@bpoletti, nice to see the Aries get it’s props! Nice simplified version of the overly complicated TNT (the various suspension towers, the 3-point belt path, the dual motors, etc. etc.), easily improved with after-market isolation feet (I use Townshend Seismic Pods) in place of the stock cones. Occasionally available at bargain prices.
The original had a real good 15lb. platter, consisting of a 7/8" thick aluminum bottom section with a lead plate bonded to it’s underside, topped with a 3/8" layer of Delrin for LP resonance damping. That platter (along with it's 1" stainless steel bearing) makes a nice upgrade for the HW-19. On the Aries 2, VPI switched to the frosted Acrylic platter, a giant step backward. The error continued with the Aries 3, after which HW switched to aluminum platters.
