Turntable upgrade or not ?

Elinor,

I have to respectfully disagree. The correlation between price and performance in audio isn't that obvious. To get better performance we have to pay a lot more is what magazines and dealers want us to believe. Does an $1,000 amp sound better than an $500 amp? Most likely. Does an $3,000 amp sound better than an $1,000 amp? Probably. Does an $8,000 amp sound better than an $3,000 amp? It is hard to say.

I have heard many modest priced well matched systems sound considerably better than mega-buck super systems.

As far as TT goes, in my experience, price is even less relevant. I had done a side-by-side comparison between an Aries 2- (an upgraded Aries to 2 status) and a Scoutmaster. Aries had the 10.5 arm, Scoutmaster had the 9 arm, both had Helikon cart installed. My friends and I all found that Scoutmaster sounded better than the Aries for much lower price. Well, it didn't go well with me because I was the one who own the Aries.

The point is, don't assume higher price means better performance. The overall system synergy is far more important.

The VPI and the Avid sound very different, one must decide which camp you're in. It's often hard to compare things that are sonically completely different and decide which one is "better" and what determines "better".

Sidssp,

If I implied that there was an absolute in quality v/s price levels regarding equipment, it was not my intention. You are correct, many costly components don't live up to the price point. If you read my comments, I am clearly trying to keep this fellow A-Goner from leaving the VPI and encouraging experimentation with set-up and all other parts of the TT chain including the phono section. I have heard the Scout in its most advanced set-up, i.e. motor controller, periphery ring, etc. and it is an outstanding performer. Add a first class cartridge and phono section and it will satisfy you for a long time. Oh yes, if you add all the after market features, your simple little Scout will have cost you at least double the price of the original.

I'd be curious to read a description of the sonic qualities/differences between the two TTs (VPI vs Avid).

As a Scoutmaster w/JMW Sig tonearm, I'd also be interested in learning more about the benefits of upgrading to a Graham or Schroeder arm.