VPI - Mini Feet


Are the VPI mini feet worth the $300 asking price for the VPI Scoutmaster? If so, what are the benefits/improvements when replacing the stock coned feet with the mini feet?
agiaccio
The worth of the mini-feet has to be your decision. The improvement in sound is minimal, however, the ease for leveling the table is increased. When the cones are unscrewed for leveling, they get increasingly unstable, whereas the minifeet retain stability. To me the cost isn't that prohibitive, and the results prove worthwhile.
I pulled the foam collars off of the cones on my Aries II, screwed the cones to the bottom of the plinth, and level the tt with the feet on the maple board that the tt sits on. Works for me, and cost nothing.

If you want to use the stock feet to level the tt, screw the proper size nut onto the threaded shaft of each cone. When through leveling, snug the nuts tight to the bottom of the plinth with an open-end wrench. This will keep the cones from 'rattling'.

In short, though I've never used the new VPI feet, I'd guess that you'd get a much more cost effective benefit by tuning the cone feet that you have now, and perhaps using the 300 bucks towards a good sub-plinth.
I'm not using the mini-feet on my Aries II, but I suspect that they might be more useful if I upgraded to the Superplatter and ring weight. I imagine they'd provide somewhat more support than the stock cone-shaped feet, as Stringreen and Johnbrown suggest, but especially with the added weight of platter and ring.