Basis vs.VPI

Sbrown,

I went from a HW-19 IV to a Basis Debut Vacuum/Vector arm combination. I later added a separate power supply/motor control unit. This is a terrific table, though the VPI was no slouch either.

The vacuum clamping system is a particularly nice feature with the Vector. It is amazing how well this dampens vibrations from the vinyl itself. If one places the arm in a groove with the table at a standstill, a fairly hard tap on the record near the stylus with a pen or other object will produce little output from the cartridge compared with doing the same thing with other tables.

The VPI offers a rim clamp, but, I am not a fan of those tricky to use devices. They just offer too many opportunities to accidentally hit the cartridge with the clamp or to set the needle down in the wrong place and have the needle snagged by the clamp.

It is almost impossible for anyone to truly audition turntables and tonearm combinations in any sort of controlled manner. Home audition is pretty much out of the question. So, one can go around listening to different systems with different turntables, arms, cartridges and phonostages. If the system sounds really great, then the particular components, which would include the turntable and arm, must be decent or they would have dragged the whole down. At best, a crude measure.

When I was looking for a table, I asked someone I know who was a distributor of a major line of gear what he thought were the tables to look at. He has heard hundreds of dealer and home setups so he has a better sense of what works in a variety of systems. I was looking at the SME 30/V combination, Simon Yorke table, Avid Acutus, etc. With no hesitation, he said the one that stands out was the Basis Debut. His company actually has interests aligned with a competing product, so the recommendation was not tainted by personal interest. Having nothing better to go on, that is the table I ended up buying. Later, I added the Basis power supply.