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Estimated price (community-sourced)
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The VPI Aries 3 turntable offers near-HR-X performance in a smaller size, featuring a 1.75-inch thick black acrylic platter with an inverted bearing similar to the HR-X. The bearing shaft is 60 Rockwell hardness, ground and polished, rotating on a Teflon/Delrin composite thrust plate for ultra low noise. The motor assembly is a solid black aluminum housing weighing nearly 15 pounds, containing a low-noise 300-RPM synchronous motor with a Delrin motor pulley, with fundamental resonance at 5 Hz, below cartridge pickup range. The chassis is a sandwich of two layers of 5/8-inch polished black acrylic top and bottom with a 5/8-inch aluminum center section, providing an inert, quiet, and stable platform. The plinth sits on four adjustable aluminum cones with hardened steel ball bottoms for leveling and isolation. The circular armboard is 4 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick black acrylic, sonically matched to the chassis. The Aries 3 can be upgraded with the JMW Memorial 10.5i tonearm, VPI's Synchronous Drive System for precise speed control, HR-X periphery clamp and center weight, Mini-TNT feet, a single-motor flywheel, and a 25-lb Super Platter, approaching the performance of the HR-X flagship model. Specifications include wow and flutter under 0.1%, speed accuracy under 0.03%, and rumble greater than 75 dB down. The turntable weighs approximately 54 lbs packed and measures 22" x 16". The Aries 3 is no longer in production but still has available upgrades.
Turntable mechanics and performance
Size, weight, and appearance
Specifications are community-contributed and may not be accurate or complete. Verify all details with the manufacturer before making purchasing decisions. Terms & Conditions
Components that show up alongside the Aries 3 in real systems. A verdict means the pair has been checked for compatibility and headroom — open it to see how the two get along.
The closest alternatives on specs, description and the systems they turn up in, with the specs they share set side by side.
The Avantgarde Magnum's platter weight is 7 kg (15 lbs) against the Aries 3's 6.8 kg (15 lbs) and its weight 24 kg (53 lbs) against 24.5 kg (54 lbs). Both share wow & flutter (0.100%) and platter material (Acrylic).
The Scout 21's wow & flutter is 0.080% against the Aries 3's 0.100%, its platter weight 4.54 kg (10 lbs) against 6.8 kg (15 lbs), its platter material Aluminum against Acrylic, and its weight 14.51 kg (32 lbs) against 24.5 kg (54 lbs).
The Super Scoutmaster-2's platter weight is 4.54 kg (10 lbs) against the Aries 3's 6.8 kg (15 lbs) and its weight 45.36 kg (100 lbs) against 24.5 kg (54 lbs). Both share wow & flutter (0.100%) and platter material (Acrylic).
The Classic's wow & flutter is 0.020% against the Aries 3's 0.100%, its platter weight 8.16 kg (18 lbs) against 6.8 kg (15 lbs), its platter material Aluminum against Acrylic, and its weight 20.41 kg (45 lbs) against 24.5 kg (54 lbs).
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