Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: VPI Aries Turntables by kSpace

Model:	Aries
Category:	Turntables
Suggested Retail Price:	$2900
Description:	Belt Drive Turntable
Manufacturer URL:	VPI
Model Picture:	View

Review by kSpace ( A ) on October 14, 2002 at 23:07:52
IP Address: 64.174.88.255

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for the Aries

I have owned a Systemdeck IIX for the past 17 years or so. Sort of like a little house surrounded by skyscrapers, the turntable has become more and more out of place in my system. Compared to CD's, my LP's lacked vitality. I listened to them out of loyalty, repeatedly attempting to convince myself that vinyl is better. The soundstage was tiny, dynamic range was limited, and motor noise was distracting on my system (which was capable of resolving this audio pollution).
I read about TT's for a year or so, chased down inmate recommendations, and listened where I could. As all potential buyers of TT's know, it is exceptionally difficult to audition this equipment due to the extreme variability of TT/Tonearm/cartridge configurations, not to mention the rest of the equipment and listening room.
In the end, it is a leap of faith, based on reviews, word of mouth, auditions, manufacturer reputation, and dealer support/pricing. Having a defined budget also narrows the field.
I settled on the VPI Aries after strongly considering the Immedia RPM-1. I wanted a TT that was low maintenance, easy to set up, and with a presentation leaning towards accuracy and robust dynamic range. I listened to the RPM multiple times at Immedia and loved the sound, but thought it leaned towards overly analytic. I also found the price a bit rich ($5400 with the RPM tonearm).
I ordered the VPI Aries through Hollywood Sound. Larry was extremely helpful and informative. With the SDS controller and the JMW Memorial 10 tonearm, I was set back around $3200. The 3 large and heavy boxes came around 2 weeks later.
Turntable setup was a snap. I had already leveled Salamander rack, so no further adjustments of the turntable were necessary. The platter is VERY heavy (TNT Mk.V platter). A small dot on the spindle and underside of the platter are used for rough alignment, but a few degrees of error are fine. A simple spin of the platter showed absolutely zero wobble. The motor sits in a cut out on the left side of the plinth. The motor is also very heavy and sits on four rubber-like supports. A small push-button switch is on the side of the motor. The power cord exits at a 90 degree angle toward s the back of the TT. This cord is plugged into the SDS controller (if you have one).
A whitish, rubbery belt links the motor and platter. VPI recommends 20 hours of break-in. I ran the table overnight before serious auditioning, though I couldn't resist listening to Miles D. KOB. More on this later.
Tonearm setup was more time-consuming. VPI mounted the JMW 10 on the plinth prior to shipping. Balance, Azimuth, Cartridge Overhang, Tracking Force, and AntiSkate are sequentially set. VPI provides an alignment jig for overhang adjustment and a small hex driver for loostening/rotating an eccentric weight at the underside of the tonearm base, just above the unipivot, for azimuth adjustment. I purchased a Shure tracking force scale. Antiskate is dialed in by twisting the tonarm cable between the tonearm and the cable jack box mounted on the rear right corner of the plinth. VTA can be adjusted "on the fly" (while playing a LP) for fine adjustments of tilt. Finally, damping oil is added to the unipivot base, which is shaped like a half circle with a central spike. Specific recommendations for oil volume are made for cartridges by VPI, depending on how intrinsically damped they are. My cartridge, the Benz-Micro L2, is listed as "less damped", therefore requiring a 3/4 fill.
Finally, I put an album on. Of course, my first choice was the 180g Columbia Stereo reissue of Miles Davis "Kind of Blue". My expectations were tempered by the fact that my phono stage (Black Cube) and amp (ATI AT1505) were now weak links in my system. I certainly had confidence in my speakers (Revel Studios) and pre-amp (Sonic Frontiers Line 3 SE). I swung the arm over the record, bemused by the azimuth wobble of the tonearm, only seen with the unipivot design. Then, Miles entered the room.
I could not believe what I was hearing. Paul Chambers' double bass, resonating, rich, deep. Bill Evans, stage left, then Miles in the middle, filling my room as I'd never heard before. All of this music against a backdrop of deep silence.
It was around 1:30 am when I went to sleep. The next day, after work, I came back for more. My wife, who was extremely skeptical of the whole thing, was stunned. We listened to some of her favorite albums (Lou Reed Transformer, Rolling Stones Let It Bleed, Cat Stevens Mona Bone Jakon), hearing detail and richness I did not believe possible.
I know that there are many great products out there. I'm sure that my experience is not unique to others. However, I can honestly say that this turntable is the single most dramatic improvement to my system since I got into this crazy hobby.
Thank you to my fellow inmates, for all your comments, diatrebes, rancor, and passion. I couldn't have done it without you.

Product Weakness: none
Product Strengths: Dynamic range, profound silence, simple setup

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	ATI AT1505
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Sonic Frontiers Line 3 SE
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000
Speakers:	Revel Studios
Cables/Interconnects:	Analysis Plus Oval 9, DiMarzio M-Path
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Jazz, Rock, Classical
Room Size (LxWxH):	17' x 17' x 10'
Room Comments/Treatments:	Sofa, Carpet
Time Period/Length of Audition:	1 week
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	VPI Synchronous Drive System, Monster HTS3500
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	none
Product Strengths:	Dynamic range, profound silence, simple setup