Anyone NOT like the sound of VPI?

Stop thinking of spending on ANYTHING until you figure out what's wrong.

Tfkaudio & Sonofjim are likely correct. Lower the VTA so the tonearmis lower than parallel at its base. This should increase bass. Make sure your VTF is set a the highest weight end of the manufs' recommended range or even .1-.2g higher, as often recommended by VPI. Don't be afraid to mess up the setup, you will learn to hear what each change sounds like. Your dealer could easily have botched the setup.

Try measuring in room response w/test record and a mic. Tell us what the results are.

VPI "house sound" has been characterized by many as "beefy American mid bass heavy", etc. not light in bass at all. Something is wrong with your setup. BORROW another turntable and see what it does before you buy anything at all. Cheers,

Spencer

Spencer is absolutely correct, as well as some others along the same lines.

Ain't it fun figuring out exactly why a turntable ain't performing as it should when it don't?

One of the reason's surely that vinyl pilfered out of the mainstream way back when and most sane people (save us) just go for the ease of digital. Less moving parts to tend to and relatively cheap to replace when it breaks.

Of course, watch out when a digital format is not compatible....

If only they stuck the well made CDs in full sized record sleeves with cover art and text like LPs that I could read without a magnifying glass, I think I might be happy. I would probably have bought more CDs because maybe the cover art would have caught my eye in the store as happened in so many cases for me with LPs, so the record companies would be happier than they are these days too!

Progress, right?

Mapman,
I respect your opinion but the Vandersteens solve all of the size and room placement problems of which you speak without the use of ports and with flat in room response custom tailored to your room. Equalization in the lower frequencies is not deletorious(below about 150 hz) which is why Vandersteen does this. That's all I'll say about speakers. Sorry everyone. I realize this is not the loudspeaker forum.

Dealer set ups are always questionable. I have never had a dealer set mine up correctly. Chances are you have a new cartridge and even if it was set up perfectly, it will change as it breaks in. I don't know any dealer that is willing to put in the hours necessary to properly adjust a turntable. Many of you know just how much time doing an overhang adjust with the Mint requires. Next comes Azimuth, VTA, etc....tooooooooooo much