I have an Aries 2, very satisfied, with it's great sound. My unit has the 'black aluminum' platter. I also run it on the SDS and have a periphery ring from TT weights in Canada, which fits and was a fraction of the VPI unit. I have always sought the extended platform so I could use two arms, one dedicated to a mono cartridge. That for me would be a worth while upgrade. Still looking. The Prime table, which I have heard at local dealer, did not impress me. I could not get the dealer to let me have it for a trial in my system, so I will pass. I am sure all know that Harry is a marketing genius, given he is constantly reinventing the 'wheel' for great profit. Don't get me wrong, VPI makes great products, but they are not great values, especially if you engage in the upgrade path. So, if you want to move on to Prime, sell your current VPI and purchase. Also, there is a lesson in the acrylic platter, which was considered to be an upgrade and turned out to be nothing like that. So, upgrade sometimes does not get you there.
Differences between VPI Prime and Aries 2
I currently have an older VPI Aries 2 turntable with the acrylic platter. I'm considering trading it in / trading up to a VPI Prime turntable. The longer I look - the fewer differences I'm seeing. Both tables can use or come with the JMW tone arm. The motors are more or less the same too. I plan to keep my Ortofon 2M black cartridge and use it in a new deck.
I'm not seeing huge differences to justify the "upgrade" cost. What am I missing?
I'm not seeing huge differences to justify the "upgrade" cost. What am I missing?