How does the VPI Aries II stand up to current mid priced tables?

The Aries tables are gorgeous. II probably being the best looking of all - congrats! If I had the room, a nice used deal on one would be hard to turn down. Agree with others you should explore the SOTA/Phoenix upgrades. The VPI tables since Aries/HR-X don’t really strike my fancy. But the 3D Reference arm sounds really nice, and could be another good upgrade option for your Aires.

@melm: Actually, the Aries 1 came with the aluminum/lead/Delrin platter I above described. Honest, I’m looking at mine right now! By the way, the TNT-3 and -4 came with the exact same platter (the TNT-1 and -2 came with the same Delrin platter as the Aries Black Knight). You will recognize Delrin by its black colour.

For the Aries 2, VPI switched to the frosted translucent-white Acrylic platter (and inverted bearing), which has fallen out of favour with both VPI fans and Harry Weisfeld himself.

For the TNT-5, VPI switched to the 15 lb. platter some hard-core VPI aficionados prefer above all others: a bottom layer of stainless steel (5/8" thick), topped with a 7/8" thick layer of Delrin. I know that for a fact: I have one installed on my HW-19 MK.3.

Neither of those two platters may be used on the Aries 2, as both had the non-inverted VPI bearing. The Aries 2 requires a platter employing the inverted bearing, like the Classic platter, or the platter that came after that stock in the TNT-5, the "Super Platter". It is comprised of a stainless steel center, with a layer of Delrin top and bottom. And an inverted bearing.

@bdp24 
Well, you have jogged my memory and there was indeed a short-lived 3 part platter initially introduced in the TNT II and no doubt carried over to the Aires.  I do, though, remember the black plastic as acrylic including for the base of my TNT which is entirely of the black acrylic.  At least, the platter was always referred to as acrylic in the reviews and they could only have gotten that from HW.  The acrylic and lead platter was first introduced in the HW-19 as an upgrade to the original aluminum-lead platter.  That platter was very well received for its SQ in TAS.  In any event they stopped using lead shortly after the first Aires IIRC.  Perhaps I misunderstand something you wrote about the TNT V.  The platters in the TNT V used a non-inverted bearing so they could not be used in the Aires 2 if it is set up for inverted.  Or are you saying that the TNT-5 was changed to an inverted?

I believe there was a period during which they used the all acrylic (clear) platter on the TNT V and later offered the stainless-acrylic (black) as an upgrade.

As I wrote, I think they dropped acrylic for its cost and the original bearings for the same reason.

@melm: Yeah, a lot of people (including reviewers, some of whom are people ;-) think all plastic platters are Acrylic. Not so! If the "plastic" part of a VPI platter is black, it is Delrin, not Acrylic. Go ahead, ask VPI ;-) .

The "plinth" of the TNT tables is indeed black Acrylic, but not the black platters. Remember how shiny the TNT black plinth is, and how "matte" finish is the platter? That's because the plinth is Acrylic, the platter Delrin. You can go to any good plastics shop and compare the two, which I have done. By the way, the machinist in San Jose, Ca who offers those excellent replacement parts for the Rega tables offers both Acrylic and Delrin versions of his Rega platter. They sound different. Delrin is much denser, harder, and more non-resonant than Acrylic. VPI switched to Acrylic to save money, and soon regretted it.

I bought an original HW-19 ("Mk.1") with the original aluminum platter (with a layer of cork-covered lead bonded to its' bottom side) from Brooks Berdan (he preferred the VPI over the Oracle Delphi for the Eminent Technology arm he at the time favoured), and bought the aluminum/lead/Delrin Mk.2 platter when it was introduced in the HW-19 Mk.2. The HW-19 Mk.3 used the same platter, and the final Mk..4 version of the HW-19 had the same solid Delrin platter as the original TNT (and the Aries Black Knight). The Aries 1 platter is the same as that found on the TNT-3 and -4 (7/8" bottom of aluminum with cork-covered lead bonded to it, 3/8" top layer of Delrin). I don't know if the TNT-2 also had that platter, or the same as that of the TNT-1 and Aries Black Knight (solid Delrin).

The TNT-1 through TNT-5 all have a standard bearing, as does the Aries 1. VPI switched to an inverted bearing (and frosted translucent white Acrylic platter) for the Aries 2 and the TNT-6. Confusing, ain't it?  

Confusing, yes!

Thanks for all the replies and info. It looks like a Classic platter/bearing are in my future. Unless a used SDS pops up, that might be as far as I go.