I spoke with Mat at AXPONA. The unipivot arms are not being phased out, however they are transitioning their tables to their gimbal arms.
Advice needed on upgrading tonearm for VPI SCOUTMASTER
Greetings all!
I have an older early 90's Scoutmaster turntable with a JMW 9 unipivot tonearm. Not wanting to spend a bundle on a new turntable, I figured that a less expensive upgrade would be to replace the tonearm. The platter and plinth are both sturdy and built like tanks. And the table is in "as new" shape (see virtual system). I contacted VPI to see if an upgrade would be available and if it would be sonically worth considering. They said that "current technology and engineering have improved, with much lower incidence of resonance." I have an older Sonic Frontiers phono preamp that was upgraded by Parts Conexion in Canada. I also have a Benz Micro Glider MC cart with very few hours.
The upgraded JMR 9 unipivot arm with standard wire would cost around $1,300. It would cost a few hundred more for reference wire.
Is upgrading a crazy idea, or should I consider a new table, which I really did not want to consider ($$$). AND, is spending a few more dollars on reference tonearm wire worth it?
Any input would be appreciated. Cheers!
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@stringreen @tonyptony string: I did notice lots of unipivot arms in stock at VPI. Tony, you confirmed they are still available, but going forward with a focus on gimbal arms. That's good. Every time I set my unipivot down on my wax, I always breathe a sigh of relief when it stops dancing and starts tracking. Always seems like an accident waiting to happen. So far, so good. |
When the arm is balanced properly and playing a record, there is no "dance" on my turntable. To stabilize it further, add the 2nd pivot....very inexpensive and an easy install. It's been so long since I didn't have the 2nd pivot I don't really remember the change....but it was worth it....and visually it stabilizes the arm. |
Most arm/cartridge combinations have two resonance frequencies, vertical and horizontal. Unipivot arms have three adding torsional. This is a seriously bad deal if you are a cartridge. The makers of the two best quasi unipivot arms, Graham and Basi, go to elaborate means to stop any torsional movement. If you want to seriously upgrade your arm substitute VPI's Gimbal arm or install another manufacturers arm. You can mount any 9 - 10" arm on a Scout if you are clever. If it were my table I would mount a Kuzma 4 Point 9 on it. It is better than any VPI arm and a real value price wise. Other possibilities would be the Reed 2G, the Schroder CB and the TriPlanar. |
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