Should I buy a VPI SCOUTMASTER. I OWN 25 RECORDS.

Not really familiar with that Acoustic Signature model but if you can get for close to a grand is possibly a better bet than the VPI simply due to the arm.
Considering it's a 2k table new and it's the entry level model for Acoustic Signature it may very well be a good buy at that price. Try it with the Red cart if you buy, you may well like it as is.

Buy without cartridge, ortofon Red is nothing special, you can buy cartridge yourself, a good one, not what you will get for free with the table

I love my Scoutmaster and Prime even with there unipivot arms. They can be a little difficult to set up at first but get a lot easier after a couple cartridge changes. I haven’t had any problems so far, knock on wood, and the bearings show no sign of wear on either table. You do have to be careful with the male pivot because it is very sharp and could be bent if you dropped the arm wand down on it with to much force. I only have experience with the VPI since the last turntable I had was around 25yrs ago, a Mitsubishi Lt22 or something with a Stanton 681eee I think? There’s a lot of choices out there and I think going used is going to get you the most bang for your buck. I wouldn’t rule out VPI completely because I think there’s a lot of customers out there that have had a positive experience with them. In any case I definitely recommend investing more in the table than the dac which is just my opinion from doing it backwards and starting with the digital front end first.

Huh, looks like this thread may not be fake? I got the vibe it is.

Yeah, VPI turntables are everything negative the "experts" say in this thread and more. Terrible design all around.


How many happy owners are there? And VPI has survived how long? Certainly not a perfect company, but most audio companies aren’t.
If they are truly garbage, a long term user base would not exist.


There isn’t an ideal table in any price point. There are choices in all price point, and the best of that bunch is subjective.

Disclosure:I’m using an ancient Classic. A VPI in a proper setup supported by the rest of the system, is good as anything else in the wacky world of audio.

You need to have 20 turntables lined up, side by side. Play your favorite record on all of them one after one then, you can determine what’s the best. And for heavens sake, don’t include a VPI,uni pivot design among them. SMH
I personally, would get a used VPI, if I were in the market for another table.Lots of deals to be had.


The unipivot design just takes getting used to.

SMH

"I have a project debut carbon with a grado cartridge. It sucks. Lots of background noise. Dull, lifeless, muddy sound."

That's not the way that deck should sound if properly set up and mated with a compatible cartridge phono preamp.

Something is wrong and you are not getting the best of it.

DeKay