cover is now shown on George's site ($49).

http://www.hifigem.com/polycover-platter-dust-cover.html

PolyTable..

http://www.hifigem.com/polytable.html

I will post photos after I get my PolyWeight, & PolyCover.
The PolyWeight fits right on top of the cover, as well. Looking forward to these 2 additions.

 

I have an Xperience. It had some rumble problem but that went away when I got a Mapleshade stand. I don't know if I would get another but it is plug and play.

 

If any VPI owners have any advice, I could use it right now: so, Music Direct had a "Scout SE Demo" for sale yesterday. I decided to go for it--JMW-9T arm and lead-weighted platter for cheaper than a new traveler? Sure!--but then found threads scattered across various forums saying that a Scout SE they'd received from MD in the past few months had neither the JMW-9T nor HW-19 platter which it was described as having in the listing. I emailed to ask them to hold the order and let me know what was actually in the box.

The MD rep wrote back that it had "a gimballed arm" (i.e. a Traveler arm) "and the standard HW-19 platter," which doesn't seem to really mean anything, since the HW-19 had at least three different platters (the SEs from the original "run of 25" it seems had one of the lead-weighted acrylic versions of the platter). I'm waiting to hear back which of the HW-19 platters it has.

So, my dilemma: I liked the Traveler arm when I heard it on the Traveler, but I'm wondering: if I'm getting a Traveler arm on a Scout plinth, should I just cancel the order and get a used Traveler for a couple hundred dollars cheaper? Is the Scout plinth/detached motor enough of an improvement in itself to warrant the price tag? Add to that the possibility that it may be a solid acrylic platter, rather than the acrylic/lead-weighted one, and what say y'all? I'm thinking if it's the solid acrylic platter and Traveler tonearm, I should cancel... Trying to decide how I would feel if it's the acrylic/lead-weighted one...

EDIT: Heard back that it's a Scout 1.1 aluminum platter. So I'd basically be getting a Scout 1.1 with a Traveler arm for $1250...

 

You might want to check the thread about VPI Scout Motor Hum. You might not have the same problem but I wish someone had told me about Pro-Ject motors before I sunk my hard-earned cash into them. If VPI has similar problems then, they can drive you nuts!

 

+ 2

I bought one of these last week as something to play with. This table has amazed me with its clarity and performance well above its asking price. Virtually plug and play and has great synergy with MM's carts.

There have been a few people on this site that have owned RP6, Scout, Traveller and have preferred the Pioneer PLX-1000.

highly recommended in the $1500 - 2k price range for less than $700.

cheers

 

I've been keeping an eye on that thread, certainly. One of the reasons this deal is enticing is it comes with the full warranty and a 60-day return policy, which is something I wouldn't have if I held out for a used Scout with the JMW arm, or a used Traveler for less money. So if I get it and it's terribly hummy, I can pack it up and send it back...