VPI Traveler vs Pro-ject Xpression III?

Got a chance to hear the Traveler very briefly yesterday. It was at a local high end dealer that sells VPI, Audio Research, Linn, Wilson Audio, etc.

What I don't understand is that they had the Traveler (with a Dynavector 10x5) hooked up to a major high end Audio Research (their reference line, I think) driving some very expensive looking Wilson Audio speakers. I think they were using the Audio Research built in phono stage, and to tell you the truth, I think my Xpression III / Ortofon MC-3 turbo / Jasmine LP2 mkII / Audio Refinement / Tekton 6.5t monitor setup sounded much more involving, less dark and much more fun to listen and rock out with...

With that said, it was just one record (that is pretty much all they had, which I thought was pretty lame since they are a Linn dealer and did not have any Linn released LPs) and a very different system.

I hope to be able to bring some of my own LPs in very soon, or even better, borrow their VPI Traveler demo to take home and listen to in my system.

I guess I am pretty lucky that there are similar cartridges installed on the two tables I will be comparing (again, the Dyna 10x5 vs the Ortofon MC-3 turbo) but would people consider the VPI to be darker than Pro-ject and similar tables (Rega)?

Any comments, ideas, etc. would be appreciated here, especially if I am unable to bring the demo Traveler home.

TIA!

Yeah, I'd try to get it home in your system (or get a Traveler from an online dealer with a return policy, such as Music Direct). So many factors other than the table could be creating that impression. Nothing beats a home audition.

Sigh, they are not going to let me take the Traveler home. At least they have a Linn system that they can hook the Traveler up to that with similar characteristics to my setup. I will be bringing in my LPs very soon.

Any other feedback?

Well, there are ways to get a Traveler into your home that will only set you back the cost of shipping if you don't like it.

I hate to lose your local dealer a sale, but if you are unconvinced or remain uncertain after hearing it in the Linn system, then you can give Music Direct or another online dealer with a good return policy a call.

So yesterday I got to listen to the Traveler with a 10x5 Dyna through a Linn system (pre with MM phono with separate power amp and 109 speakers). Probably as close to my system as I'm going to get without being able to take the Traveler home. I brought some of my own records in from classical Vivaldi Four Seasons (Argo - Academy of St.Martin-in-the-Fields) to Talking Heads (B side of True Stories, one of my favorites) to Art of Noise (In No Sense? Nonsense). All very good recordings and record condition). I also brought in my antistatic carbon brush and my Clearaudio Clever Clamp. Here is what I heard:

Pros: big neutral to warm soundstage with nice definition and imaging

I never heard the harpsichord on the Vivaldi sound the way it did with this system. It might have been a combination of the Traveler sound and the Linn system having the 109 monitors farther from the wall with more room tuning. It sounded amazing and right there. The violin on the Art of Noise Opus for Four was telling its sad agonizing story. Imaging and soundstage playfulness was there in spades as the tape loop master played with phase and other effects. The Heads sounded defined but just ok (more on this later). I also put on some Dire Straits Down to the Waterline and Knaufler's guitar did call out very nicely, similar to when I saw him live both times.

Cons: head belt squeak on startup (only listened to 33s), heard the VPI system dependent pop on turning off the Traveler and this table has very very different PRaT than my Xpression lll.

First of all, the belt squeak on startup is not a big deal at all. I usually give belt drives a nudge on startup anyway and I don't think I was nudging it enough because of the much heavier platter. The power off pop was disappointing to hear but not a deal breaker. No idea if this would happen on my system at home. Also, but just once I depressed the Traveler's power button while running at the table did not power down. My Xpression does not squeak or pop in my system and I like its 2 position toggle power switch better. But the big difference was the PRaT between the two tables. The Heads did not have their usual energy that makes you want to get up and hit that air guitar. Art of Noise did not have their same dance techno house beat energy. I even asked the salesperson to get a strobe disk, which he had, but it was a large paper one that did not also allow for the stylus to be on a disc to correctly measure speed with any stylus drag. My Cardas Freq Sweep LP allows for this and my Xpression shows pretty much dead on with a speed box mk l. So was the Traveler a little slow with stylus drag? Not sure as it looked pretty much dead on with the paper strobe disk. But the PRaT was very different. So different it made me double check the speed of my Xpression when I got home.

Conclusions: I wish I could combine both tables Pros into one table without the Cons. I could live with ether table but I bet I would lead to some kind of speed correction or adjustment with a controller to maybe tweak the Traveler's speed to be a tad fast. Is VPI's controller the only option here? Can you power on / off at the controller and avoid the pop? It does seem over the top wanting to purchase a $1000 speed controller with a $1300 turntable.

My system is listed in my profile system and the dealer's system was the Linn Akurate pream and amp with 109 monitors on factory stands probably 3x farther from the back wall than the 12" my Tekton 6.5t monitors are from my back wall. My listening room is also my family and TV room with the usual furniture and the dealer's room was minimalistic and setup for listening only with a single chair and I'm sure a great amount of room tuning and conditioning.

I really think both tables would be enjoyable in my system and I wish the Traveler had a little more pace, rhythm and tempo out of the box. Are there any speed adjustments I can make on the Traveler without any additional components? The manual did not mention any.

My $.02