VPI Scout as an entry turntable?
Feb 22, 2007 at 5:21 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 26

Zuerst

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I been thinking about getting a TT and start using vinyls. Looked at many entry level options (Rega P1/2/3, Pro-Ject Debut III, Music Hall mmf-5, vintage Duals...etc). The I found a mmf-7 on audiogon for $650 shipped everything included and thought "nice, only a bit more than a used P3... unfortunately, it was already sold...

So now I'm thinking, the VPI Scout plus a Dynavector 10x5 really isn't that MUCH more right?'

So what do you think?
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Anyone ever gone to TT of the Scout's caliber or higher and end up selling all their digital sources like a dedicated DAC, CD player...etc?

VPI Scout too much for a noob?
 
Feb 22, 2007 at 5:33 PM Post #2 of 26
sounds like a good plan!
 
Feb 22, 2007 at 6:04 PM Post #4 of 26
It's not a bad TT, and I hear demand is so high the manufacturer can't keep up. If you are going to fork out that sort of cash right away on a TT, then also consider the SUMIKO Blackbird against the Dynavector 10X5. Don't get me wrong, the DV is a very hot MC cartridge. My personal feeling and experience with Dynavector cartridges however is that they only seem to release their capabilities when mounted in a Dynavector arm. It could well be that Dynavector spent too much time trying to create a harmony between their arms and cartridges.
Mind you, a Michell Gyro Dec is still one TT on my short list
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Feb 22, 2007 at 6:07 PM Post #5 of 26
Quote:

Originally Posted by Zuerst /img/forum/go_quote.gif
How about slapping a $500+ cartridge on say a Rega P2?
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The P2 is not good enough to be able to back up the capabilities of a U$500 cartridge. By more realistic with a high output MC cartridge around half the price.
 
Feb 22, 2007 at 6:30 PM Post #6 of 26
Quote:

Originally Posted by Zuerst /img/forum/go_quote.gif
How about slapping a $500+ cartridge on say a Rega P2?
redface.gif



At my local stereo shop some guy was having a Lyra Helikon installed on his NAD turntable (rebranded P2). He had already installed a rewired tonearm, acrylic platter, and the motor out of a P25.

It takes all kinds...
 
Feb 22, 2007 at 6:38 PM Post #7 of 26
Zuerst, if your mind is set to have a "real" TT then the VPI Scout is a very nice one, sound and aesthetics alike. You have to consider the cost of a decent phono stage. No sense of pairing a fine TT with a $99 amplification.
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Nobody ditches their CD players these days... You just can't get all music on vinyl and a CDP (or a Server/DAC setup) is much more practical for casual listening.
 
Feb 22, 2007 at 9:07 PM Post #8 of 26
I had that exact set up before upgrading to the Dyna Karat and it is really a nice pairing. The Scout is a giant killer which is why it's remained so popular. I think the Scoutmaster runs into more competitions with its added price. I've had no desire to upgrade. period.
 
Feb 22, 2007 at 10:46 PM Post #9 of 26
The Scout is an excellent table, starter or otherwise. I once owned a Super Scoutmaster w/ Grado Statement and Ray Samuels XR-10B. At the same time, I helped a friend buy a Scout. Having heard both side by side through the XR-10B, I felt the Scout was capable of delivering much of the performance of the Super Scoutmaster at 1/5 the price.

All that being said, don't ditch your digital setups. My opinion is that proper digital recordings on a good digital rig provide far more transparency. That being said the world of properly engineered digital recordings can be quite small and frustrating. Neverthless, the flaws of vinyl are far more frustrating for me and the only reason I would turn to vinyl again is because of the wealth of high quality and rare recordings recordings.
 
Feb 23, 2007 at 4:00 AM Post #10 of 26
Quote:

Originally Posted by Herandu /img/forum/go_quote.gif
The P2 is not good enough to be able to back up the capabilities of a U$500 cartridge. By more realistic with a high output MC cartridge around half the price.


i agree strongly. i moved to vpi from higher up in the rega line when my cart outdistanced my tt. if you can afford a vpi get one.

btw, i use a benz micro ruby which is way up the food chain, but my 2nd fave cart on my vpi is the 10x. tried a 20x and moved back. the synergy was fantastic with the vpi. the guy who owns vpi turned me on to the combo. i thought, well he outta know, and he does!
 
Feb 23, 2007 at 12:35 PM Post #11 of 26
Quote:

Originally Posted by Zuerst /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I been thinking about getting a TT and start using vinyls. (...) VPI Scout too much for a noob?


I wouldn't recommend to spend that much, if you have no experience with the medium yet. I'd rather suggest a less expensive solution for a start (a nice US$ 500 vinyl setup will already be good enough to be enjoyable for a good while, I'd claim...), so you don't lose that much, if it turns out that you prefer the sound or comfort of the cd...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
 
Feb 23, 2007 at 1:53 PM Post #12 of 26
If you are contemplating spending that much money the best course of action would be to go to a dealer who will allow you to listen to a range of turntables / arms / cartridges / phonostages etc at different price points and decide what's best for you.
A good dealer will demonstrate what you can get for your money and then set the whole thing up for you properly in your house which can be a steep learning curve if you are new to vinyl and is almost as important as any other factor.
Although you may pay a bit more than you would on the web this is a worthwhile investment before you start fiddling with exotic 500 USD MC carts on your own. I still find mounting expensive carts a daunting experience even after 30 years of using turntables
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Feb 23, 2007 at 2:02 PM Post #13 of 26
Z: Listen to the man above - it's good advice, 'cause it should give you a good feeling of what to expect in a certain price-range and provide you with an overview on the existing flavours.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
 
Feb 23, 2007 at 3:12 PM Post #14 of 26
Quote:

Originally Posted by videocrew /img/forum/go_quote.gif
At my local stereo shop some guy was having a Lyra Helikon installed on his NAD turntable (rebranded P2). He had already installed a rewired tonearm, acrylic platter, and the motor out of a P25.

It takes all kinds...



That's just a total waste of money. I hope the guy in the shop told him that?

Putting a top of the line moving coil cart (2000 USD !) like that on an entry level turntable is just silly. No matter how much you tweak up a Rega P2 with new motors and arm upgrades it's still sitting on the same cheap and noisy bearing which will dump all kinds of low level vibrations and harmonic distortion into your delicate super refined transducer.

If you want to tweak up a deck from scratch you really need to start with some solid engineering, which on the cheap means going seriously vintage, back to a time when all consumer stuff was overengineered like the 1970's and earlier. Look for old AR, Garrard, Lenco, Rek-O-kut, Thorens,etc. Even an old pre '80s Dual will have a much better bearing than almost anything Rega have ever made, although changing the arm isn't going to be so straightforward.

If you are thinking of buying a new analogue front end put most of the budget into the turntable motorboard followed by the tonearm then cartridge then phonostage. Source first. Even a basic Audio Technica cart which costs 20USD will sound good on a first class deck with a decent arm. If you want to see this demonstrated go and find a Linn dealer. It may sound wacked but it's completely true.
 
Feb 23, 2007 at 3:39 PM Post #15 of 26
Quote:

Originally Posted by Sleestack /img/forum/go_quote.gif
All that being said, don't ditch your digital setups. My opinion is that proper digital recordings on a good digital rig provide far more transparency. That being said the world of properly engineered digital recordings can be quite small and frustrating. Neverthless, the flaws of vinyl are far more frustrating for me and the only reason I would turn to vinyl again is because of the wealth of high quality and rare recordings recordings.


While I don't have a high end TT by any means, I've gotta x2 Sleestack. This is a digital world: most new albums are CD or even better, SACD. I got a Music Hall MMF-5 to see what vinyl is like. It doesn't cost as much as my digital rig, so from a SQ standpoint, my digital rig offers much better resolution. While the MMF-5 is considered very good for its price range, the main difference I hear with vinyl is soundstage. The mids are a bit lusher, so I find old recordings do sound pretty good on vinyl. Old rock and jazz are what I like most: classical seems a bit hard to listen to because of the surface noise. My buying cycles now are getting new albums on CD or SACD....some rock I'll buy new on vinyl: if I know it's mastered poorly. But where there's real value in vinyl is used records. If you have a good used record store, getting some used records for $2-$4 a pop is an utter deal. Only thing is you should also get a record cleaner.

So whatever you do, don't ditch your digital
 

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