2. analog
  3. 169437-1660

The value of embellishment?

Does adding a leather veneer to a $4K more than double  value?
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisachj2-vpi-industries-prime-in-leather-limited-edition-turntable...

Couldn't resist asking the question. The claimed sonic improvements:
"The effect of the leather skin and hardened stainless steel is a sonic upgrade over a stock Prime, in terms of detail, bass extension, air, and resolution." Interesting. I thought it was arm/cart for the most part.  I hear all those descriptors with my VPI. You get more.....uh, okay.

I have leather faced speakers-it  works for the aesthetic. On the VPI- subjective like everything, but on a turntable plinth?
The footers look corny. This stuff is subjective of course, but it sure looks...

Not bashing VPI-I use one, and enjoy it for what it is.   I'd love to own a HW40. No leather though, thanks.
tablejockey
lewm
12,452 posts
 
Tough crowd!
sbank's avatar
sbank
3,378 posts
 
@tomic601 She's got a silk dress and a unipivot
That bounces on his Italian leather turntable
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,744 posts
 
“touring the facility, picking up slack “
jdane
183 posts
 
That listening rom looks like an over-priced dorm room, with the leather of no more aesthetic appeal than a pleathor hat 'tossed carelessly' on the table.  Someone please explain for me the garden gnomes.   Maybe this is a high-end bass conditioner I have yet to encounter.
billwojo
397 posts
 
There are lots of expensive turntables out in the market place that are more about "bling" than great engineering. Some of them look like a high school machine shop class run amuck. Stacks of turned and polished aluminum bits and pieces joined together to look "cool" to a HS student with no engineering chops but to the well educated buyer looks like what it is. Add some gold plating for even more "bling" and put a monster price tag on it.

For simple, elegant and effective engineering, take a look at what Micro Seiki was building back in the early eighty's.

As far as VPI and that leather covered thing, yuk!
BillWojo
More to discover