VPI TNT MkIII - pluses and minuses?

The VPI TNT is a very versatile table that can accommodate any tone arm, including tangential arms. You have the choice of belt drive, belt plus flywheel, or rim drive as the drive system. There are numerous platter options including 100% acrylic, Delrin with lead, Delrin with aluminum, Delrin with stainless steel, and 100% aluminum. You also have the option between a standard well bearing or an inverted bearing (depending on the platter selected). The suspension can be either spring loaded, pneumatic air bladder, or air ball suspension. The TNT is a highly tweakable table. Add in the VPI SDS speed controller, you have an excellent table that will continue to last for years.

With respect to the TNT3 table. The acrylic plinth is the same material used for the TNT 3 to 6. The TNT6 has a different motor cut out. The Mk3 uses springs for the pillar suspension. Replace the springs with the air ball suspension available from VPI. The TNT 3 uses a 600 rpm motor without a flywheel. The TNT 3.5 added the optional flywheel as standard. The TNT 3’s platter is made out of a sandwich of aluminum and delrin. Look for a Mk5 platter made from 50% stainless steel and 50% delrin or a delrin/ stainless steel/delrin sandwich Super Platter. These 2 platter offer a substantial upgrade over the Mk3 platter. If you want a more dynamic and less colored presentation, you can upgrade to the VPI Classic 100% aluminum platter. You have a lot of upgrade/tailored options.

The biggest drawback of the TNT is its large footprint.

The choice of platter, if one were to upgrade, may be limited by the cutout in your plinth. IOW, not very platter is an option for every TNT. I have seen Mk3's with Delrin/lead insert platters, not the Delrin/aluminum sandwich. I would also be careful about the description of the aluminum platter being "less colored". Leaner than the Delrin or acrylic platters, but that is assuming that one considers the weightier sound of the other platters to be wrong; I don't.

French_fries, my TNT6 is actually a hybrid with a MK5 platter as Brf suggests. For whatever it is worth, and to go back to the issue of the aluminum platter's sound, according to Mike at VPI the MK5 platter is "along with the Super-platter, the best they ever made".

Frogman, I “believe” that VPI stopped using the lead ring delrin platter in the TNT Mk2.

VPI used 2 different well type bearings during the TNT production. Mk 1-3 used a aluminum bearing housing with bronze bushings. TNT 4-6 used a stainless steel bearing housing with a rullon bushing and a large locking collar to affix the bearing to the plinth. The Super Platter utilizes an inverted bearing as does the VPI Classic platter. All former TNT platters, Super Platter, and Classic platter can be accommodated on an older TNT, although some may require a pipe like spacer. The only platter that a TNT cannot accomodate is the HRX platter

The VPI Classic is not learner than Mk5 and Super Platter, it is more dynamic and does not smear some inner detail. It becomes a matter of personal preference. BTW, I own the Mk5, Supper and Classic platters and I go back and forth between the Mk5 and Classic platter.

Brf, thanks for clarifying the issue of the bearings; I believe you are correct. Re the platters, take a look at this Mk3:

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/turntables-vpi-tnt-iii-turntable-2013-04-20-analog-33647-tampa-fl

Frogman, I don't believe that the platter pictured is a mk 3. The table has an original TNT 2 piece acrylic plinth, the towers and feet are mk1. The mk3 TNT has stainless steel towers with the elephant feet. There is nothing that I would consider mk 3 about the table linked in your post. In fact the table looks to be an original mk1 with an updated tri-pulley system.