• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

VPI tonearm Question .

S

Skinpimp

New Member
Merry Christmas Everyone !

I am looking into getting a new turntable , and looking at the VPI Classic 2, Scoutmaster 2 , or Clearaudio Performance .

Only thing I am concerned with on the VPI is the unipivot. I was wanting to know from owners , how the arm felt and performed. it would seem the Azimuth could easily be a problem , and never really consistent . Or , am I concerned about nothing ? And this is a non issue ? .. Thanks for any input .
 
Register to hide this ad
Azimuth is a non-issue. A bit tricky to adjust initially but once you get to know the arm you will have no problem fine-tuning it. This kind of arm is very popular - would not have been if it was a problematic concept.
 
Machineghost said:
This kind of arm is very popular - would not have been if it was a problematic concept.
Click to expand...


That was my logic as well. Just unchrated territory for me , so thought I would ask. I watched the Fremer setup on the scoutmaster , and it just looked a bit unsecure , for lack of terms .

thanks for the insight .
 
Wait a while before the VPI owners here have chimed in due to the Christmas days.. (there's at least one guy here who has both a VPI and a Marantz(by Clearaudio).
 
That would be me. I have a VPI Classic and the Marantz/Clearaudio TT-15s1. The arm on the Clearaudio is less picky about mating up with cartridges but the VPI is a better tale all-round.And should be, it's nearly twice the price. I like the Concept, though. I wanted one of those for my second table but the Marantz came up sued, cheap.

The unipivot really takes no time to get used to, though it's easier to cue by the cueing lever than by hand. Which is a good idea anyway. Azimuth is very easy to adjust...the counterweight on the back is shaped somewhat like a teardrop, and you can rotate it, which will change azimuth by balancing the arm at a slight angle as the weight of the counterweight becomes dominate to one side of the other.

I've heard the rumors about the unipivots wobbling in the groove constantly changing azimuth. These always seem to come from people who have never owned one...and in practice, I don't see it. I agree though that proper azimuth is important and if I thought it were a big problem I'd be bothered by it. I'm not.

The Performance is a nice table, though. I can't fault it, either, and the arm may in fact run a wider variety of cartridges if its similar to the arm on my TT-15s1. The VPI tends to like a bit lower compliance. Higher compliance carts, in my experience, can lose a bit of life/dynamics (though I'm running a V-15vmr on mine in an emergency now with decent results between my dead Dynavector 10x5- which was fantastic- and the Benz Glider I'm buying as a belated Christmas gift to myself).
 
Like you, I was a little apprehensive about setting up and using a unipivot 'arm when I first got my Classic 'table. In all fairness, a unipivot does take a little more time to set up (you have to set azimuth in addition to the usual settings of alignment, VTF, and VTA), but it's not all that difficult, VPI includes pretty good instructions, and you get used to it. Of the 'tables you list, the Classic 2 is probably the most capable of the three, features the better 'arm (IMO of course), and has the VTA 'arm tower that allows VTA adjustment on the fly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom