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VPI 40th Anniversary Table After Warranty Support Question

Hey guys. I am new here and I wanted to bring up a "thought question/experiment". While talking with a friend about turntables, I brought up the new VPI 40th. My friend mentioned a few interesting points that made me think before jumping on it.

The main question is "What will the after warranty service be like?". Will VPI continue to support this table after the 5 year warranty and for how long? This product is a limited run item so it brings up the question of will there still be parts or replacements for it after 6, 10 or even 20 years? Would it even make sense to stock extra direct drive motors for that long? Would there be applicable "aftermarket" options?

We can reference the Traveler turnable, which started selling in 2012-2013 but discontinued not even 5 years after, as a cautionary tale. Other members on this site have tried to get their Traveler tonearms repaired through VPI only to be told that they cannot be fixed because there are not replacement parts to fix it.. A replacement "used" arm would cost $500, almost the same amount as the resell value of the table itself. This also shows a severe depreciation in value (about 50% drop from MSRP) for the Traveler. In a broader light, are people still able to acquire parts, like the bearing, at a reasonable price for older tables (HRX, TNT, Aries, Classic, HW-19 or HW-17/27) from VPI?
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/vpi-turntable-repair

The other question refers to the reliability of the table. Even with a 5 year warranty, nobody wants to have to use it. VPI is pretty well known for "1st gen" problems. Easy examples are again the Traveler, but also newer products like the ADS,the Nomad, and even the Prime tables. And a constantly revolving issue is the 3D tonearm, with the most recent issue being leakage.
http://vpiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=9674
http://vpiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=10772
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/need-help-and-advice-on-a-vpi-3d-arm

With a limited run table like the 40th, it would be pretty costly to redesign a V2 version. Have they performed an extensive quality check? Or will problems start to arise 1 year after? And if problems can hold out past the 5 years, how costly would it be to the user? Or would there be no parts for it?

Similar, but obscure discussions were brought up about the Voyager Preamplifier, which I have only seen article reviews of but no customer/ end user feedback. Any information on is also limited to 2017, nothing in 2018.
http://vpiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=9514

So what are your thoughts on the new VPI turntable?



magmadster
tubular1
25 posts
 
VPI support is outstanding.  I have a Classic 4 and love it with the 3D arm which was an easy retrofit for me to perform.  I consider myself a loyal VPI customer.  They have earned it!
clockworkcreep
5 posts
 
All of the questions you asked could legitimately be applied to every turntable manufacturer, including Technics. Did Technics service their tables after warranty? Does anyone know what Technics has done for parts backups?

Your post is not a thought experiment. It’s a fear experiment, with the intent it seems to scare people from buying a table you have no experience with, from a manufacturer you misrepresent. 
gbanderhoos
20 posts
 
While it may be a thought experiment (since very few people have seen an actual HW40 outside of a trade show or the roll-out at the VPI house), I think the OP raises some legitimate concerns.  The concerns could certainly be addressed, but from what I can tell, they haven't been so far.

lewm said that a TT is just a motor and a platter.   In the case of their belt drives, that may be true, those are relatively simple devices.  The motors are made by Hurst and readily available and if not, you could drop almost any AC motor into the table and have it work properly.   The HW40 apparently uses a very specialized motor. You can not just replace it with a close substitute made by another mfr if the OEM ceases production.  Same for the electronics that run the HW40 motor.  I think it is a valid question and I would have hoped for a more detailed response from VPI.
The comparison with Technics is also valid.  Technics made their own motor and controller, and even if those parts are no longer available, they sold millions of those tables, so a secondary market emerged to repair the older tables and even hot-rod them.  Just by the sheer number of tables sold, there are plenty of donor tables available to rob parts from if need be.  At this price point and the advertised small production run (400 pcs), this would not apply to the HW40.
To reiterate: It doesn't mean VPI can't address these concerns;  I think the OP is asking how they will.
rollintubes
84 posts
 
My experience with VPI is mixed. I’ve had three, two different Classic models and a Prime Signature.

On one of the Classics, the tonearm pivot point was defective after battling cartridge alignment for about three months. I called for help and they were quite helpful in working with me to determine the problem, then charged me for the pivot point while still under warantee.
When I received my Prime Signature the platter would not turn at the right speed. It was very slow. Turns out the grease they use on the bearing had hardened and was binding. The grease had to be picked out of the platter bearing receiver and then it had to run for a few days before it loosened up. Definitely not a pleasant experience after plunking down $6K and it won’t work out of the box. I still have difficulty resetting the platter after removal for cleaning, etc. I can’t get all the excess grease out.
With the ADS, it is six months old and when I power it up sometimes it will begin spinning the platter. I guess it should be sent back to them.
They always answer the phone. They are always friendly and nice, Matt has called and emailed me to respond to issues and Marc can do phones pretty well. You won’t always like what they say though.
Rollin
frogman
7,409 posts
 
I think Lewm has it exactly right and this smacks of another recent thread bemoaning our inability to audition top flight cartridges before buying. Your concerns are certainly valid and worth considering. However, as I see it, due to the nature of our hobby (!) participation in it requires a certain amount of abandon when it comes to $. There is no way one can expect a definitive or reliable answer to your questions about what the future may hold for a boutique company; even one with the best intentions and a proven track record of customer support.
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