VPI Industries---Love the Company as Much as their Turntables
I'm starting this thread because I just purchased my 4th VPI turntable. I started with a Cliffwood base model and kept working my way up the ladder until I recently purchased a Signature DS with the Analog Drive System (ADS). Over the years I have owned at least a dozen turntables ranging from a Thorens (TD145 MKII) to Rega Planars 3 through 8, and as I was contemplating a Rega P10, I looked at my VPI Prime in its stealth black and the MNPC Tech chrome feet and decided to slap on an old Ortofon Quintet Bronze Cartridge and began listening---WOW--I missed the VPI sound. I started tweaking the Prime and realized why I had moved on to Rega--great tables but lacked the raw power that a VPI table properly set-up can do.
After a few months ignoring the P8, I decided to contact Mat Weisfeld the current family audio guru at VPI, thinking I could upgrade my Prime with their new gimbal tonearm and signature base. Over the years I have met Mat ay several different vinyl and audio conventions--I have even been to the factory in Cliffwood, New Jersey on two occasions. Mat is a high energy brilliant man who understands the visceral power of quality music reproduction. he's also one of the most accessible CEO's I have ever encountered in any industry. Anyway, he e-mails me back and says forget upgrades, I'll take your Prime in trade and outfit you with a new Signature DS. Since the factory is just up the NJ Turnpike from Philly, I drove up to see him.
The fellow that built my table, Howie was just packing it up when I arrived. What a beautiful piece of art this is!! The Rosewood finish sandwiched between a shiny metal plate is amazing. The new gimbal tonearm has an amazing musical replay ability and the new HW-40 feet isolate any extraneous noise. Is a fully rigged turntable (cartridge, ADS controller, Signature TT) pushing $10K a great value?
I think it's a veritable bargain--if you properly adjust the VTA, align the cartridge, the Azimuth and add a 1 to 3 inch solid wood base as recommended, this TT sounds better than anything I have ever owned.and in my opinion, properly set up is 'As Good As it Gets"--Good times and noodle salad.
The TT is great, but the real value is VPI itself. A family owned business run by passionate audiophiles as well as employees who are proud of the products they produce. That is the real bargain.
I started this thread to see what experiences others have had--to me a great piece of kit entertains you for sure, but a company that is service and job 1 is priceless..
Hysteve: Contact VPI at their factory headquarters in Cliffwood, New Jersey. They are amazingly service oriented even with older tables. When you talk to the folks there (if he's there you could be on the phone with Mat W. -- the CEO) they will be excellent . Plus, they have an excellent inventory of parts for older tables. Hope it works out for you. |
I bought a used VPI HW-19 Mk.3 and an Aries, and each needed the ball bearing at the bottom of their bearing spindles replaced---they had developed a worn flat spot. Try as I might, I could not dislodge the ball bearing from the bottom of the spindle (I tried heating the ball, and freezing it). I emailed Harry Weisfeld, who invited me to send him both complete bearing assemblies (spindle and bearing well). He had a technician work on both, and that tech was able to dislodge one of the ball bearings, which he replaced with a new, larger one. The other one just wouldn't come loose, so Harry had his machinist fabricate a new spindle and install a new ball bearing, and then returned both bearing assemblies to me, at no charge! Does customer service get any better than that?!
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@bdp24 Wow...that's great!
On the flip side, years ago I had a Music Hall table that I needed something for. Talked to Roy. He couldn't have been more of a nasty, condescending prick. |
