VPI Scoutmaster or Nottingham Space Deck...?

It is true that ASL (said distributor) sucks. It is odd, too, because dealing directly with NA and/or Tom Fletcher is one of the most pleasing experiences one might ever have in audio.

Don't get the heavy kit version of the Space Deck though. Either a Hyperspace or space deck.

I fully concur and, if this is what Red heard, I may see his point a little better.

Dgad, what I'd like to hear is the ACE arm on the original Spacedeck. Have you done so? If so, I'd very much appreciate your impressions.

I agree that the "instructions" provide with the NA tables are minimalist, at best. However, they are easy to set up and, once set up, require little, if any, tweaking. I find their build quality to be better than VPI’s and most other tables, for that matter.

I wholly disagree with Red's characterization of the Spacedeck. Far from gray, it is a lively table that extracts a lot of detail and is anything but smeary due to its very good speed stability. I am not sure where the "polarizing" views enter the picture, because nearly every review, or comment on these boards, that I’ve read have been complementary, many effusively so. The Spacearm is a very good arm with the Spacedeck, and probably the best, unless you spend A LOT more money. I had an OL Illustrious on one and it took going that far up the OL chain to best the Spacearm. The newer Ace arm is improved further and, while the original carbon-fiber arm had stabilizer arms to accommodate some stiffer compliance cartridges, the Ace is even better in this regard. As to comparisons to the Teres 150 and 160, I have participated in fairly extensive auditions with these tables included (using two of the same arms/several of the same carts/and the same components) and the Spacedeck proved the unanimous choice over the two Teres decks – the two being less robust and looser in the bottom, less extended on top, slightly inferior in the midrange, and overall less “lively”. Finding a Spacedeck on the used market renders the price comparison moot and elevates the Spacedeck to an even better value. Going up to the 200-series Teres tables, in comparison to the Spacedeck, is a different story, lest any Teres lovers jump on me for “dissing” a Teres. I happen to like some of their other model very much.

I have a close listening friend who owns the Scoutmaster. As others have said, it and the Spacedeck have a different sound. I prefer the NA sound, because I fell it is far more neutral. However, if upgrading without replacement and more accessible technical support is important, the VPI might meet your needs.

More documentation or more glitzy, Jeff? While the documentation sheet is actually a photocopy of a drawing of the table and parts, it does, at least in my experience, cover what you need to know to set up and run the table. Nothing more, nothing less. What else would you like to see added? (not trying to be a smart-ass, just wondering) Granted, it isn't a glossy layout and doesn't go on and on congratulating you for buying the best table known to man as many do, but it does what it is intended to do (at least it did for me). I have Tom Fletcher's number here somewhere, though, if you want to make suggestions to him.