2. analog
  3. 1135524250

DEALER IN N.Y. TO UPGRADE SCOUTMASTER

I currently have A VPI Scoutmaster and with a Clearaudio
Discovery Cartridge. I have a Cary 306/200 which I use as a transport and a Thor Audio Dac. I find that the sound of my CD's are more detailed clearer and more dynamic. Now the
prevailing thought seem to be that a properly set up turntable will sound better than the best digital. Well maybe I should upgrade my Scoutmaster to a Super Scoutmaster with the new JMW 9 signature arm with the
better wiring, etc. But, I thought about sending it back to VPI directly, but I'd rather have a dealer in the New York area do the upgrade for me and set up the table. I am willing to take one more shot at vinyl. I have purchased
some really good vinyl such as Eva Cassidy songbird, but most of the time with no cleaning, no fuss, the cd sounds better. I have a pair of Quadd 988's with Thor linestage, phonestage and tpa 150 monblocks. So I would appreciate
if there was a New York dealer that could set up my table
and truly one that is "expert". I don't see throwing another $3300.00 into my Scoutmaster to a Super Scoutmaster unless somebody that really knows what he is doing can set it up. I'm still looking for that supposedly superior vinyl sound. Any suggestions would be welcomed.
kjl
johnbrown
195 posts
 
My thoughts:

Ceedees are always going to be more clear, more dynamic, have less background noise, etc. than l.p.'s. What vinyl brings to the table [har], at least for me, is more air around the notes, a more lifelike decay, a more lush, musical sound, and lack of listener fatigue. The positives that I find in vinyl outweigh the negatives [surface noise, inconvenience] to the point that I listen to vinyl 90% of the time. My cd rig is decent, [BAT VK-D5]. I could make upgrades on the digital side, but I enjoy the vinyl so much, and I have so many albums compared to cd's [3000 to 500] that I'm sticking to vinyl.

I guess my point is that if you have your scout/jmw9 optimally set up, and are cleaning your records well [rcm],
and you still prefer your digital stuff, putting another 3000 smacks into your analog rig ain't gonna do it for ya!
That scout is a good tt. I had one, and eventually upgraded to an Aries 2/JMW12.5, but frankly the improvement was only incremental, and though I wouldn't switch back, I'd be more than happy with that scout/9 setup. My scout/9 was what really turned me on to vinyl. Your results were different! Nothing wrong with that. Enjoy your cd's.

This is all IMHO, I'd just hate to see you throw more money at a medium that's not working for you.
slipknot1
1,423 posts
 
The Scoutmaster is an excellent table in it's own right. Before you start chasing your tail and spending more money,
Raul's advice seems to be the best approach at this point. Make sure your cart is properly set up. If you are happy with the alignment and tracking force, play around with adjusting the VTA up and down in very small increments. Your ears will tell you when things have snapped into focus.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas
13,049 posts
 
Dear Kjl:Now, if the cartridge is properly set up: overhang, VTA, VTF, load impedance, etc, etc., and still you have problems with it then we can think in a fault in the Discovery or a fault on the phono preamp.

If you can try another cartridge in your system and try the Discovery in other audio system, in this way you really can know what happen.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
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