VPI Super Platter out of square-will it work?

I’ve owned most of VPI platter offerings. I never had a problem with concentricity with my Super Platter and I also use a rim drive. VPI discontinued the Super Platter as it was becoming very labor intensive and costly to produce. VPI claims a higher machine tolerance with the new Classic platter, as for the Classic sounding better that is subjective (I personally prefer the Classic platter).

It sounds like a bad batch of Super Platters was produced but really never realized until the launch of the rim drive. The Super Platter is still a highly sought after platter, especially for those who want to use it with a periphery ring.

If you like the sound of the Super Platter, IMHO there is no better platter made than the TNT Mk5 stainless steel and Delrin combo. The Mk5 stainless steel portion is machined to the highest tolerance and works well with the rim drive. I still use both the Mk5 and Classic platter and have since sold my Super Platter.

The rim drive VPI MUST have a perfectly circular platter because if there is an out
of roundness, the large side pushing up against the drive disc will push the
whole turntable away from the motor assembly, and as the platter turns will
release the pressure letting the turntable move toward the motor assembly.
There is a space between the turntable and motor assembly...if you lightly put
your finger in/on this space, you can feel the oscillation of the turntable/platter
moving toward, and away from the motors. This will cause the VPI arm which is
balanced on the head of a pin to rock back and forth....not good for the sound or
for the cartridge. If you must keep the Super Platter and its out of roundness,
you must stabilize the turntable by using very solid cones instead of the VPI feet
which permit movement. Also, you should use soft feet under the motor
assembly so that the motor can move out and in, not the turntable itself. I found
that the very solid cones (I use Bearpaws) make a much improved sound in the
turntable even though I use the VPI ceramic platter.

Its true VPI has issue with Super Platter and that explains why it was discontinued. You could try putting it in freezer and adjust the centering, any off-centering is usually caused by thermo coefficient difference between stainless and acrylic.

However, I beg to be different on the sound. I have both SSM Ref and Classic, my Super Platter had issue and VPI offered me a Classic platter for replacement. I like the Super platter sound, it has more bass weight, depth, and blacker background to my ears. Mike in VPI agreed and took him month to find me another Super Platter, I was glad I waited.

You can send it in to repair, but on return trip it could become untrue again and that's the risk you need to take.

A platter that's out-of-round (not out-of-square, obviously!) will sound hideous with a rim drive. Been there, done that. Couldn't tolerate it for even an hour.

Whether you have a basis for returning to the seller depends on the terms of your purchase and sale agreement. If you can't then you need to deal with VPI for a repair or replacement. Either way, deal with it you must.

I agree with both Stringreen and Dougdeacon that a platter that has a problem with concentricity simply cannot be used with a rim drive.

Is the stainless steel middle sandwich out of round, or just the Delrin layers? You can always run the rim drive on the stainless portion (which is the recommended) if it's round.