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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
jwm
918 posts
 
Same problem their quality control is piss poor. I had a table where the acrylic piece that covered the motor was actually scraping on the platter. I had to cut the plastic much smaller to prevent this.
dave_72
1,399 posts
 
Well, $30k is not chump change anyway you slice it. Will this beat a $1k Technics SL-1200 with the same cartridge? Probably, but I'm willing to bet not worth the $29K difference!
lewm
12,461 posts
 
Dave, There is no promise of a linear relationship between cost and performance, anywhere in audio or for that matter, anywhere. Even if there were, by what criteria could anyone ever say that one thing is 30X better than another? However, I do think the VPI turntable should be expected to thrash soundly the performance of an SL1200.
dave_72
1,399 posts
 
Well, I didn't say 30 times better, I said is it worth the extra $29k...

It probably will, but I can't see how it would be worth the asking price per se.

Anyway, this probably will be the most watched and criticized audio component in a long time. That's my prediction...we'll see what happens of course.
truemaineiac's avatar
truemaineiac
249 posts
 
I figured it out. Free shipping on orders over $99.
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