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VPI Super Platter out of square-will it work?

After years of looking I bought a NOS Super Platter in July. Yesterday my Rim Drive Super Scoutmaster was delivered so I took the Super Platter out of the box for the first time and I could feel the edges of the 3 layers thru the plastic! The outer surface is not square. One or the other of the 3 layers protrudes or recedes as you run your finger around the circumference. Sometimes the steel layer sticks out, sometimes one of the acrylic layers sticks out. This platter is new but its as if the acrylic shifted slightly here and there. I don't seed how this could happen with the shaft in place. Is it usable? I contacted the seller for a refund because I don't want to chance losing the $1000 I paid by mounting the platter. Is this what VPI refers to as "thermally unstable"? Is it a partial melting of the acrylic? Someone must have had a similar problem since VPI cancelled production due to production problems. Thanks for the help.
manorraul
semi
649 posts
 
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.
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
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.

brf
1,715 posts
 
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.
canam
21 posts
 
I am the one who sold Manorraul the super platter. Some of the posts here suggest there is a question as to whether he can get his money back. I have assured him that as soon as the platter gets back to me (which will be tommorow according to USPS) I will refund the full price plus the cost of shipping it back to me.
Like Manorraul said, it is a NOS platter which I bought about 3-4 years ago. I inspected it when I first got it and put it back in the box. I did not notice the out of roundness then. It may have happened during shipping, or just sitting in my closet for all that time.
I will contact VPI when I get it back to see what they can do, but I won't accept the aluminum platter. If they can't fix it I may try myself, or take it appart and use the stainless steel portion for a platter build of my own, if that's possible.
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