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VPI is Introducing a high-end Direct Drive Table

A large group of audiophiles from the NYC area were invited to the VPI offices on Saturday for a fun day of music, learning, food and conversation. Very nice of them.

Harry Weisfeld was excited to introduce two new products still in prototype form: the first is high-end direct drive turntable that is going to be their top product - he was particularly proud of the motor, designed for this purpose and apparently sourced from a military equipment manufacturer. In its current prototype form the turntable resembles a Classic 3. Harry was very enthusiastic about the absolute speed control that was better than any belt drive table. His words.


The second is a new composite arm-wand manufactured on-site using a $350,000 object printer. It is made of hundreds/thousands of layers of laser cured material and resembles their current arm-wands except for the black material and the complex shape changes made to further reduce vibration transmission. I listened to the combination of the new table and arm-wand for about an hour and was thrilled by the relaxing musicality produced.

I understand that these new products will be at shows soon - still in prototype form.

Surprisingly, there was a large display of classic amplifiers, reel-to-reel tape machines, turntables, tonearms and more. One that caught my eye was a mint direct drive JVC TT-101 turntable (very much like mine). It was the target/inspiration for the new table - I would love to compare the two, but that wasn't possible. Maybe at my house some day.

It was great to see that VPI is so committed to moving the state of the art forward using both the latest technologies and thinking and the best of the past.
aigenga
ptmconsulting
1,000 posts
 
I was there also and heard the arm demo, using the same cartridge (Grado Gold) on the same table - just swapped out the arm wands with no other changes. The improvements with the new arm were not subtle. Much better separation and soundstaging and clarity, with an immediately noticeable increase in dynamics. Hard to believe that changing the arm wand could make that much of an improvement. IMO, the JMW arm was always the weak spot in their products, but no longer. This is new arm a major upgrade.

Something else that was on that table but not necessarily mentioned is a new ceramic coated platter, basically the Classic platter with a ceramic coating.

As for the direct drive motor, Harry said it was uber expensive at his own cost because it is military spec. So even when it does become available on their new "premier" product it is going to push the cost into some rarefied air.
sidssp
1,077 posts
 
Thanks for the report. Is that DD motor a DC motor or an AC motor? Did Harry mention how the speed was controlled? I am just curious.
don_c55
1,025 posts
 
Another company going for the uber-expensive market to survive!

VPI reached their peak in the 90's with the TNT MKIII and original JMW 10 and 12.

The latter "upgrades" were not substantial improvements, just more profit with cheaper parts.

Harry changes what "he" considers the "latest tech" every six months!
les_creative_edge
174 posts
 
Don,

Considering that they recently introduced the $1400 Traveler maybe speaks that they are a business trying to capture mote than just the middle but also from both ends of the vinyl (especially resurgence) market.

Harry and family at VPI are not running an art museum nor charity shop, they are operating a business and to make a profit. Nothing wrong with that as long as you provide products and services that enough customers may want to buy and at justifiable prices. If VPI gets their products and prices wrong they will suffer at the cash box. Look at the sorry state of the t.v. market today and at how once mighty Japanese Cos. are bleeding out in red ink. Business is business. VPI has a good reputation of not only making a wide range of quality products but stand behind what they sell.
don_c55
1,025 posts
 
@ Le creative edge

Does the $1400 traveler blow away your Technics SL 1200 MkII ????
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