VPI Classic 3 Upgrades or Move On to Something New

Hey all, Mat from VPI here :)  Wanted to jump in and say hi and try to offer my assistance in anyway.  It has been rough this year because of the ups and downs of COVID and us having our second child.  There have been weeks where it has been a crap shoot and we still have the auto message up warning that messages might be delayed.  When my daughter was born (which took Jane and myself out of the office) at the same time we had two different COVID scares and lost all the Office Staff members for almost 3 weeks.  I chalk it up to being another 2020 moment.

Anyway, @slaw  mod sounds interesting and could be something cool to try.

 Any table with the motor built in always has the potential for transmission of vibrations with the heavy top plate, dampening material, and separate motor plate it measures extremely well. @cleeds nails it with his comment about AC in general.  That being said, things to check are to make sure there isn't any gunk in the motor spindle, and that the set screws on the pulley are properly fastened. 

We have found there to be other factors that can be at play regarding the room, isolation, and placement of the turntable.  I will say that our HW-40 feet are the best feet (within a non stratosphere price point) we have ever made and isolate better than all other feet of ours in that range.  Another thing to look out for especially when working with super low output cartridges is what it can pickup in your system that you don't want running through your speakers.  Whenever HW would run the Ortofon A-95 he always preferred it with a subsonic filter.

In general if anyone ever has a problem first us an email and I'll try to personally hop in to try and help :) 

i have a tnt/sama/flywheel/sds. i'm recently having speed fluctuations- as noticed first aurally and then as measured by my kab strobe disc/light. i'm assuming it's the sds so i'm looking at vpi ads. has anyone compared the two? i seem to remember when the ads came out it was not particularly well recieved.

@phillippugh To confirm whether it’s the SDS, you can plug the turntable directly into the wall. That’s obviously not a solution, but it will help you determine the root cause of your issue.

If it’s the ’table, which is likely, check to make sure the bearing and tri-pulley are clean and lubricated and that your belts are not slipping.

If it’s the SDS, I’d have it serviced. Steve at VAS is the expert on these. He also offers an inexpensive modification that will improve reliability.

@turntablemat

Hi Mat,

As I mentioned above, I own a tricked out first generation VPI Classic 1/2 table, which I upgraded many years ago with the help of Jack and/or Mike.  The upgrades included installing the Classic 3 300 RPM motor and cap (prevents turn-on/off thumps).  In addition, I switched out the Classic 1/2 arm and base for the Classic 3 stainless steel arm and base.  So, I have a first generation Classic 2.7 (sic).

My cartridge is a Lyra Kleos.  My electronics gear is all ARC. 

So, ... I am not interested in dropping mega bucks into the table.  But I was thinking about the 3D arm and maybe the SDS speed controller.  

What are your thoughts about the upgrades just noted? 

I also note that VPI is using a gimballed arm.  Does it sound significantly better than the old JMW uni-pivot?

One last question.  Do the following parts require replacement at some point:  (1) the inverted bearing that supports the heavy aluminum platter; (2) the uni-pivot needle upon which the JMW arm rests; and (3) the metal bearing inside the JMW arm which sits on the uni-pivot needle. 

As an fyi, I clean and lubricate the inverted platter bearing at least once a year and put a drop of electric motor oil on the shaft of the motor.  

Your "care and feeding" advice will no doubt help other VPI TT owners.

Thanks

Bruce
       

I've owned a SDS, now an ADS. Wasn't able to compare for SQ. The SDS is easier to use as the ADS fine touch knobs are hard to get speed to hold steady. Both would come off settings made from a week prior by a little.

I have a Roadrunner/Eagle now that I'll soon set up. Hoping this package with the constant speed correction won't be aggrevating.