I have had the Aries I (original platter), the Scoutmaster with the acrylic platter (then the Super Platter) not in theory, or at someone else's house, or at a dealer, and the Classic (which I now own) blows them away. No contest. Maybe the "ringing" from the aluminum platter adds to the experience, but the rig sounds better. It's faster, more balanced, easier to set up, with much greater range. It's a great table.
$2500, thank you very much. I'm done with turntable testing for a long, long time.