More of a principle really than advice, my view is there comes a point where it is better to stop thinking of the turntable as all one component and start to think of it as the three or four that it really is: turntable, arm, cartridge, and suspension. Most guys prefer the ease and simplicity of buying this all in one fell swoop. You can do a lot better though by breaking it down and focusing on each part individually. You are with the VPI right at the entry level or beginning of where this approach begins to make sense.
Here's why. Your $5-6k will buy you a better turntable, for sure. Or it will buy you one hell of an awesome arm. The arm is huge and that arm alone on your table will be a massive improvement. Or you could split the investment between an arm and say a Townshend Platform to put the VPI on. Either one of these alone will be a huge improvement. Together it will be hard to do better with the same money on a turntable package alone.
It is very hard to imagine just how much performance is lost or hidden in micro-vibrations. Until you hear it. My turntable was on a massive 750lb rack of cast concrete, sand, and granite, with a Black Diamond Racing Source Shelf on top of that. Yet I heard huge improvement with Townshend Pods. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367 You know what yours is on better than I do. Take a look at this and imagine if it did that for me what it could do in your situation. I know guys have told me it was like getting a whole new turntable.
If you do want a turntable then the safe bet is another VPI. Good solid table, nothing wrong with them, other than the arms are kind of weak. But it is a package, they are very good at giving you incremental value for money. Hard to go wrong.
Dividing it into arm, table, suspension is more work for sure. My experience is, totally worth the effort.
Here's why. Your $5-6k will buy you a better turntable, for sure. Or it will buy you one hell of an awesome arm. The arm is huge and that arm alone on your table will be a massive improvement. Or you could split the investment between an arm and say a Townshend Platform to put the VPI on. Either one of these alone will be a huge improvement. Together it will be hard to do better with the same money on a turntable package alone.
It is very hard to imagine just how much performance is lost or hidden in micro-vibrations. Until you hear it. My turntable was on a massive 750lb rack of cast concrete, sand, and granite, with a Black Diamond Racing Source Shelf on top of that. Yet I heard huge improvement with Townshend Pods. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367 You know what yours is on better than I do. Take a look at this and imagine if it did that for me what it could do in your situation. I know guys have told me it was like getting a whole new turntable.
If you do want a turntable then the safe bet is another VPI. Good solid table, nothing wrong with them, other than the arms are kind of weak. But it is a package, they are very good at giving you incremental value for money. Hard to go wrong.
Dividing it into arm, table, suspension is more work for sure. My experience is, totally worth the effort.