VPI upgrade?


I'd like to upgrade my turntable, a VPI Scout 1.1. w/ Ortofon 2M Black cart....

Question, staying with VPI, is  Prime a significant upgrade? Also, using a Channel Island phono pre...I'll be buying used, budget $3500.

I might regret this, any other sugestions?

 

larseand

If you have a Scout 1.1, why not just upgrade to a better version of the Scout?  Call VPI and as them about your options.

I am also in the minority in that I believe that the tonearm contributes more to ultimate sound satisfaction than the drive unit or cartridge once a certain high level of overall quality and set-up is reached. Put differently, assuming that the foundation for the turntable is fundamentally solid, that the plinth is well chosen for the drive unit, that the drive unit has no glaring flaws, the choice and selection of the tonearm is the most important, critical aspect for overall sound. 
I have used this example before and it is an example that virtually no one would ever implement but, perhaps, me. If one were to take the highly lauded Merrill-Williams Gem Dandy turntable and mate it with any Reed tonearm and virtually any of the many good but moderately priced cartridges properly set up, I can assure you the sound would compete with anything else available. 

Besides Pure Fidelity, Merrill-Williams's range of turntables are worth a look. 

I'm going to grab that VPI Prime walnut B stock and enjoy a $1,000 discount. Also, plan to replace the 2M Black w a MC cart. Also will consider a phono pre upgrade...

Thanks for your input!

@larseand , I mentioned the VPI gimbal arm because it is a direct swap but you can, with a little creativity, mount just about any arm you can think of on that turntable. The Audiomods arm or a lesser Origin Live arm would do fine.  The Audiomods arm is $1000 and the Lyra Delos is $2000. There's your budget.