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I'll make your decision even easier...The Michell has been sold and shipped already.
The Mitchell is a very good table, but does not provide the reference quality of the Classic.
Nope, but I have never compared an ARC SP-6b to a Herron VTSP-3a head-to-head using the same equipment either. The ARC is pretty good, but the Herron is in a completely different league and arguably without peer. But that's not the point, is it. The arms that work well with a Mitchell might not perform up to their potential on the Classic and vice versa. If therefore follows that cartridges that play nicely with certain arms might not work well in other arms. So that comparison doesn't really mean much, does it. The point is that IMO the Classic, as it comes stock with an arm that is matched to the table, provides a reference (or VERY NEAR) quality platform while the Mitchell is merely very good even with a heavily modded Rega arm. To me the Classic just sounds "right": timing, musical warmth, dead silence, deep bass, brings me closer to the performance than other tables I've heard (given a decent cartridge). I favor the VPI. YMMV. In what areas do you think the Mitchell betters the VPI? Maybe you have different listening preferences that need to be taken into account. What have you heard in a side-by-side comparison (even not considering my comments on the value of that comparison)?
I think you are offering up a lot of your opinion as absolute fact here; or at least allowing your personal taste to completely lace your statements with one sidedness. The Herron is a great preamplifier, but to even believe it has no equal is foolish. That would come completely down to individual opinion, and system preferences. Its comparison to the ARC is also irrelavant since that preamp is considerably older in design then the Herron piece. Saying, also that everyone would prefer the Herron in that comparison is narrow sighted. Getting back to the turntables at hand, I agree that it would be difficult to compare exactly the same tonearm and cartridge on the tables; it wouldn't be out of the question to considering testing each in the same systems.The bottom line is both tables are very good; what each person wants in their system varies and one table might suit the other better. The Michell design has been around and improved upon for decades; and has always provided a steady platform, as well as garnered favorable reviews. The VPI classic has been around a couple of years, and has been raved about; as well as poorly reviewed upon. Not everyone feels the same about any piece of equipment.
