[jarcher]

I got back into vinyl about a year ago with a Pro-ject RPM 1.3 genie w/ a Sumiko Pearl cartridge, more for fun & the killer looks of the Pro-ject.  I was somewhat disappointed by the feel of the thing w/ very light mdf (?) and a somewhat low rent feeling tone arm.  Still, I didn't care too much and the Sumiko has nice rhythm and bass thump w/ a Eddie Grant / Killer on the Rampage reggae LP.  It's a good combo for garage sale R&R LP buys.  Again - it was more a conversation piece - something fun to look at & play on occasion. 

I didn't really intend to go any further with vinyl until visiting the last Capital Audiofest and coming across the new VPI Traveller.  It looked attractive in the different colors at a distance, but I thought it would just be another thin and somewhat flimsy feeling Rega or Pro-Ject type deck. Probably no substantial upgrade from the Pro-Ject, in other words.  Then I realized when I went to pick it up that with a 20+ lb platter and solid aluminum and acrylic chassis with a high quality finish, this was no Fisher Price feeling deck like the Project 1.3.  Then I started noticing nice details, like a good motor w/ a quality feeling switch and IEC plug for power cables.  RCA plugs so you can use different standard interconnects.  Then the gimbaled arm assembly that could actually be quickly & completely lifted out of the chassis just by twisting a knob - nice if you have extra $ and want to swap out arms w/ different cartridges vs going through the whole hassle of remounting & setting up a new cartridge.  Makes you kinda long for the swapable headshells of yore. 

So at the suggestion of one of the other attendees, I asked Harry of VPI, would it be better to get a VPI Scout or this new Traveler.  His answer was a bit unexpected & cryptic : "in the long run I think you'd be happier with the Traveler".  Unexpected because the Scout retails for more - and cryptic because how does "in the long run" affect the enjoyment of one vs the other? The added convenience items?  The heavier platter?

He was less forthcoming when asked to comment about the Traveler's most apparent direct competition: the Clear Audio Concept.  "If something goes wrong with it you have to send it back to Germany" and that his tables are made in the USA.  VPI was sporting the patriotic scheme w/ American flag graphics on their poster and on the bottom of the tables - just for the show models - but I'm thinking they should do it as an option for all new tables.  At least for me buying US-made is a selling point for me.......

Anyway - at this point I was sold as the show price was about $1300 with a mounted Grado Gold cartridge.  Harry actually said that the Traveler table was made & tested with that cartridge in mind.  Guess VPI likes to stick close to their NJ / NY roots w/ Brooklyn based Grado.

Here are some quick impressions on getting it home and trying it out:

Pro's:

1) A very solid table that really brings out the background, clarity, and deep articulate bass.  I tried putting the Sumiko Pearl on it just to verify that the very substantial sound quality improvement I was hearing vs the Pro-ject was not just due to the cartridge.  No sir - the table itself (and presumably the tone arm) made a significant difference.  I'm usually very cost conscious on "upgrades", and I really did feel I was getting more than double the sound quality for the double price vs the Project RPM 1.3.  And in the audiophile world where the price / quality ratio is usually logarithmic, this was really a pleasant surprise.

2) All the convenience items, such as the standard RCA plugs, the adjustable feet, the VTA adjustment ring, the counterweight adjustment knob, the quick release removable arm, even an adjustable tonearm rest height, which came in handy when I had to mount a taller cartridge & raise the arm substantially.  All this makes the table something easy to adjust and happy to live with.

3) The fit & finish in general is to a very high standard, whether it's the finish (mine is red), or the various switches and controls.

Cons:

1) I feel, though can not totally justify this, that the tone arm could be better.  Perhaps because it's gimbaled, I found that the pins that keep it in place were not suitably recessed, causing the arm on a few occasions to become unattached. This was relatively quickly remedied w/ a very small screwdriver to bring the screws in the gimbal further in w/ out compromising the movement of the gimbal.  Still - this was a hassle. Also the arm seems to be of three pieces - the head shell, the mid arm, then the rest. Somehow if possible it would seem better for the arm to be of one piece.  And if the headshell is going to be a separate piece - why not make it removable for easier cartridge swapping?

2) Once I went to a lower output MC cartridge (Ortofon Rondo Bronze), every time I stop the motor I get a noise / thump at the speaker level.  Apparently this is considered "normal" w/ VPI's according to the dealer. I still don't like it - and if anyone knows who to effectively deal with this, please let me know.

3) There is no anti-skating device.  Harry had said at the show he doesn't really believe in anti-skating - just set the tonearm weight (VTF) slightly higher, then maybe "dress" the tonearm cable to exert the desired pressure.  This is written into the manual as well.  Seems a bit imprecise - but whatever - there are enough adjustments on a turntable that probably have a greater effect.

4) The squeak the belt makes on start-up.  I'm nitpicking now, but I don't want to hear that in a +$1K turntable!

And lastly - I don't know if this deserves to be a "con" of the table, but I found the Grado Gold cartridge not to my subjective liking.  Others have written about this cartridge and the Grado cartridge house sound in general (including here in Audio Circle), so I'm probably not adding anything new here.  But here goes anyway : the Grado Gold has a warm sound with soft dynamics / transient response, extended (though somewhat opaqued) high frequency, deep but not particularly tight bass, and a very good mid-range.  If that's what you want from your sound - e.g. your one of those micro watt SET tube guys who go gaga for Diana Krall - or a lot of mostly vocal music - then you'll be in seventh heaven.  For me, I want much more spring & rhythm from my music, particularly rock / pop, even if I have to give up a bit of warmth to achieve that.  So I ended up swapping it for an admittedly much more expensive Ortofon Rondo Bronze - which not only has all the details & dynamics I want, but is very neutral.  My recommendation - buy the Traveler without a cartridge unless you've heard and like the Grado house sound.

In conclusion, I ended up taking a deeper dive into vinyl, not because I buy into the whole analog / vinyl is intrinsically better prejudice - I bought into it DESPITE the substantial additional hassles, because once you've made a significant enough investment, it really pays dividends in fantastic sound.  To me the VPI traveler paired with say a good $200 MM cartridge like one of the Ortofon 2M ones (I'm thinking the 2M Blue), and a decent phone pre-amp, can easily surpass any comparably priced digital front end - and many multiple times more expensive. I know it has in my case,  and for that reason the VPI traveler  I think is an outstanding value and highly recommended.   

[poseidonsvoice]

Fantastic and well delineated review. VPI even stated that the ZU Audio modified Denon DL-103 is an excellent upgrade to the Grado Gold with more detailing in the extremes.

Anand.

[jarcher]

Glad you liked the review.  I've been meaning to try out one of those Denon Cartridges.

I should add to the review that the Traveler comes free with a Shure SFG2 stylus force gauge, which retails for about $35.  A nice touch I think instead of the little piece of plastic thing that came w/ the Pro-ject.

[SpotcheckBilly]

Great review, but I'm prejudiced as I recently took delivery of a red Traveler/Grado Gold combo. I hear what you're saying about the Grado, and I'm seriously considering an Ortofon 2M Bronze as a replacement.  I really don't want to get into a low-output MC and the necessary SUT, but I might if I can convince myself that the change will be worth the added expense. 

[Wayner]

Most quality arms have a setscrew inside of another set screw to "double" nut the pivot. Apparently, VPI is not familiar with this technique, tho it is used on most of the arms I've ever seen.

The noise you here at turn on/off is from the arc in the switch to turn the table on and off. Most table manufacturers put a capacitor (like .02mfd/1000 volt) to absorb the switch make/break transient "pop".
I'm surprised that VPI doesn't understand how to easily solve this problem. AR figured it out back in the 1960s.

The arm's anti-skate could easily be corrected by simply adding dead man weights to a side, as Project and many others do. This probably would add about $1.00 in cost to the product. To ship a table out in todays market with out this feature, is simply inexcusable. Piss poor designing, if you axe me.

Lastly on the cons comments, if you wash your belt, then add some talc to it, that should stop the squeak. Again, AR figured this out back in the 60s.

I was interested in buying this deck, but with your review, I certainly am not. It sounds like it's a nice looking product with lots of things that need to be fixed or redesigned.

Wayner

[jarcher]

Great review, but I'm prejudiced as I recently took delivery of a red Traveler/Grado Gold combo. I hear what you're saying about the Grado, and I'm seriously considering an Ortofon 2M Bronze as a replacement.  I really don't want to get into a low-output MC and the necessary SUT, but I might if I can convince myself that the change will be worth the added expense. 

I got a red one as well. As for MC - I didn't eventually mount an Ortofon Rondo Bronze, but yes, it was an order of magnitude higher investment, including the phono stage. 

Don't get me wrong on the Grado Gold - it is capable of really producing "magic" in some key ways.  And many people LOVE them.  But I really wanted something with more detail / attack / etc, which is not really the Grado sound. 

I've tried the 2M Red- and now currently own the Blue.  They are both very good cartridges for the money and have all those features I said I was looking for, but not the "warmth" of the Grado.  Of course w/ the 2M Bronze you're also getting the better housing.  They are an even better value used.  I got a 2M Blue for $100 w/ low hours.  The styluses are interchangeable between all.  So though you wouldn't get the benefit of the better housing, it's not crazy to buy a Red, and move up the stylus chain if you want.

One practical note : you do have to break in these 2M's for at least 20hrs in my opinion to get their true detailed but non-peaky sound.  I think for this reason many have bought them & then demounted & criticized them prematurely.

[jarcher]

Most quality arms have a setscrew inside of another set screw to "double" nut the pivot. Apparently, VPI is not familiar with this technique, tho it is used on most of the arms I've ever seen.

The noise you here at turn on/off is from the arc in the switch to turn the table on and off. Most table manufacturers put a capacitor (like .02mfd/1000 volt) to absorb the switch make/break transient "pop".
I'm surprised that VPI doesn't understand how to easily solve this problem. AR figured it out back in the 1960s.

The arm's anti-skate could easily be corrected by simply adding dead man weights to a side, as Project and many others do. This probably would add about $1.00 in cost to the product. To ship a table out in todays market with out this feature, is simply inexcusable. Piss poor designing, if you axe me.

Lastly on the cons comments, if you wash your belt, then add some talc to it, that should stop the squeak. Again, AR figured this out back in the 60s.

I was interested in buying this deck, but with your review, I certainly am not. It sounds like it's a nice looking product with lots of things that need to be fixed or redesigned.

Wayner

Thanks for the belt tip - will try it out.

Agreed that the cons I mentioned seem easily resolvable, but for me thus far minor irritants.  Funny thing is I don't think they were not addressed because of cost, but simply because I get the feeling seeing their other products that VPI sometimes take perhaps an overly simplistic approach to design philosophy.   

[iluzun]

Got a blue Traveler in my rig for the last week.  Run it into a Yamaha A-S2000, Daedalus (hot rodded) DA-1s, w/a Dynavector 10x5 cart.
Sounds wonderful!  No pops on start/stop via the motor.  A bit of belt squeak when set for 45rpm, but never on 33rpm.  Great build quality,
beautiful table.  Don't have as much experience w/tables as many here, but I love the arm.  Works flawlessly & tracks quietly.  Seems
very nice compared to a prior Rega rb300, entry Sota, & most recently an Empire 598.  Can't wait to 'hear' what others think the arm can
'get the most out of', cartridge wise.  Oh, & the MM/MC on the Yamaha, which I had never heard, is a wonderful match.  Damn good & & easily
a match for my modded Transporter & 8g Mac mini server.  This thing soars!  Esperanza Spaldings 'Chamber Music Society' will remind you of
'Ella'.  Jackson Browne's 'Time the Conqueror' is relaxed, warm & inviting in a way the digital never is & will remind you of why you liked Jackson
in the first place.  Dave Matthews Band 'Away From The World', is striking, sublime & evocative as Dave's voice is captured as rhythmically primal, a ritualistic creative instrument, casting its musical spell in an enchanting & mature forest of instrumentation.  Did I mention I like the Traveler very
much?  A high quality product, @ a most reasonable price, that reminds oneself that music is indeed a "long, long, journey".  A beautifully built
product that invites one to stop, come inside, have a closer look & consider what the artist has achieved all with minimal cost or fuss.  Seems to me,
that this one is pretty special....       

[jarcher]

In all honesty the popping I've experienced w/ the Traveller could be largely due to the sensitivity of the low output MC Ortofon Rondo Bronze cartridge.  I don't recall having this issue w/ the Grado Gold, Sumiko Pearl, and Ortofon 2M Red MM cartridges I tried it with.

[bassplayer]

Great report, with valuable information on the VPI Traveler.

I have been listening to the same turntable for 40 years.  It is a Thorens TD125 AB Mark II.

Have done a lot of tweeking, and have it sounding pretty good. Carts are Grado GCE, Shure V15 Type III, Denon DL160, and Acutex 315STR.

Am using Marantz 7c pre and 8B power amp into a pair of 1980 Klipsch LaScalas. Luminous Audio Synchestra Reference Ono cast copper speaker cables put it all in great focus.

My question is- is the VPI Traveler a warm sounding turntable, or a high detail, analytical type of sound.

I really want to try another turntable, but feel I need warm, not high detail and no soul type of turntable for my equipment.

Any comments would be appreciated, Bruce in South Carolina

[jarcher]

This is an interesting questions about the tonal character of the VPI traveler or TT's in general. Probably someone with more experience owning / using many tables can better answer.  I currently bought a few tables over the last few months & can say that at least one of them seems to sound "analytical / cold", which is a vintage Pioneer PL-518, a direct drive turntable.  It's even mounted with a Grado Black cartridge, which is likely to be more warm.

As to the VPI traveller, my best guess is that its "neutral" compared to the other tables I have.  I don't note any particular tonal emphasis.  Because of its solidity it definitely has a deeper & wider soundstage, a "blacker" background, and deeper tighter bass than the Pro-Ject RPM1.3 it replaced.  Part of the quality improvements may be due also to the tonearm & the better internal cabling.

Which I thinks brings me to real point : the tonal character of a turntable system can be affected by so many things it's hard to critique it on the basis of the table itself.  I.e. the table, the tonearm, the cabling, the cartridge, etc etc.  What I can saw is that the VPI traveler stock w/ the Grado Gold is definitely warmish - because the GG is warm - whereas if you put a more analytical cartridge on it, it will sound more analytical (e.g. Ortofon 2M series), and if neutral, like the Ortofon Rondo Bronze, then neutral.  For this reason I consider the VPI to be pretty neutral. Neutrality is what I seek, which is why I use a neutral cartridge (Rondo Bronze), neutral interconnects (Wireworld Oasis 6) and neutral power cords (Wireworld Stratus 5).  Yes - as much as I didn't want to believe it, upgrading the power cable helped as well to clean up the sound.

[riffer]

Thanks for the great review/info.

I bought my Scout third hand a number of years ago and it is pretty beat up.  I was thinking of the Traveller as a replacement.  I may give it a shot.  The OP's review is especially relevant, as I have the Bronze as well.

As for anti-skate, would be nice, but not the lousy contraption they have now.  I'm finally getting around to setting that up now.  What a hassle.

On the "thump" issue.  I had a "pop" that happened when I turned off the Scout's motor.  This was cured by changing the capacitor inside.  Maybe that would work on the Traveller?

Q: Is there any motor vibration being transmitted to the plinth?

[jarcher]

On the "thump" issue.  I had a "pop" that happened when I turned off the Scout's motor.  This was cured by changing the capacitor inside.  Maybe that would work on the Traveler?

Q: Is there any motor vibration being transmitted to the plinth?

According to the dealer there is no cap in the power supply (?) and that "popping" is a common + well known problem w/ VPI tables.

I've not noticed any vibration transfer to the plinth.  It was interesting that Harry of VPI commented to me that he now seemed to prefer the motors being attached to the plinth vs being physically separate - that it "sounded better" that way, though he did not elaborate why & forgot to ask him why.

I suppose somewhere out there new or used there might be a better deal than the Traveler, but for me the solidity / build & sound quality / attractive color + look & convenience features all have me sold. 

Did recently buy an older suspended table, changed the tonearm cable, slapped a used Ortofon 2M blue on it, and total investment was less than $600, and probably better bang for the buck vs the VPI traveler, but the VPI traveler is still clearly superior.  And in these days of seriously overpriced high end audio stuff, even the Traveler if bought list / new, a great value in my book.

[jarcher]

Just an update to those considering buying a VPI Traveler : there have been some changes to the latest versions of the Traveler that while may not change the performance, downgrade the cosmetics in a disappointing way.   This is based on personal experience having seen the latest version at my dealer just the other day.  These changes appear to be:

1.  At least the non-black tables now come in a pebbled and not smooth glossy surface.  The effect is particularly unpleasant on the blue tables.
2.  The "VPI Traveler" is no longer on a little badge on the front, but silk screened on the top of the table.  Doesn't look as elegant to me.
3.  The feet are no longer made out of metal with rubber tips, but now all rubber.
4.  The tonearm plate release knob is no longer in a cut out, but has been redesigned so a cut out is no longer necessary.
5.  The tonearm cable din plug no longer has a metal housing but a plastic one.
6.  The record mat has been changed - presumably a better one - though it doesn't look as nice as the first gen.  At least vs the first gen it can be removed / changed.

And here is the most significant change:

The power supply is no longer on the table w/ an IEC connector - there is now an ugly cheapo external switching power supply which I think is connected with a barrel connector.  At least it's a universal power supply - I'm not sure my first gen one was universal.  So I guess that's good for the overseas market.

Many companies, including mega buck tables from Clearaudio, use cheap external power supplies and claim they make no difference (makes me wonder why then VPI and Linn, among others, make pricey external power supplies).  I found for reasons I still don't understand that my traveler sounded better with an uprated power supply cable - and I don't mean to the timing.  It cleaned things up, even though the power supply is in no way connected to the cartridge / tonearm assembly.

What was additionally distressing is that now the power switch is this cheap & ugly black thing on the top of the table (vs a nice metal button on the side), and perhaps most irritating is that there is both a pause when switching it on between the time  the motor spindle moves and then the belt catches, and the motor is audible (at admittedly very close range).  Presumably it's the same motor as the first generation -  or has the same specs - though I notice that the housing is this longer lower profile affair on the bottom vs the deeper more square box on the first gen. I will also say that on my first gen, despite some initial squeaking of the belt (now no loner once it's been broken in), there was no pause between the spindle and platter movement, and the motor is pretty much dead silent.

Why all these changes?  To improve profitability? To put greater distance over the more expensive & next step up Scout (particularly now that they have a new version)?  I don't know.  All I'll say is that I'm glad I have a first gen, even though I still think the latest revision is worth owning.  But if you've been thinking of buying, I would suggest getting a first gen if you can find one (dealer demo, etc), particularly if you want a non-black one, or if you buy a new one, the black version with the more matte top finish is probably the better choice vs the colored ones with their somewhat unattractive pebbled finish (particularly the blue one). 

[tomytoons]

The V2 costs $150 more?
What you are describing doesn't sound that great.
I see MD is selling one for $100 off the original price of $1299
Must be a V1?

[poseidonsvoice]

Old Traveler (V1):



New Traveler (V2):

[jarcher]

The VPI web page price list shows US retail as $1400 for black, $1500 for colors.  So $100 more than launch.  Music Direct is selling Black, White, and Silver at $100 LESS than launch ($1200 & $1300).  So definitely would make sense to buy from then - particularly if they have older version stock......

[ltr317]

The NY area audio clubs will be meeting at the VPI facility in late March.  I'm sure Harry and Matt will demonstrate the new version of the Traveler.  I'll get a close up look and see if the changes are worthwhile.  I might even file a report on Stereotimes of the meeting.

Paul Mah

[Johnny2Bad]

Great report, with valuable information on the VPI Traveler.

I have been listening to the same turntable for 40 years.  It is a Thorens TD125 AB Mark II.

Have done a lot of tweeking, and have it sounding pretty good. Carts are Grado GCE, Shure V15 Type III, Denon DL160, and Acutex 315STR.

Am using Marantz 7c pre and 8B power amp into a pair of 1980 Klipsch LaScalas. Luminous Audio Synchestra Reference Ono cast copper speaker cables put it all in great focus.

My question is- is the VPI Traveler a warm sounding turntable, or a high detail, analytical type of sound.

I really want to try another turntable, but feel I need warm, not high detail and no soul type of turntable for my equipment.

Any comments would be appreciated, Bruce in South Carolina

Were it me, I would look at a new armboard and tonearm for your TD125. This is an excellent table and really the Thorens arm is the bottleneck in my opinion. Another factor that can improve a suspension-type table like the Thorens is a quality rack.

I think the Traveller looks like a great table, although I haven't yet heard one, I did consider auditioning and purchasing one. Finding an excellent condition REGA P3 for under $400 on eBay changed that for me. But I'm not sure you need to be looking for a new unit; my gut feeling is it would be a step sideways rather than upward.

Tables I've used:
Conniseur BD1/JM Memorial
REGA Planar2/RB 250
Thorens TD125MKII
Marantz TT-15
DENON DP-5000/Infinity Black Widow
Acoustic Research XA/Empire Tonearm

Current: REGA P3/RB300