2. analog
  3. 1216847880

vpi scoutmaster versus technics unbiased

Anyone heard both the vpi scoutmaster and the technics mk5g not the earlier versions and preferably with tonerarm dampen kit to tell me whether there is big difference in sonics. Lets assume no sds or clamp with vpi but newer tonearm. phonostage is dartzeel preamp and amp is dartzeel as well. by the way i am happy with the technics mk5g that I have but wondering whether the scoutmaster with my existing benz ace low output cartridge would have a lower noisefloor or what would the benefits necessarily be. I listen to jazz and rock. If you sneer at direct drive then at least admit it so I am aware of the bias.

thanks

mike

thanks

mike
radioheadokplayer

Showing 2 responses by johnnyb53

johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
07-23-08: Lwerner
Is not the entire platter part of "the direct drive" motor?, Hence, an awful lot of EMI (electro magnetic interference) swimming around that platter, Oh so close to that expensive magnetic cartridge? You decide.
One belt, motor on seperate plinth, free at last! free at last!
Typical audiophile-approved dogma with speculated theory but no substantiation. You have to pay between $3-5K to get a belt drive TT with as low an S/N, weighted or unweighted, as a $500 Technics SL12x0.

Every drive system has its strengths and weaknesses. What about the hysteresis inherent in a flexible belt drive system, or the side pull on the rotor bearing? You can sit in an armchair and point out design disadvantages in anything, but it is the implementation, not the design theory, that ultimately determines if something works well or not.

The EMI thing didn't put off Goldmund, Grand Prix, Teres, and some other direct drive entries in the high end.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
I have an SL1210 M5G, and pretty much every tweak I've made improves inner clarity, dynamics, and lowers noise floor. These have included the fluid damper, a sorbothane (not sorbogel) mat, Sumiko or LPGear ZuPreme headshell, brass footers, thick plank platform, and shock abosorbing footers under the plank. I recently swapped out the Vibrapods under the plank for a pair of plank-wide thick gel pads. They're actually gel wrist rests for computer keyboard that I got from Office Max. I estimate they further isolated the turntable from room noise by about 1.5 dB *over * the Vibrapods.

You will also lower the internal noise of the SL12x0 series if you get some factory bearing oil (I got a tube from KAB) and lube up the spindle bearing. Easily the best $4.95 you can spend to improve the performance of this TT.

By the time I did all those things, the cumulative effect on the SL1210 was transforming. The combination of quart-controlled direct drive and these vibration control and isolation upgrades has made for a dynamic and rhythmically compelling presentation.
More to discover