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Upgrade from Scoutmaster?

Hello. I started with a VPI Scout as my first table back into vinyl and have since upgraded to a Scoutmaster with the periphery ring and weight as well as the signature arm. I'm using a Xono phono stage and a Ortofon Jubilee cart at the moment. All of this is sitting on the top of an Arcici Suspense rack.

I've had this for a couple of years and am thinking about upgrading. I like my table but am wondering if there's just more of everything to be had or if I'm at the point of diminishing returns? If I were to upgrade I'd like to keep it to no more than the 5 or 6K range for table and arm.

My full system is posted.

If anyone has had a scoutmaster and done an upgrade in that range and had a WOW! experience I'd love to hear about it. If you tell me that any improvements are going to be incremental I might just resist the upgrade bug, (but it'll be tough). Thanks in advance.

Bryan
bhoage
chadnliz's avatar
chadnliz
3,737 posts
 
Pick me, Pick me, PICK ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
rushton's avatar
rushton
2,445 posts
 
Bryan (Bhoage), from my experience with the Scoutmaster in a friend's system, you can go a long ways upmarket before you will materially improve on it's strengths. It's a good, well balanced table design and the arm is better than many detractors give it credit. Of course, my listening priorities match to many of those things the Scoutmaster does well.

My friend ultimately moved on to a Walker Audio turntable (muttering under his breath that it was all my fault, of course :-) ), and that was a WOW! difference for his system. A Galibrier or a Teres or a VPI TNT will bring a very noticeable improvement over the Scoutmaster, but at a higher price point than you've set for yourself.

The point is that the Scoutmaster is a great overachiever and can be even better with a motor controller (VPI SDS or, better, Walker) and it will comfortably complement an even better cartridge. For the budget range you've set, you might get more enjoyment out of a cartridge upgrade and a motor controller. On the flip side, wait another year and try to increase the budget you're working with in order to make a really impactful improvement.
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tom_hankins
928 posts
 
Not sure if I quite reached "WOW" factor. But got to a serious "OH YEAH" when I went from my Scoutmaster/17D2 MKII(non-sig) combo to the Superscoutmaster/XX-2(signature) combo.
cytocycle
1,043 posts
 
Drool Drool ... I want an XX-2 cart... I really want to hear the bottom of the grove (untouched by other styli).... Some day after recovering from my speaker upgrade I'll get there..
bhoage OP
112 posts
 
Do you think that the XX-2 is going to be substantially better, (if at all), than the Ortofon Jubilee? I've not heard the XX-2 so I have no basis for comparison. Thanks.
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