VPI Direct Drive Turntable


I received a copy of the new Music Direct catalog today and saw the new VPI Classic Direct Drive turntable listed at $30,000. It looks virtually indistinguishable from the Classic 3 with the new 3-D tonearm save for three speed buttons in place of the pulley and the rubber belt. The description on the MD website is rather scant, and certainly does not give enough information to explain what makes this turntable $25K more expensive than the belt drive Classic line. The VPI website makes no mention of the new flagship product at all.

Does anyone have any information on this new megabuck VPI table?
actusreus
Several of you may know quite a bit about record players, I'd bet less than you imagine, but when it comes to economics you are less well armed.

Bernard Madoff milked and bilked customers. Obamacare (hell the whole government) milks and bilks its customers.

When the customer happily turns over their money and is happy with what they received, that is called a successful business transaction (on both sides). When a company does several of these win/win transactions while making a profit it becomes a trusted and successful company.

Some of you have a personal problem with HW and VPI, that's fine, but to accuse VPI of milking and bilking customers is ignorant of the facts.
Obviously the Right leaning conservatives here are itching for some kind of political debate if not an argument regarding VPI's "right" to manufacture such a product and our "right" to purchase said item. I have been personally insulted and my experience has been put into question on this thread and I have been content to be the better man. I will not engage in such a meaningless dialogue. I have been in manufacturing most of my adult life and do not need to be lectured on how the free trade works. VPI had it right many years ago, now there just trying to reinvent the wheel, over and over again.
Dear Deadhead, for the record I am a liberal in more ways than you can imagine, so you are wrong again.

being an expert on Free Trade you also must know that it has no bearing on VPI or any other company selling products in the country of origin. Free Trade applies to import and export taxation.

VPI had it right many years ago, now there just trying to reinvent the wheel, over and over again.

The same could be said for a '63 Ferrari

I'll guarantee VPI's Volume and margins have tripled over the last 10 years. I have bought and sold over 20 companies in my lifetime, VPI is one the only companies in this hobby that I would consider investing in.
Dreadhead, It was I who insulted you or more accurately made a joke at your expense, and I've apologized. Moreover, no one questioned your personal experience. I took issue with your quoting the Audio Advisor catalog to support your blanket claim that direct-drive is inherently inferior to belt-drive. Please don't put yourself up on a pedestal for that; the pedestal won't support you for very long.

And oh yes. Politically I am pretty far to the left of the middle in most ways.
Zenblaster, you my friend are a bully. Your browbeating and condescending tone, not to mention your superiority complex make this a no win conversation.
"....Obamacare milks and bilks it's customers. Anyone who accuses VPI of milking and bilking is ignorant of the facts." First off, that doesn't sound very liberal to me but I don't care what your political belief is, how does that make me wrong again? Your statement is that because I believe VPI has milked the Classic dry, that I am ignorant? This is a company in business to make money so a certain amount of milking is required. Unfortunately I do not know what bilk means. I'm sure you will define that in your next reply. I never said I was an "expert of free trade" and no one here suggested that this product was "forced on the public nor asked the government to subsidize their company" where do you come up with this stuff? Seriously. It seems that having "bought and sold over 20 companies in my life time" has made you somewhat of an arrogant and obnoxious audiophile. That's what your money does for you.