Up for debate Abrew19,
There is a SIGNIFICANT comparison when you break it down to the component and sub-component level.
Both TTs engineered completely different but with the same attention to details based on common principles:
One, a 50 pounds "Behemoth" of a table that comes standard with the stainless steel version of the JMW-10.5i unipivot tonearm in rigid mount mode, a solid plinth, a solid fixed mounted AC 600 RPM synchronous motor, new Mini HR-X isolation feet, and the Classic Aluminum Platter. All in all, an outstanding product capable of outperforming tables costing twice as much.
The other, a revolutionary design: custom made skeletal plinth, new ultra-stable RB808 tonearm with state of the art bearing assembly, triple-layer glass platter for fly wheel effect, 24-volt low-noise, low-vibration motor controlled by a hand-tuned electronic external power supply, new double bracing technology for stifness where it matter the most, between the tonearm mounting and the main hub bearing, forming a structurally sound "stressed beam" assembly.
In the end, there is no right or wrong, just a matter of taste. Some people (including me) prefer the RP8 over the Classic, especially because of the richness and musicality of the Rega compared to the "revealing" nature of the VPI deck. Please note that "revealing" does not mean harsh or over the edge. It just sound more analytical to my ears, nothing more, nothing less.
Happy listening.
There is a SIGNIFICANT comparison when you break it down to the component and sub-component level.
Both TTs engineered completely different but with the same attention to details based on common principles:
One, a 50 pounds "Behemoth" of a table that comes standard with the stainless steel version of the JMW-10.5i unipivot tonearm in rigid mount mode, a solid plinth, a solid fixed mounted AC 600 RPM synchronous motor, new Mini HR-X isolation feet, and the Classic Aluminum Platter. All in all, an outstanding product capable of outperforming tables costing twice as much.
The other, a revolutionary design: custom made skeletal plinth, new ultra-stable RB808 tonearm with state of the art bearing assembly, triple-layer glass platter for fly wheel effect, 24-volt low-noise, low-vibration motor controlled by a hand-tuned electronic external power supply, new double bracing technology for stifness where it matter the most, between the tonearm mounting and the main hub bearing, forming a structurally sound "stressed beam" assembly.
In the end, there is no right or wrong, just a matter of taste. Some people (including me) prefer the RP8 over the Classic, especially because of the richness and musicality of the Rega compared to the "revealing" nature of the VPI deck. Please note that "revealing" does not mean harsh or over the edge. It just sound more analytical to my ears, nothing more, nothing less.
Happy listening.