VPI Aries - either or question, please comment

Kubla,

This past Sunday, I attended a demonstration of the latest TNT Hotrod (at a NJAS club meeting) and we also had the new VPI Scout on hand for comparison, with the 9" arm and the SDS, which sounded very respectable as well.

I believe the 9" arm is an upgrade over the older JMW 10" arm, although the VTA adjustment is not as sophisticated. Combined with the SDS, it should outperform the older table, and you may find a SDS on the used market for a good price. VPI is currently working on an upgrade for their JMW 10.5 arm, based on improvements implemented on the 9" Scout version... They've already done this on the new 12.6 arm, which now has an internal ceramic coating and a fine trackin-force adjustment (plus an improved bearing), I believe.

We heard the Scout with and without the SDS, and though some members preferred the sound without the SDS, many, including me, thought the SDS made a substantial improvement, especially in terms of bass tightness and extension.

We got to hear the TNT Hotrod (with new periphery clamp) through the Manley Steelhead and a new Sutherland battery-powered phono stage (that takes 16 D batteries and lists for around $3k). The consensus was that the Sutherland was smoother and more focused sounding (and many preferred it), though the Manley appeared more detailed and seemed to throw a larger soundstage. It was a cool meeting, with VPI's Harry Weisfeld having fun as the guest presenter.

I guess that was more than you wanted to know, but I hope it helps. :)

I agree with Plato that you would be better off with the 9" arm and the TT improvements. The TT/motor assembly is higher on the analog hierarchy scale, and will make more difference than the longer arm will.

The only differences that the longer arm makes is an extremely slight reduction in tracking error, and slightly higher mass that may be a better match with certain cartridges.

But Plato, how did the HR-X sound?

Hi Gladstone,

As to the sound of the HR-X, that's a more complicated question than it appears on the surface. It was dynamic and extended, and the midrange character appeared to be correct (neutral). The soundstage was expansive, especially with the Manley Steelhead. One record we played had a great drum solo and the HR-X delivered the goods with great impact, weight, and articulation.

Since the system (as a whole) was unfamiliar to me, I really can't get into the fine nuances of performance. But my off-the-cuff impression is that it's a reference quality TT that should be compared with the other top-quality designs in and around it's price range.

I would've liked to have compared it to my Michell Orbe SE with Wilson Benesch arm in my own system. I didn't hear anything from the HR-X that would indicate it was doing anything better than my rig. But with so many different variables in equipment and room acoustics it was not really possible to make that determination. Cheers!

I personally went with your option 2. I spoke to VPI extensively before making the decision. The new Aries 2 is better than Aries 1 with SDS, but you can still benefit from SDS which should yield better pace and bass. JMW 9 is more rigidly coupled to the base than JMW10/12 because there is no on-the-fly VTA. That rigidity translates to more details and ambience. Also, the bearing and low counter weight (standard on newest JMW9) make JMW9 the best sounding arm in the JMW family. This is not my word, this is from VPI. If you tweak the arm further by some resonance control device and replacing the internal wires, you will have a world class arm at a very low price.

BTW, Aries + JMW9 is called Aries Black Knight.