Seeking to upgrade from my Prime Scout turntable
I currently have VPI Prime Scout entry level turntable with a Dynavector 20X2-H/L cartridge. My dealer recommended the VPI Prime 21 which retails for $5500.00. Does anybody own the VPI Prime 21, and do you believe that I would notice a positive difference in sound quality that is worth the upgrade? Any thoughts would be appreciated. The rest of my system consists of Vandersteen 5A loudspeakers, h Thor Audio TP-150 mono block power amplifiers,(just replaced 16 tubes, 8 per side with Mullard New Production el-34 tubes and am pleased with the sound.) The rest of the system is a Thor Audio Linestage and a Thor Audio Phone stage, and a Marantz SACD player. All of the Thor components sound great, but noteThor went out of business many years ago. I mentioned my system as it is highly resolving so I figured a turntable upgrade may be noticeable in a positive way. Thank you.
I disagree with the first response. The VPI Prime 21 has a significantly improved motor, platter and gimbal tonearm that is much better than the unipvot tonearm on the Scout. Even with your existing cartridge it should be a significant improvement. I am familiar with the Thor gear - they are outstanding and you would have to spend at least $5-8k per item to get any better at best. System deserves a better TT.
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Here’s a deal on prime 21 $4,675 https://www.audioadvice.com/products/vpi-prime-21-turntable-black |
Well it is all about the arm isn't it? Are you in a position to compare them? I owned one of the original Prime turntables and never got it dialed in to my satisfaction. I traded it for an HW-40 and it sounds great. The arm on the 21 looks similar to the one on my 40 so my guess is it is pretty great. If you are working with a dealer he/she should be able to set it up so you can compare them. That is why having a dealer you can work with is so important. I would rather pay a little more to have dealer support than get the lowest price. Also, you should ask your dealer about the Model One. Be curious. One last thing, ergonomics are as important as how a turntable sounds. Yes you need to hear them, but you should insist on putting the records on, cueing up the arm etc. yourself. Best of all is to do all of this in your own home. |
Biggest pain with the VPI unipivot arm is the counterweight. It’s not threaded and not aligning it perfectly will mess up azimuth - it’s bottom heavy and leaning it very slightly is the end of it. Luckily after remembering some guy’s mother multiple times, I was able to dial mine in pretty good. Sounds amazing and I love it. I have a Prime X with Hana ML. |
