Should I buy a VPI SCOUTMASTER. I OWN 25 RECORDS.

Dear @fleschler  : The LP analog bass range is way different to that same bass range with the digital alternative where the quality levels are higher through digital than LP. 

R.

Dear @artemus_5  : "  There are good belt drives & good Direct drives...""

of course and I agree with you but the critical subject as @ct0517  pointed out is the overall set-up and that's why I don't like Rega tonearms that does not permit a rigth/precise cartridge set up that must be our main analog concern.

R.

Dear @jeffvegas : Good for you, unfortunately you forgottenall those information.

R.

Dear @antinn  : """  But, when people do not listen to you, please do not be offended,... ""

I did not and I'm not offended in any way. My opinion as your one is just that an opinion in that " chorus ".

Now, he will be learn in the hard way: falling and wake up and again and again and is a good way to learn.

He already made his first mistake with that tonearm and does not matters that the retailer can support him to the set up because that tonearm just is not designed for a precise cartridge set up.

Anyway, your point is your point and a good opinion and I respect it.

R.

Because is an " expert " rookie that does not needs advises. With that attitude he just can't learn and that's why he runned to buy 4K of LPs.

R.

Dear @antinn  @artemus_5  : I understand your " congratulations" posts.

Now and I'm not talking of the TT it self but the tonearm and I know very well the philosophy of R.Gandy: knowing that and knowing that no single cartridge in the world ( and does not matters its price. ) comes with a perfect fit of the sylus tip to the cantilever and almost each cartridge comes with different rake angle.

Then, SRA/VTA and Azymuth tonearm mechanisms are a must to have no matters what if we want that each carrtridge can shows it at its best and the Rega tonearms has not SRA/VTA and Azymuth facilities.

So both of you already own tonearms with out those facilities? No? then why " congratulations " when Rega tonearms has a wide disadvantage for a precise cartridge set-up and we have to remember that it's the cartridge the one that pick-up the information on those recorded grooves and as better the tonearm/cartridge set-up as more recorded information we can get to enjoy it.

R.

Dear @tomwh : First I can’t understand why instead to made a reference to me in an indirect way did not do it directly because as you I have a name too.

Now, """ have not built anything themselves so have no first hand knowledge of what is going on....""

way wrong: along a friend I designed/builded a first rate SS phonolinepreamp Essentiakl 3150 and 3160. ) that even today is a challenge even for the CH items and exist at least seven proudly owners to attest my statement.
In the other side I designed/builded too several tonearms and today I use a unique tonearm prototype that you can’t ever dream its quality performance levels and certainly is not unipivot for very good reasons/. In other time I let you know why not unipivots and I still owned at least two unipivots. No you have to learn by your self why no unipivots.
I always post first hand experiences nothing is just bla, bla,etc.

This has no sense when posted:

""" ask you what you wanted from vinyl. Notic .."""

yes you are " rigth " because maybe the OP wants to use the Vinyl as dinner table plates/dishes. " Agreee with you " ?????


But you as the OP showed through what you posted that your true knowledge levels are very low too:

""" The 3-5 grand cartridge statement is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard ..""


ridiculous? why? because you prefer the 103 or the cartridge mediocrity market niche?

Don’t tell me that you belongs too to that mediocrity/average audiophile. Could be that way, I really don’t care.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.


more: """ If hip hop, rap, punk, or electronic stuff is your thing maybe digital would be the way to go. ""


who told you is not for the analog alternative? " crazy " statements for say the least.

Dear @jeffvegas : """ Technics was always my favorite at Radio Shack. But I never spotted Mark Levinson gear next to it. """

from where or why do you posted that kind of no sense statement?

No sense because is coming for a not so smart/wise true analog/digital rookie.

Things are that I owned/own 3 Technics, 2 Denon and one JVC DD TTs 1 BD Micro Seiki and  2 BD Acoustic Signature and I own a pair of Levinson monobloks amplifiers.

Certainly not only a roockie but a " troller " too: very bad/terrible combination for your self because what you did or do it do not cares any one in this thread or every where. Got it?

R.

Dear @jeffvegas: Please take a look to this gentleman system and due that he is using streaming digital alternative could be according you a Punk. Observe too that he does not use a BD TT and certainly no unipivot tonearm and his room/system is over 300K and a reference for any audiophile for its quality performance levels:

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/615

Problem you have is that you have very low knowledge levels not only in analog but in the digital alternative too and you showed that low knowledge levels through all your posts.

That’s the problem you have and it’s a problem for almost any one of us trying to help you because through your posts you said " things " as if you be a true expert in what you say when you are not.

From where did you took all those " crazy " things you posted? when you have no first hand experiences. LOL!

I think that you are not a PUNK but: did you already listened to a native DSD512 streaming? I know for sure you did not but you are an " expert ". How is that?

" Direct drive are junks.. "" who told you? the Technics I liked you is only the Technics entry level but seems to me that you tal just for talk understanding nothing in the main subjects.

A TT always is important but more important is the tonearm that will be mated with the cartridges and you just don’t care about. Go figure!

@helomech , elitist? wrong way wrong. That I put the nail where its hurt does not means I’m elitist because I’m not.
Look in a " poblation "/mix or conglomeration of people the 70-80% of them stay in the average/mediocrity range, 10% in the worst/very poor range and 10% in the excellence range. Where are you? you don’t need to have the mikelavigne room/system to put you feets in the top 10% range. First you need knoledge/skill high levels and then a little money to use that knowledge levels you have.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @jeffvegas : """  I am focusing on a solid table to build a analog foundation on. """

I agree with @fleschler  VPI as TT is better than the Project or Rega as BD TTs and agree with him that unipivots are not for LPs.

The Technics I liked to you is really inexpensive but it can challenge any TT over 10K. Technics was in the audio several years before VPI or other BD manufacturers and Technics is member of the gigant Matushita japanese enterprice with all its resources for research and manufacturer qualuity second to none.

Technics is not only a first rate DD TT but comes with very good gimbal ( low friction bearings. ) bearing and uses magnesium as build material that is self dampened and this tonearm is a true cartridge foundation. We have to remember that cartridge/tonearm combination is one audio item due to extremely dependent/relationship in between cartridge and tonearm.
The Technics removable headshel tonearm design permits to mate every single cartridge with the tonearms because you can have several different weigth, different build material and different building shape headshells to mate any cartridge characteristics. Along all those you can change the headshell wires  for better ones ( this is really a critical point. ) and latter on you can rewire the tonearm with a silver wire that's really good.

No one can't go wrong with Technics.

Now, I don't know why you are sticked with BD TT maybe because you could think that a external motor can give you lower noise/distortion levels but things are not in that way not with Technics DD TT or other DD units.
Example the Technics  vintage SP10MK3 came with a SN figure of -92db and the vintage Pioneer Exclusive P3a with an outstanding -95db !! no single vintage or today BD can compare it, all BD are far away of those real DD specs.  As many of us I think that you need to learn by your self with less imagination by your self. You need to " work " with facts.

@helomech  that DAC with the latest AKM device for only 700.00 is a state of the art bargain today. Thank's for the link.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @uberwalts : You are almost rigth and agree with you.

Yes, more important than money ( that always is welcomed. ) is our knowledge and skills levels and this knowledge/skills are not achieved through audio forums but by first hand experiences over several years with a self training through tests and errors.

The  true sound quality differences between any $  audio system is the knowledge/skills levels of the system owners.

As I said I'm against mediocrity/average sound and that's why my advise is that the OP try to start ( first step ) at an excellence land with a 4K DAC  that with help him to know if his systems can honor that DAC quality level performaNCE OR HE NEEDS TO CHANGE ANOTHER OR OTHERS SYSTEM LINKS IN HIS SYSTEM CHAIN.
At the end I don't care what the OP can decide I'm just posting an opinion and that's all.

@dimora , I'm not against VPI other than its unipivot tonearms that can't honor  the quality sound of any cartridge but that does not means is the best at its level price because something almost unexpensive like this DD TT outperforms any VPI rig but the VPI DD model:

https://www.technics.com/us/products/grand-class/direct-drive-turntable-system-sl-1200g.html

and this Technics TT comes with very good tonearm too with that advantage of its removable headshell to mate easily any cartridge to it.

In the other side, there are differences between cartridges in different range price and in the rigth audio rystem a 5K cartridge always will outperforma a 2K-3K ones.
Btw, in the rigth system do you already listen ( example ) the Lyra Etna cartridge?

Yes, I agree with you that exist several 40K-50K audio systems that outperforms 300K + systems and outperforms it because a very low knowledge/skills levels of the owner.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

@jeffvegas : Do you know what mediocrity/average means? look at a dictionary.

Do you know the difference between mediocrity and where excellence begin? how demanding are you?

If you already know the answers then you have a way easy decision.

I only try to help, nothing more.

R.

Dear @tooblue  : Do it you a favor and please let us know why any of those advises not belongs to mediocrity/average land.

Maybe for you no one of them because you are living in the audio mediocrity level ( I don't know. ) but if you don't then your post has no sense.

R.

Dear @jeffvegas : I don't know you but I don't like mediocrity/average audio items, digital or analog.

All the advises here for analog and what you are asking for are in the mediocrity land, belongs to this territory.

In the digital domain the advises are in the mediocrity level too as that Benchmark.

If you like the mediocrity then go for what ever you think you need.

If you don't like and don't want stay in that mediocrity then you need to make a wise decision. In the analog alternative you need a phono cartridge in the 3K-5k   price range and only for the cartridge. You need that cartridge along a TT, a tonearm ( not unipivot, no matters what. ) and a first rate phono stage and you can't do it for less than 10K.

In the digital alternative you can go out of the mediocrity starting at your budget of 4K and up for the DAC.

Everything can " sounds " but not everything can sounds out of the mediocrity. Is up to you not the other gentlemans ( including me. ) in this thread.

R.

Dear @jeffvegas :  I'm a music lover and an audiophile and own 6K+ LPs.

From some latest years digital alternative already outperforms the best and high prices analog alternative, no matters what analog ( LP. ) is no challenge for digital that every " day " is growing up with better digital technology when analog stop to develops up-grades because it's from years at its limits.

Do it you a favor and invest those 4K in the best DAC you can find out and you will never turn your face back to analog. Analog is only for the ones that as me own thousands of LPs but certainly not for you. Enjoy the MUSIC with a better DAC. Period.

Btw, if it's true that an unipivot tonearm can has lower bearing friction it's true that to carry the cartridge ride in the grooves modulations is the worst kind of tonearm bearing due to unstability. Cartridges needs dead stability in the tonearm bearing with low friction and all gimball type of tonearms due that job way better that any unipivot and does not matters the price of that unipivot.

As I said do it your self a favor and invest in today and future MUSIC enjoyment through the digital alternative.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.