I spoke with Mat at AXPONA. The unipivot arms are not being phased out, however they are transitioning their tables to their gimbal arms.
Advice needed on upgrading tonearm for VPI SCOUTMASTER
Greetings all!
I have an older early 90's Scoutmaster turntable with a JMW 9 unipivot tonearm. Not wanting to spend a bundle on a new turntable, I figured that a less expensive upgrade would be to replace the tonearm. The platter and plinth are both sturdy and built like tanks. And the table is in "as new" shape (see virtual system). I contacted VPI to see if an upgrade would be available and if it would be sonically worth considering. They said that "current technology and engineering have improved, with much lower incidence of resonance." I have an older Sonic Frontiers phono preamp that was upgraded by Parts Conexion in Canada. I also have a Benz Micro Glider MC cart with very few hours.
The upgraded JMR 9 unipivot arm with standard wire would cost around $1,300. It would cost a few hundred more for reference wire.
Is upgrading a crazy idea, or should I consider a new table, which I really did not want to consider ($$$). AND, is spending a few more dollars on reference tonearm wire worth it?
Any input would be appreciated. Cheers!