Aries 3

About the Aries 3

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.