Rega Rp8 vs VPI Aries 2 Black Night

You really couldn’t go wrong with either one and IMHO, they would be an upgrade from the RPM9.1.

The Rega is pretty much a set it up and forget it about unit. Excellent musicality.

The VPI will probably give you more bass impact and detail.

That’s a tough call.

I've had the Aries 2 Black Knight for a long time.  It's a solid product that has worked flawlessly. It also looks nice, with appealing industrial design that sets it apart from and above the Rega products in my opinion.  I've made some key changes and upgrades over the years.  The SDS speed control is important and makes a big difference. I traded in the stock tonearm for a JMW 10.5i Classic 3 tonearm, which was not cheap but also improved the resolution and bass on this table. My Aries sits on a Gingko platform, which some don't like, but I've found that it helps with resolution at high volumes, noticeably reducing smear from airborne vibrations. I'm going to stick with this set-up unless I can find a way to move up to a much more expensive rig (VPI Direct, for instance, or Brinkmann).

VPI Aries.  Period.  No question it's a MUCH better table than the Rega.  I own a first generation Aries (extended) with a JMW-12 tonearm.  It has had a few upgrades over the years, but still retains the original qualities of the table. 

My table sits on Original StillPoint cones which made an improvement. 

It's hard and pretty expensive to get a better table than an early Aries. 

VPI with 12 inch arm only