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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
suteetat
435 posts
 
PS, regarding retooling, even if VPI outsource all the parts, if VPI comes up with a new platform, someone somewhere will most likely have to do some retooling and the cost will be passed along to VPI in the end. I doubt VPI uses only off the shelf parts in their turntables.
in_shore's avatar
in_shore
596 posts
 
For $30,000.00 I was surprised to see that VPI used medium density fibre board for their choice of material for the plinth including use of MDF for the single arm board. ,,,,,$30,000.00,,,,really ?

S.M.E., Kodo Beat, just to name a couple manufacture tables near this price range, none of them use MDF or even HDF as their choice of material for plinths and arm boards because they know better.
But would it be great for their profit margin per unit if they could using material that is significantly less in cost however proven over and over to be vastly inferior for use for this application.
don_c55
1,025 posts
 
Years after these "statement" products that are actually sold in any quantity, (most are not), they end up collecting dust in some millionaires basement!

High end audio history is littered with past "statements" that did not stand the test of time!
sarcher30
596 posts
 
I'd rather have The Beat TT by Steve Dobbins for 30K. He will even come out and install it for you.
thekong
203 posts
 
I am curious how many Clearaudio Statements are sold? Even the less expensive but still in the $30,000 + and up turntable, Wave Kinetic NVS, TW Black Knight, Basis Work of Art, Techdas etc etc What is successful sale at this price point, 10, 50, 100, 300, 1000?

You would be surprised, but there are at least 5 ClearAudio Statements that I know of in Hong Kong alone!
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