VPI Traveler vs Pro-ject Xpression III?

Resurrecting a thread here. Anyone put these side-by-side yet? I hope to be able to do this at the end of October when I plan to purchase a Traveler and complete the overhaul of my analog source.

I recently upgraded my phono stage from the Pro-ject tube box II with upgraded tubes to a Jasmine 2.0LP mkII. Very noticeable upgrade and the tube box is a pretty good phono stage (it beat out the Vincent Pho-8 2 boxer).

If the Traveler works out, I will have an Pro-ject Xpression III and tube box II phono stage with speed box I for sale locally (Redmond, WA near Seattle). Already received one damaged turntable from shipping. Do not want to be part of that again.

I can't speak for the Pro-ject, but I can say that the Traveler is a very well made piece. It is built like a tank, and when I upgraded from a Rega RP1 with custom acrylic platter, Ortofon OM-20 cartridge to the VPI it was leagues better. The sound is very nimble, yet it has alot of weight to it.

It sounds unbelievable compared to the Rega Rp1 and RP3 that I have heard.

I am running the Traveler through an Avid Pellar phono stage, a Dynavector 20-2H, Onkyo A-9555 integrated (Japanese built), and Focal 1027S floor standers

Thanks Crhiscox000. Did you notice better bass with the Traveler vs the RP1 / RP3? You are running a noticeably better cartridge on your Traveler than the Regas you heard.

Got a chance to hear the Traveler very briefly yesterday. It was at a local high end dealer that sells VPI, Audio Research, Linn, Wilson Audio, etc.

What I don't understand is that they had the Traveler (with a Dynavector 10x5) hooked up to a major high end Audio Research (their reference line, I think) driving some very expensive looking Wilson Audio speakers. I think they were using the Audio Research built in phono stage, and to tell you the truth, I think my Xpression III / Ortofon MC-3 turbo / Jasmine LP2 mkII / Audio Refinement / Tekton 6.5t monitor setup sounded much more involving, less dark and much more fun to listen and rock out with...

With that said, it was just one record (that is pretty much all they had, which I thought was pretty lame since they are a Linn dealer and did not have any Linn released LPs) and a very different system.

I hope to be able to bring some of my own LPs in very soon, or even better, borrow their VPI Traveler demo to take home and listen to in my system.

I guess I am pretty lucky that there are similar cartridges installed on the two tables I will be comparing (again, the Dyna 10x5 vs the Ortofon MC-3 turbo) but would people consider the VPI to be darker than Pro-ject and similar tables (Rega)?

Any comments, ideas, etc. would be appreciated here, especially if I am unable to bring the demo Traveler home.

TIA!