"House sound" of VPI, Clearaudio, Rega, MH, etc.

it there a house sound? yes and no. the needle and cartridge will play a major role in the final sound. at their given pricepoints, and have more in common then many will admit.all the tables you've named are competitive. dual is even back with a nice semi automatic.

I just spent months comparing a VPI 19 to a Sota Jewel. Swapped cartridges but not arms. I would say the Sota is "warmer" sounding with a bigger soundstage. The VPI is very light and airy with possible a little more high frequecy detail. Just my opinion. I've owned everything from Transcriptor to Thorens to Marantz to Dual and more. Both VPI and Sota win. Sota is my favorite.

Thanks for the comments Elevick and Jaybo. I was hoping a few more forumites could chime in about the other brands. Clearaudio vs VPI? VPI vs Rega?
Thanks in advance.

Do you have a budget in mind and are you wanting go used or new?

Mgrif104,

As Piediper mentioned above, the amount you want to spend is a big part of the decision. For my money, and the solid "entry" level, it is hard to beat a VPI Scout. I have one with a Dynavector 20XL and my Hovland HP 100 and it sounds great! The Scout is fast, dynamic, and keeps your toes tapping! It is not the last word in detail or 'grunt' (bass and mid-bass punch)but there are several things you can do to improve these items. First, use a nice maple block or a Gingko as the base; both will improve the Scout. Second, get a better cartridge. The 20XL is very good at it's price point (about $600) but there are many other options that will improve the detail and thump.

Or, do like I did recently and upgrade to a VPI Aries 3...

In any case, you will not regret your move back into vinyl. Vinyl just sounds better than digital. I've heard a Scout completely slay a $6,000 "high end" cd player... In every category, vinly is just more musical and enjoyable..