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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

Showing 5 responses by brf

brf
1,715 posts
 
Here is the link to the VPI Classic Direct table on the VPI website.

http://vpiindustries.com/table-direct.htm

The Classic 3 w/o the 3D arm is $6K, add $1500 to upgrade to the 3D puts you at $7,500 retail.

The DD motor costs VPI $4,000, using a manufacture to retail multiplier of 5 times, puts the DD motor at $20,000 retail.

Add the cost of the Classic 3 with 3D arm ($7,500), plus the DD motor ($20,000) gets you to $27,500 and that does not take into account any motor modifications plus additional electronics.
brf
1,715 posts
 
IMHO opinion, VPI made a “marketing” mistake by making the Classic DD look like the rest of the Classic line, therefore, drawing unfair (?) comparisons to its lower cost brethren.

If VPI design a new looking plinth, (like they did with the HRX when the TNT was discontinued) and utilized a DD motor with an outboard motor controller, no one would question the price tag. Bundling the DD motor and hiding the electronics into the already established Classic line, was asking for “value” debates.

As always, the real proof is in the listening, but a cool looking table that screams hi-end, always helps.
brf
1,715 posts
 
In_shore, you have isolated some of the direct material costs, you touched on some of the direct labor cost, but you completely eliminated any reference to factory overhead, manufacturing profit, and distribution/dealer profit.

In manufacturing, a 5x multiple is not unreasonable to generate a retail price. The motor alone would account for $25,000 of the retail price. VPI’s retail pricing model is not out of line with other manufactures. Having said that, I still think it is a big misstep for VPI.
brf
1,715 posts
 
VPI is like the Toyota of turntables, high quality, good performance and reasonably priced. There is a reason why Toyota developed the Lexus brand as they knew that the luxury hi-end market would not embrace a hi-end car made by a mid-line manufacture like Toyota.

I believe that VPI has made a marketing mistake in the branding of the Classic Direct. Do you think hi-end consumers want own a $90K Camry over a $90K Lexus LS460, even if they performed the same?
brf
1,715 posts
 
In-shore, so if VPI made the top plate out 1 inch carbon fiber at a cost of $1,000, you would be alright with the MSRP? Some manufactures introduce exotic materials to differentiate themselves from their competitors, and necessarily for improved sonics.

I would hazard a guess that ½" thick machined aluminum plinth bonded to a 1/8" steel sub plate, bonded to 2" of MDF creating a plinth cost more than panzerholz. Also, don’t forget the $30K includes the VPI 3D tonearm.

Nonetheless, still a lot of coin, but I guess that is the entry cost for that last 5% of improved performance..
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