My opinion....
I would agree with @oregonpapa on the cartridge selection, but not with the PH-8. The ART9 has a great reputation. I do not have ANY experience, but there are a lot of people that think it’s a great performer, particularly with your musical preferences. IMO, the PH-8 was "pretty good" in its day, but is bettered by a lot of phono stages since then. Again, IMO, the Herron Audio VTPH-2a stands alone at the top of the list. Just my opinion.
@jetson The plinth of the Prime Sig is a completely different material and construction than the basic Prime. As an engineer, keep in mind the tremendous amount of amplification of that tiny electrical signal coming from the cart. Not only will that signal be amplified, but every tiny resonance and bit of noise in the chain will be amplified as well and become part of the playback. Plinth construction and material are important.
Not meaning to sound preachy, but sometimes it’s important to focus on the details as well.
Another opinion on VPI tables in general....
The VPI feet do not seem to be very good. Many people prefer to place VPI tables on Stillpoint cones or Bear Claws and remove the VPI feet. There’s something about the rubber damping in the VPI feet that doesn’t work. Sometimes the plinth can be overdamped (the VPI rubber feet?) and the signal can sound slightly dead with a loss of dynamics and timing. That has been the biggest complaint against VPI over the years. I have my Aries Extended on Stillpoint cones with an obvious improvement in performance. It turned a very good table into a great table. No problems from overdamped sound. Just my opinion. YMMV.
I would agree with @oregonpapa on the cartridge selection, but not with the PH-8. The ART9 has a great reputation. I do not have ANY experience, but there are a lot of people that think it’s a great performer, particularly with your musical preferences. IMO, the PH-8 was "pretty good" in its day, but is bettered by a lot of phono stages since then. Again, IMO, the Herron Audio VTPH-2a stands alone at the top of the list. Just my opinion.
@jetson The plinth of the Prime Sig is a completely different material and construction than the basic Prime. As an engineer, keep in mind the tremendous amount of amplification of that tiny electrical signal coming from the cart. Not only will that signal be amplified, but every tiny resonance and bit of noise in the chain will be amplified as well and become part of the playback. Plinth construction and material are important.
Not meaning to sound preachy, but sometimes it’s important to focus on the details as well.
Another opinion on VPI tables in general....
The VPI feet do not seem to be very good. Many people prefer to place VPI tables on Stillpoint cones or Bear Claws and remove the VPI feet. There’s something about the rubber damping in the VPI feet that doesn’t work. Sometimes the plinth can be overdamped (the VPI rubber feet?) and the signal can sound slightly dead with a loss of dynamics and timing. That has been the biggest complaint against VPI over the years. I have my Aries Extended on Stillpoint cones with an obvious improvement in performance. It turned a very good table into a great table. No problems from overdamped sound. Just my opinion. YMMV.
