upgrade VPI HW19 Mk IV or get a new table?

You can use virtually any Tonearm you wanna pay for, you can place any SME, TriPlanar, Morch, Shroder, Graham 2.2, Phantom, you name it, all that is required is another Armboard. If memory serves me correctly, the standard Armboard was .500" thick, the Super Armboard was 1.00" Thick, and probably other than the sonic improvements claimed, was better suited for the thicker MK-IV Platter, and whatever Pivotal Tonearm would be paired with it.

Great thing about the HW-19, it is a tweaker's dream.
Some of the first things to go on my own HW-19, were stock Tonearm Cords, going to pure Silver, the Rubber Feet, being replaced by Brass AudioPoints, and Coupling Discs, and these did make a nice improvement sonically, and cosmetically. The Stock LP Clamp went as well, going with a more massive custom affair made by a good friend.

Some have even dumped the Spring Suspension, and the Sorbothane, going with something like Black Diamond Racing Pucks, or the like.

A HW-19jr, just converted with MK-IV/TNT Platter, like mine once was, (Or maybe even a Super Platter) might be "soft" as some might say, due to perhaps the MDF Plinth. I've recently switched to one piece solid 1.00" thick Black Acrylic custom made Plinth, and my sound seems to be more articulate, and dynamic. Others have liked materials like Corian.

Part of the things getting better, and better all the time with my rig, is my ZYX Airy 3 beginning to really come to force with more hours of break-in time on it.

And as all fellow Goners know, that Cartridge-Arm set-up is so critical with any Table. I've found this out, and also even the top gurus here recently have, just read the thread on the Mintlp Protractor.

VPI's Harry W as well has recently chimed in, in another thread about JMW Arm Set-Up, and I will add, that these modern Cartridges are quite finnicky-sensitive, and to get the best from them, don't assume anything, nor trust what others might say is optimum for any particular brqand-model. VTA, VTF, and alignment, azimuth, just to mention a few besides loading, and gain will need to be perfectly suited for your own particular Cartridge. mark

I adjust VTA by the thickness of the LP on my JMW arm (this is easy to do and can be done on the fly with a turn of the knob on the tower of the arm). The difference in sound is substantial (to the point that if I forget to make a proper adjustment, I can immediately hear the difference).

Well, it seems to me from responses here that the HW19 still has some life left in it, and there are some tweaks I can fool around with before plunking down a lot of money.
Thanks to all for contributing your knowledge.

Bill

Bill, I enjoyed the thread as well. I've owned my own HW-19 for a good 11 years, and have no regrets for the money I spent, it's been a great ride. I thank Harry, and company for making this fine Table, and they have backed it all these years with good help, and suggestions.

One beauty of the HW-19, is that although the Table is no longer made, there are literal thousands of them still in fine operation, and just like you, and I, there are others here who still tinker with these, with upgrades, and mods, so once you acquire any new, or newer, or different parts, the no longer needed parts aren't exactly a throw away in the garbage can item.

I have never had a problem here, selling the no longer needed parts from my Table, everything from Platters, Clamps, and even the original Jr. Plinth just recently.
Every single part from the HW-19 is valuable to somebody out there, and I believe the demand will increase over time, as VPI provides less, and less parts for these fine Tables.

I believe comments such as the HW-19 being darker, or warmer than this, or that Turntable will be hard to accurately determine, due to no two set-ups being identical. Some have said, the new Super Platter is one of Harry's finest accomplishments to compliment his Turntables. I have no doubts this Platter (and Bearing Design) would take virtually all VPI Tables, past, or present, that use a lesser Platter to a whole new better level of performance.

I could probably very easily sell my mint MK-IV Platter, that doesn't have a microscopic mark on it anywhere for $500-$550 right now, and this sale would offset the cost of new Super Platter.

I believe I can be contacted privately through this site. If you would like to see some pics of what I have done to my own HW-19, drop me a line, I'll gladly send some pics if interested. A few, even my buddies like Doug Deacon have claimed mine is one of the nicest they've seen. Mark

I had a Mk. IV with a Graham 1.5t arm. This table is now in a friend's system. He switches out the arm, most often using an SME 309. The table sounds good with any good quality arm on it.

After a certain cost/quality point, differences between tables can be more a matter of taste/system matching than an absolutes about which is better. I am sure there are tables in the same sonic family as the Mk. IV that are, in absolute terms, superior, but they are going to cost WAY more. I think my Basis Debut vacuum table has the same kind of sound (well dampened and not as "lively" as some other tables), and is superior, but the price difference is VERY substantial. In short, your VPI table is more than good enough so that you are already on the steep part of the slope of the "declining marginal return" curve. I personally think this table is more than good enough to justify use with top quality arms, like the Triplanar, Vector, and the SME IV you already have.

If you have a helpful dealer, easier alternative upgrades to try would be a cartridge change or phonostage change. Both tend to make huge differences, and home trials are more of a possibility.