Anyone NOT like the sound of VPI?

I think Audiofeil is on to something.

The tables are probably fine. I heard an entry level model recently and it sounded fine. Probably just need to match the cartridge, as Audiofeil indicated. The Unipivot design is new to me and not sure what to make of it yet, but it would not surprise me if bass was impacted with a low compliance cartridge in the Unipivot.

Judsauce,

Nice job!

"Don't go with any ported speaker if you want to avoid fat midbase."

I know this can be a general tendency for ported speakers, but not always. There are many good ported designs (front, back, or bottom) each of which provides good advantage when applied properly.

If you like full, extended, bass t go along with detail and clarity in the upper ranges as well, in lieu of a ported design, your options may be only bigger more expensive speakers (that are also harder to place practically) location closer to walls and/or corners, which often negatively impacts imaging accuracy and soundstage, or use of tone controls or equalization (ouch).

Oh , and with a ported design, you can also always plug the port to various degrees to lessen the bass if that is an issue.

Also for good clear bass with a ported speak or any speak for that matter, make sure you have good amplification that is ably capable of driving the speakers load.

Ain't it fun figuring out exactly why a turntable ain't performing as it should when it don't?

One of the reason's surely that vinyl pilfered out of the mainstream way back when and most sane people (save us) just go for the ease of digital. Less moving parts to tend to and relatively cheap to replace when it breaks.

Of course, watch out when a digital format is not compatible....

If only they stuck the well made CDs in full sized record sleeves with cover art and text like LPs that I could read without a magnifying glass, I think I might be happy. I would probably have bought more CDs because maybe the cover art would have caught my eye in the store as happened in so many cases for me with LPs, so the record companies would be happier than they are these days too!

Progress, right?

"Equalization in the lower frequencies is not deletorious(below about 150 hz) which is why Vandersteen does this."

That's fine. I think I said equalization was one possible solution.

But my assertion is that there are many good ported speaker designs that do not have "fat mid bass".

I'd assert I own 4 designs that do not and one older design I've owned for years (Ohm L, front ported) that perhaps does to some extent.

One of the ported designs I own (Ohm 5s, bottom ported)also has equalization adjustments (2 bass, 1 mid, 1 treble) to help match to room acoustics on board. Some like that feature and some do not. It works very well for me in that I want to be able to adjust those speakers to different rooms and acoustics without having to rely on an external solution.

Aren't room acoustics a common determining factor for frequency response with most any speaker and placement? This can affect ported and non ported designs as well.

I still think its most likely an issue with the low compliance cartridge. Vpihw's suggestion of adding mass to the tonearm is worth a try.