Should I buy a VPI SCOUTMASTER. I OWN 25 RECORDS.

Everyone here has poisoned me on VPI. Guess they suck. Now I am looking at a new Acoustic Signature primus or a Rega RP8. Any thoughts on those tables?

VPI do not suck. Did anyone say that? For sure not me. What I said was get off the merry go round. Not change horses. Get off.

@rwortman what if you had 25 records but almost exclusively listened to music that analog recorded?

so, you don’t already have an extensive collection but most of what you want to listen to is pre-1990...

Rega P8 is getting great reviews from users and the write ups.

Unless you can go to a dealer and listen to setups, you will go round and round reading everyone’s opinion, bias, comments on others post etc.
Research the brands, open your wallet as much as you can, and take the plunge. Don’t like what you’re hearing,get rid of it, hopefully without too much of a loss.

"VPI sucks" is silly and false, and doesn’t come out of any of the comments that I can see except for maybe one post that is short on data and substance. if you want to get good advice from internet forums you need to grasp the underlying principles involved. for instance, the VPI Classic and Rega RP8 are very different beasts based on different design principles, each with their own pros and cons. there’s no simple "this one is better." is a Stratocaster "better" than a Les Paul? a Ferrari "better" than a Porsche? Depends on who you are and what you want.

Judging from your responses I’m beginning to think you may, in fact, be better off ditching analog. if you do want to stick with a turntable an older used VPI might be a good choice - the original Aries has a very good reputation (can’t be made today at anywhere near its old price point) and there’s one on sale here on a’gon right now though probably above your budget. FWIW I have a modded Aries 1 and a modded Rega Planar II and there’s no comparison between them. The Rega is great for my ’second system’, the VPI is good enough that I don’t know how to replace it without spending megabucks.