Hey, fellas - long time no post!

I've almost decided to upgrade my turntable soon, and I wanted to get your ever-helpful thoughts.

What I have: Rega P2 w/Exact cartridge, and Graham Slee Era Gold MK V phono stage.

Now, with the help of my local dealer, I've narrowed it down to two possible paths (although I'm open to suggestions):

(1) Get a VPI Scout (not the Scout 2) for somewhere under $1800 MSRP. I'd keep my Exact for now, but maybe snag an Ortofon 2M Black in the future (yummy!).

I'm good enough, smart enough, and gosh darn it, at least 312 people liked me on election day. I'm off to Washington and lets get that darn whatever it is passed.

In looking for some new lps, I've come across picture disks of titles that I cannot find new in black vinyl. Do picture disks sound the same as the original lps or are they pressed differently and therefore sound different.

Well I was down at Audio Concept today picking up my HD 800s and as usual Robert had something new I just "had to hear".

The product he was singing the praises of today was the recession-flouting ORACLE MA speaker cable from MIT ($25k if I heard correctly. I have learned after all these years that when he mentions prices he is generally not joking).

The Stereophile forum is not to be used by manufacturers as a pulpit to promote their products or discredit the products of others.

Manufacturers should reveal themselves as manufacturers with every post made

Some of you may remember a book called "Musicophilia" by Oliver Sacks that I recommended a while ago in some thread. PBS is airing a 1-hour show called "Musical Minds" based on that book, as a premiere episode of Nova. On tonight:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/30/arts/television/30nova.html?ref=arts