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VPI Aries 1 upgrades?

Hi!
I had a conversation earlier today about upgrading my original Aries + JMW 10.

It was recommended that the biggest upgrades (bang for the $) would be:
1) Platter, bearing + periphery ring (@ approx $1300)
2) JMW 10.5i (@ $1200)

Other possibilities include the single motor+flywheel ($700, i think), just the lower noise motor (~$140), and/or the forthcoming new hr-x style feet ($200).

I already have the SDS.

I started to add up the costs of the upgrades and realized that we're approaching the price of the ScoutMaster Signature (esp if you subtract the SDS). I started to think that the decision is really whether to perform the upgrades, or to attempt to sell the Aries/JMW combo and pump the money I would have spent on upgrades into a new unit.

I asked the man himself about making the choice, and he could only say that they sound a bit different (and that the Aries does look a little better, but that's not a big concern to me).

I have enjoyed the Aries tremendously, and I think that any shortcomings I notice are probably more related to the fact that I moved somewhere and have not been able to properly stabilize the rack on which it sits.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the above upgrades? They are pretty pricey for me, but I'm thinking about what I want to do next/strive for.

Do my existing platter + bearing have any value to offset the new platter/bearing/periphery ring? How much?

Has anyone compared the Scoutmaster Signature to the Aries?

What would you do?

Thank you in advance for your thoughts!
ebalog

Showing 4 responses by ebalog

ebalog OP
31 posts
 
Thanks for the response. I do not know if I have the Mk 5 platter or not, but I have not made any upgrades since the purchase some time ago (I am the original owner).

It was the stock Aries platter & bearing.

To be clear, Harry recommended the HRX bearing, platter and periphery ring as a single upgrade "package" -- and that does not necessarily mean that he would recommend doing the bearing/platter w/o the periphery ring.

He did say that it is the #1 priority upgrade for the original.

Losing dynamics and bass is not something I want to happen, of course. I wouldn't mind a bit more detail, and I'd like a little more of a "forward" presentation (sitting closer to the first row, rather than all the way in the back).

Thank you!
ebalog OP
31 posts
 
Thanks for the input, Ken!

Was the Aries 2 platter all acrylic? I imagine it is different from the latest HRX bearing/platter.

I figured out that the version I have is the Mk. 4 acrylic/steel/lead version.

Thank you!
ebalog OP
31 posts
 
thanks again. sounds like this $600 bearing/platter upgrade goes beyond the aries 2 platter all the way to the hrx...unless i'm misunderstanding something.

do you know what year the hrx came out? VPI made no mention of the bearing/platter upgrade for my aries 1 brining it to the aries 2 level.

anxious to try it out.
ebalog OP
31 posts
 
thanks so much Johnss--
i think you have a very good point: 'different' is not always 'better'.

i use an audionote m8 phono stage.
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