VPI Scoutmaster vs. Pro-ject RM10

I had a chance to listen to a VPI Scout friday and was sorely disappointed. I had the salesman play a Rega P3 and it was no contest. I finally convinced him that the VTA must be off. I placed the rega felt mat on the VPI and it cleared up considerably. But was it VTA or the felt mat or both?? I like the way the VPI is built is seems like it would provide years of service. But I would like to hear a Pro-ject RM10 and don't have a dealer locally that has one set up for demo. Has anyone ever compared these two? The scout sounded muffled and uncontrolled in the bass. Again the mat helped but is that a characteristic of VPI? Do they traditionally sound hard or conjested? I understand that the Pro-Ject arm is a real nice arm and the magnetic bearing is appealing but before I plop down 3K I would like some input on what to expect.