The value of embellishment?


Does adding a leather veneer to a $4K more than double  value?
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisachj2-vpi-industries-prime-in-leather-limited-edition-turntable...

Couldn't resist asking the question. The claimed sonic improvements:
"The effect of the leather skin and hardened stainless steel is a sonic upgrade over a stock Prime, in terms of detail, bass extension, air, and resolution." Interesting. I thought it was arm/cart for the most part.  I hear all those descriptors with my VPI. You get more.....uh, okay.

I have leather faced speakers-it  works for the aesthetic. On the VPI- subjective like everything, but on a turntable plinth?
The footers look corny. This stuff is subjective of course, but it sure looks...

Not bashing VPI-I use one, and enjoy it for what it is.   I'd love to own a HW40. No leather though, thanks.
tablejockey
The icing on the cake will be when it's reviewed by whoever and they declare it to sound better than the table without the leather. This has actually happened before. Pass Labs had changed the power supply box on the X-1 to look identical in size to the preamp itself. (according to Pass Labs, the Asian market demanded it). It was reviewed by I can't remember who BUT, he said it sounded better then the original X-1! Crazy. Maybe some leather on the outside would have bumped it up to Class A+
Oh yeah, the VPI would look even better with a set of Texas longhorns on the front of it!