Hi,
I haven't done a direct comparison between these two tables, but have owned a VPI 19-Jr. and the latest Michell Gyro SE, and have heard HW-19 MkIIIs and IVs, Scout and Aries. I now have a Nottingham table. Personally, I think the Michell is a step above the HW-19 series and Scout in dynamics and resolution (of course, the Aries is a different story). I too have suspended floors, with a fair amount of give. I did not have a big problem w/ the suspension of the Gyro, though a few times when my 80 & 95 lb. Labs got too excited by a cat or another dog, I got a little too much bounce in the suspension. The Michell had far less problems w/ bounce than other suspended tables I've owned, Systemdek and Linn, though I suspect the heavier VPI would be a better choice if a bouncing suspension is your only concern. I seem to have more feedback problems w/ the Nott, and need to add a more secure stand or a wall-stand. As far as sound quality, this is very personal and depends upon your preferences, setup, arm, cartridge, and the rest of the system. After selling my Gyro, I had to "downsize" to a Horizon, for reasons unrelated to quality of sound. The Horizon, while great for the $$, is not in the same class as the Gyro, as far as squeezing as much info from the LP, using the same cartridges for comparison. Another Gyro, or a Spacedeck would be the two tables I would consider if I were to buy in that price range again. BTW, I also had a Clearaudio Virtuoso w/ the Gyro, and thought this was a great cart. w/ a Rega arm (but not SME).
Terry