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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

Showing 4 responses by zenblaster

zenblaster
504 posts
 
VPI certainly doesn't rest on thier laurels. Is there any way you could get pics and specs to us?

I saw another DD battlewagon at CES this year that was built by Micro Sekei engineers. This thing was massive and was mated to a $35k Graham tonearm w/headlights, of course! Thier is a pic of the Air Force One on page 64 of April Absolute Sound.
zenblaster
504 posts
 
I was told by Jack Rubinson, a VPI salesman, that the new DD will be in the $30k range. Almost reasonable compared to the Micro Sekei engineered Air Force One that touches $100k.
Does the $1400 traveler blow away your Technics SL 1200 MkII ????
Funny you should ask, I have both, Kab Modded (Cardas Litz tonearm rewire to new Cardas RCA's, fluid damper)1200mk2 and a Traveler. Due to the VPI's tonearm, I believe, the Traveler is clearly a better performer in most areas. I also think that if I could mount this 10" Arm on the Technics deck is would better both. The Techy 1200 deserves a better tonearm rather than all the little things we do to the underwhelming arm that comes with it.
zenblaster
504 posts
 
I was told by Jack Rubinson, a VPI salesman, that the new DD will be in the $30k range. Almost reasonable compared to the Micro Sekei engineered Air Force One that touches $100k.
Does the $1400 traveler blow away your Technics SL 1200 MkII ????
Funny you should ask, I have both, Kab Modded (Cardas Litz tonearm rewire to new Cardas RCA's, fluid damper)1200mk2 and a Traveler. Due to the VPI's tonearm, I believe, the Traveler is clearly a better performer in most areas. I also think that if I could mount this 10" Arm on the Technics deck is would better both. The Techy 1200 deserves a better tonearm rather than all the little things we do to the underwhelming arm that comes with it.
zenblaster
504 posts
 
Maril 555,
You most certainly are correct, my apologies. The exotic arm I saw was a Vertere which was in the more traditional tonearm location. This was like something I have never heard/seen. Really state of the art/science. I don't know where to begin when trying to put my head around this table. This thing is massave.
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