VPI periphery record ring for VPI Scoutmaster

It does make a difference, particularly with records that are not perfectly flat -- but whether it's worth $500 is a judgement call. While I love VPI's products, I personally think the clamping ring is grossly overpriced, despite being made of stainless steel. If your LP's are in good condition (i.e., not warped), then the regular center clamp will suffice.

Buy the SDS first and then the ring. Both are outstanding upgrades and worth having. As to cost, well, in my opinion, none of the audiophile crap warrants the prices charged but, if you want to play you have to pay.

I have found that the periphery ring weight and the heavy center weight are important to the voicing of my TNT Mk. 6 turntable. In upgrading my turntable, I first upgraded my Mk. 4 lead/acrylic/cork platter to the Mk. 6 acrylic platter and inverted bearing, and I used this platter/bearing with my Mk. 5 record clamp for a little over a month. I found that the resulting sound was a bit analytical and on the cool side of the spectrum. The addition of the center weight and periphery ring weight restored some warmth to the sound of the turntable in my system. I gather that the weight and the clamp are designed to do more than just flatten the warps in an LP and that they serve a role in vibration damping that, at least in my system, is important and beneficial to the sound.

I have a Merrill Heirloom with the periphery ring. (I believe Merrill first offered them.) I have only owned the table a month, but I notice an improvement in warped AND unwarped records.

As a previous writer notes, is that worth 500 dollars...I don't know.

Dave

Unfortunately, the question you need to be asking is whether it is worth $600, which is the current retail. What something is worth depends on the end user's perception. It is machined to an exacting circumference, which it must in order to sit precisely over the acrylic platter. I'm sure this is an expensive, labor intensive process. I'm extremely pleased with mine and once making the commitment, I chose to just sit back and enjoy. I wouldn't want to return it, so I guess that means, in my estimation, its worth it.