VPI Direct Drive Turntable

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.

Free trade is indeed free trade. Nobody is evil just because they wish to make a profit.

For many folks that I have talked to the irritation over VPI stems from VPI's continued middle of the road (at best) quality and constant changes to their products, claiming each different, new direction they turn to be the right one.

Folks in audio don't like to think of their passion as one that companies directly try to milk for all the dollars they can. Yet, I think many don't mind a company making a fair profit. I believe the consumers wish to have some trust that the companies supplying gear share the passion that they, the consumers do, and wish the companies would only put forth product that was truly better, not just equivalent product with a different look or technology to get them to spend more money.

There are indeed some companies that handle that consumer trust admirably, and that share the passion of the consumer to go only in a direction that means truly better performance. Of course the companies have to make money, but they temper it by thinking of the consumer and trying to do the best for that consumer.

It is a delicate balance. Those that get angry at VPI seem to feel that VPI mainly has a drive for one thing: more money. More changes, not for better performance, but just to keep the money spinning.