upgrade VPI HW19 Mk IV or get a new table?

Issue 35 of positive feedback online has the VPI article I think you mean. My friend just upgraded his 19 with the SuperPlatter, SDS and a Morch tonearm and it sounds great. I still like my heavily upgraded Scout better but for the incremental cost he thought the upgrade worth it. You should probably call VPI and ask about this directly. They are very helpful.

Good Luck!

The Mk IV is a really good turntable I had a very similar turntable set up but used the SME 4 silver wired arm and changed my arm to the Trans Fi Terminator Parrell Tracking arm it was a big increase in sound in all aspects I hear the SDS makes a difference but if using the old heavy duty TNT platter no need to change this no real difference in terms of sound

Tough to tell you which way to go? All depends I guess how much you want to spend, and what you don't like about your Turntable in its current state?

I assume your MK-IV Table ha seperate Armboard, so there is the option of a different Arm, even if VPI no longer sells the Armboards. There are Plastic Companies out there who can fabricate a clone of the Armboard, then have a competent Machinist drill the Mounting Holes, and Hole in the proper place for new Arm.

There are some who will agree,, that the HW-19 is of course a dated design, being made for just about 25 years, and as well, it of course isn't the prettiest Turntable to come down the Pike, yet still a darn good Table that IMO sonically surpasses its look.

Better Arms, Better Platters of course will net you gains, and perhaps better flexibility-adjustability.
The gains you may net may not be worthwhile though, versus the cost?

Of course, there's the little tweaks, footers, shelves, Clamps, suspension, or lack of (Sorbothane Pucks) that may cost less, and give reasonable improvements. I don't see mention of the VPI SDS in your arsenal, and that's another option?

Of course if you too hypothetically upgraded to a Super Platter, which one would hope to be an improvement, the stock MK-IV Platter can easily be sold to offset the cost of new Platter.

There's many paths, and one could even go custom, with all new Sandwiched Acrylic-Steel-Acrylic Base, and Footers, ala Aries MK 3, or HR-X, if you have the resources of a materials supplier, and a competent machinist on hand.

I almost thought of doing this myself when I did some recent Mods on my own HW-19 a month ago. Mark

Thanks all. No, I don't have an SDS. You know, it's not that I sit there and say I don't like my setup. It's just that I wonder if I am missing out on something..Joey54, what do you like more about your Scout as compared to your friends' MK IV?
The TT is sitting on a Brightstar stand-the one with the sand and the vacuum bladder, and it's in another room than the speakers, so I don't worry about interaction, and I probably don't need something as esoteric as the Brightstar, since it is in a different room. Looks don't count either. I didn't know that VPI stopped supplying the armboards.
My table is on springs-if I replaced them with the sorbothane stuff, how thick should I cut it, and does it make a difference?
Bill