VPI Direct Drive Turntable

New information on the motor of the new VPI direct drive turntable coming from Mark Doehmann of Continuum in Michael Fremer's Analog Planet website because the Caliburns uses a motor from the same manufacturer. Very interesting.

Here's what he had to say:

Mark Doehmann: "From publicly available information I see the VPI also uses a Thingap TG2310 motor coil which is an off the shelf motor system sans bearing. I was impressed by the low cost method used by VPI engineers to drive the coil effectively as a direct drive system. I'm very familiar with the motor and its true zero cogging performance. In a belt drive system it certainly pays off and the benefits would be translated to a direct drive."

There's more in the comment about the 3D arm too, so look it up. Also look up on ThinGap motors.

_______

Fleib, I was going to quote the very same sentence of yours that is quoted already above by Hiho. To wit: "I got the impression that the Brinkman also uses a magnetic drive where the motor isn't directly connected to the platter."

In addition to what Hiho says, I would only note that in any direct-drive turntable, the motor is not "directly connected" to the platter, IMO. It is more correct to say that the platter is part of the motor. Thus there is nothing touching the platter except the magnetic forces that drive it as part of the motor, the rotor part of a classical motor. The semantics are everything in this case, I think, because those who had poisoned the public mind about DD had repeated over and over for 20 years that there must be a "noise" problem, because the motor is "directly connected" to the platter. Not so. Quite the opposite, in fact. I am pretty sure you know this, but others might not. DD turntables do have some issues unique to the DD technology, but noise of that sort is not one of them.

Lewm: "The semantics are everything in this case, I think, because those who had poisoned the public mind about DD had repeated over and over for 20 years that there must be a "noise" problem, because the motor is "directly connected" to the platter. Not so."

Those poisonous people include, regrettably, some rather intelligent individuals such as Art Dudley, Simon Yorke, various Linn worshipers, et al. As Lew said that the idea of attaching a platter to the motor directly is evil is repeated ad nauseam by notable people is rather shameful.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Back to VPI, I really think they made a marketing misstep on their direct drive model by associating it with the Classic series because since the price discrepancy is so huge that people think it's just a retrofit Classic with DD motor, hence a ripoff. What they should have done is to rename it independently so people right away know it's a flagship product like, for example, the HRX. Back in the days when the HW-19 was ubiquitous (competing with SOTA Sapphire or Linn LP12), they came out with the TNT and nobody seemed to complain at the time. Now, they are left with the chore of explaining the cost of the DD system ad nauseam to those potential Classic upgraders and the cynics. Imagine Toyota comes out with a car costing more than a Lexus model. Oy!

_______

It is tough for VPI. I think that if they come out with a brand new DD table that is not based on the Classic, the added cost of design, retooling etc will add up. If you go by cost of parts x 5, the new DD probably would cost much much more than $30,000. Basing it on Classic platform would keep the cost down significantly (not that $30,000 is cheap), I would think. Personally, I think I would prefer DD in Classic platform and stick it on Minus-K for addition $3000 rather than having HW comes up with an entirely new platform which may or may not be as effective as Minus-K and will cost a lot more.

Suteetat, I agree with your assessment on the production side of the turntable. But I was referring to the marketing side of it by suggesting NOT naming it Classic. Instead, just call it "Direct" would have been simpler and more, well, direct. Calling it "VPI Classic Direct" inevitably would lead people to draw comparison to Classic series of tables, which none surpass $10k and then out of nowhere you introduce a $30K table! I just don't think it's wise marketing.

_______