VPI Enthusiasts: Going Backwards?

I know there is a lot of positive chatter about the Classic but I cannot for the life of me see where the supposed improvement comes from over the Aries/Scout designs. I'll admit, I have not heard it but I just don't get it and am inclined to agree with Greggdeering. I think the limitations of my little Scout are several but perhaps most significant is the arm and the failure to isolate given it's rigid plinth design. My thinking is that a HW-19 with a suspended chassis and a much better arm may provide significant improvement over my Scout assuming the motor and bearing are at least as good. Just speculating here though Markd51 does raise some good points--how much money do I want to throw at an antiquated design?

Over the years I've owned 2 HW19 Jrs., a Mark III and a Mark IV. I've also owned the original Aries and a TNT HR6 with the Wheaton Triplanar arm. The Mark IV was mated with a Graham 1.5t. Of all those setups, I've enjoyed none more than the Classic.

Wendell

On my Scout, I have conquered all of the problems you have cited. Target wall mount, spring suspension Brightstar Audio platform, Solid brass spikes on table and motor, cutaway portion of lid supporting motor, Mapleshade NanoMount System drains vibration away from cartridge into arm, and also directs it into the plinth, where it goes into the sand box. A 300 RPM motor and PS Audio P 300 Power Plant steadies the voltage to the motor.

A TTW copper mat and heavy brass clamp securely holds the lp to the Mapleshade Integrated Record Coupling System. Arm is the JMW Signature. Dyna XX2MKII gets everything that is possible out of the grooves for this cartridge. How does it sound? Unlike most any Scout you are likely to encounter, that is, amazing. Credit also goes to the MintLP Tractor, all the upgrades would count for nothing without its contribution.

I know from my experience that the Scout can give you far more than you are currently getting from it. It has come a very, very, long way without dropping thousands into $1200 plinths, $1000 controllers, and $4500 arms.
Hope this helps. It surely helped me.
Best regards,
Dan

I agree with much of what you say Islandmandan, the tweaks, attention paid to great set-up (BestTractor) does help. I think I'd be correct saying that every Table Harry W ever made was "tweakable", and ole Harry must be a tweaker at heart, never resting to find different, and more ways to extract fine sound.

I certainly don't see the Classic as the "end all", and wouldn't surprise me in the slightest, that in time, Harry will be selling a "Super Classic", or "Classic II". Only a matter of time, and perhaps part of that driving force is a natural desire-commitment to continue on in business, so that VPI as a company-brand will prosper, not wither.

I think my "forum fathers" here would tend to agree with me, that a great Table-Arm-Cartridge combination, and the sound it can produce usually doesn't come from a hit and miss guess.

That good design logic, high quality parts, the proper combination of parts-materials help vastly to hopefully combine to achieve hamony, and synergy with any given Table, whether it be a Linn, SME, Galibier, Clearaudio, VPI, etc.

There's lot of nice Tables to play with out there, and many from the VPI line that I'd be proud to have-own. I for many years was quite enamored with a Table such as the VPI TNT Mk V. And I always liked the original Aries 1. Mark