Herron VTPH-2A discontinued


I came across a post recently http://www.vpiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=19187
and confirmed it through the Herron website.  Bummer.  
wlutke
@au_lait: I don’t want to speak for Keith Herron, but though he will not be making any more phono amps, he may be willing to upgrade a VTPH-2 to a -2A, assuming he has the required parts in stock. He is staying in business, still making his line stage and power amps, not retiring quite yet. At least that is my understanding of the situation. Give him a call!
What @bdp24 said.  He said he stopped making them because some parts became too expensive, but that doesn't mean he doesn't still have the parts or access to them to upgrade your device.  He's super easy to talk to and a really nice guy and very accommodating.  Give him a call.
Why doesn’t he sell the rights and designs of his products to another person? 
Why doesn’t he sell the rights and designs of his products to another person?


Good question. I don’t know the answer. However, it is pretty easy to imagine.......

Last few years I have had the pleasure to talk with some of these guys. Can’t honestly say I got to know them, but you talk to people and the clues pile up. Eric Alexander knew from the time he was a kid he wanted to be a speaker builder. Dave Thompson is fascinated by and loves music reproduction. Krissy Tetrault pretty much lives to make it sound better than most can even imagine. Keith Herron loves music. To name just a few. They really love what they are doing. You can feel it when they talk about it.

But they aren’t just doing it like we are, buying some stuff to try at home. They are building right at the edge of what can be. They build this and it goes out into the world and we love it and they built it. With Herron the connection is obvious, he puts his name on it. But even Tekton, Raven, Soundsmith, these are really Eric, Dave, Peter. Has to be. They put so much of themselves into it. I can only imagine how tremendously satisfying that must be, to have accomplished that. To have created that. All that musical enjoyment. All that love.

Then after a lifetime of doing that you are gonna turn around and monetize it, like some toaster or something? I mean yeah sure, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, whole long list of em did just that. Which only serves to burnish the rep of those who won’t.