VPI Prime Scout or Rega Planar 6 w/Ania?

Mat you're awesome. I frickin love my Prime Scout - just got it last Tuesday and can't stop listening to it. You did a cool thing from the factory - used the 2016 VPI Scout rectangular table and put all the 2017 Prime Scout doo dads on it - so it's the same thing except the shape of the table - and it was a steal!!!!!!!

 

Got it. So when you say tired you don’t mean rhythm and pacing you mean anemic as in thin sound?

 

Yes, notch on the pulley device on top of the motor where the belt resides. You can put it up, down, or in the middle. The top one is the most stable, in my experience.

As for the RPM Calculator app, you leave it on the whole time. You don't go by the first numbers that it displays. It will display numbers and change them dynamically the whole time and at some point, you should see the numbers stabilize. The goal is to get 33.3 or as close to it as possible by following the steps I outlined. Let us know how it went. Feel free to PM me if you want.

 

I think if Rega's foam plinths had a sagging issue it would be all over the forums, not just this one case. The RP8 &10 are at least 4 or 5 years old at this point, and that's the first time I've heard of that happening. My guess is he set it near something super hot, or perhaps it's a story planted by a competitor.

 

Since the RP8 and RP10 have been out for a while now anyone heard if they will be replaced with P8 and P10 like the rest of their lineup has?

 

Thumbs up for VPI. I love the sound on mine and I can't imagine ever replacing it.

 

You get a lot for your money with the VPI. Plus, I had a recent issue and the owner of VPI actually called me last week 20 minutes after I sent an email and they rectified the problem. That's a company that cares about their customers!

 

Hang it, just get a Michell Gyro SE ...you can help the Brit economy at the same time (like Rega, they are also made over here). Sorry, just a bit of fun.

 

I love the look of this turntable but have heard that it has a lush presentation (as do most suspended designs). Would you agree?

 

hard to describe but not thin. more like slower and darker but slower than the music should sound. no pep or energy.

 

yes. many people report the need for the add on controllers.

 

unfortunately i do more than sit back and listen, i notice too much about the sound. also auditions are very difficult to come by.

 

This reality of market price vs. product perception is important to understand. We in the US covet the British audio goods and are willing to pay more than their homeland prices. I would imagine same for some US products in the UK and Euro markets. On the flip side maybe we tend to devalue our home grown products in the same way?
If an RP8 sold in the US for the UK equivalent price of $2000, I would have a hard time passing on that deal.

 

I think you are right, certain things have a "cache" because they are imported, whether over here it's Italian suits or German cars, or maybe a few Corvette's or Mustang's, or Macintosh Audio.

 

Well a Rega running slightly fast should fix all that

 

Ok, as I originally thought. I wonder if an anti skate control could remedy this as it does on my Linn. Do no VPIs have this or is it just the Traveler? Thanks.

 

There’s anti skate but I don’t use it.

 

Having just moved from a Gyro SE with ORBE upgrades to a VPI Super Prime Scout...I would say this is very true. The Gyro has a much more laid pack presentation than does the SPS - more of a British taste I'd say. However, arms do make a big difference. I found music on the Gyro to have better pace and energy when mated with an Original Live Encounter arm than with the SME M2-9.

To that end, I like just about everything better with the VPI than the Gyro. I just wish VPI had a locking tonearm clasp much like the SME arm does - then the VPI table and arm would be just about perfect.

 

Just purchased a VPI prime Scout 2 weeks ago and love it so far,Still have a NA Horizon SE which I had for maybe 12 yrs,great table also,Just needed to be able to set VTA. It will outlive me im sure..haha

 

Interesting. I just disconnected mine too on a Prime. It was definitely effecting the tracking of my new cart just a bit and now it is tracking better. VPI feels it isn't needed but I wonder if it's just their tables or anti skate in general?

 

It's a bit of a touchy subject. Some people feel it's absolutely necessary while others just don't believe it is. On my VPI, I always felt it was impeding things. But on some other turntables like the Technics SL-1200, from what I read it's almost necessary in order to have it working as well as it can.

Since there's no golden rule on this, it's all about trusting your ears. No harm in experimenting, really. After it's all done, choose whatever sounds best to you.

 

they explained to me that the twisting of the wiring out of the tonearm creates anti-skate

 

Thats the way I set mine up also..seems to work well.

 

Vinyl Nirvana Thornes with the Jelco Arm is the way to go for a belt drive in this price range. My RP6 is nice but the Vinyl Nirvana tables are better and that goes for the P6 and entry level VPI and Clearaudio as well. Unless you need the plug and play simplicity of a Rega, which is a very nice feature, the Vinyl Nirvana tables are the way to go.

If I was buying in the 2K range right now I'd get a Technics 1200GR with a Dynavector 20x2. Then when it's time for an upgrade I'd get the Timestep arm board and an SME M2-9R and call it quits table wise.

 

Well I read through the replies in this thread (even Mat from VPI!) and all over the site (and the web) and at the price point I want to be, I just think the new Planar 6, Ania cartridge and the Rega Fono will be an all around solid upgrade from my Debut Carbon/Ort Blue/Lounge MKIII. And it leaves room down the road for a trade in and upgrade to a VPI Prime (not the Scout) if I feel I need more.

Thanks for the input, much appreciated. Oh and Taylor from Goldprint is awesome to deal with. This is our second or third deal together and his service and prices are top notch.