VPI- Capital Audiofest 2019

[Vienna]

I hear that VPI will demonstrate some new products at 2019 Capital Audiophest. Among others the new 14’’ Tonearm with zero offset, the new Avenger Vanquish DD with specially designed rack and the new generation ADS.

 

[MJB]

You were right....New Vaquish bespoke table.

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2019...sh-along-with-kef-krell-and-nordost-caf-2019/

 

[CKKeung]

It's a monster!

 

[tima]

If we show it, they will come?

From the PTA coverage cited above:

What makes the new Vanquish unique for VPI, is that it is not exactly a Direct-Drive turntable in the traditional sense. The Vanquish is a “Magnetic Direct-Driver Turntable” which means that the drive motor is coupled to the platter and flywheel assembly through the force of high-power magnets. Essentially giving you all of the benefits of direct-drive and belt-drive in one super-esoteric design.

...Price for the new Vanquish is yet to be finalized, but it is estimated to be in the range of $100K-to-$120K

It's certainly blingful. There's the normal curiosity about "high-power magnets" close by the platter.

Supports 3 arms. Table, phono, stand - looks like a set piece. The round things are the 2 box Vanquish phono stage. The last time I saw round amps was back when Thor Audio had them.

Reads like everyone is working off the same press release and photos with no additional details:
https://hifipig.com/vpi-release-high-end-vanquish-turntable/
https://www.monoandstereo.com/2019/11/new-vpi-industries-vanquish-turntable.html
Meant to make "a visual statement stunning record playing system."
https://hometheaterhifi.com/press-releases/vpi-vanquish-press-release/

Apparently all a prototype. Unclear if VPI will build these. The line tends to be fluid. Some of their high-end tables turn into Harry Special Projects hand made on occasion.

 

[Phoenix Engineering]

The $120K price makes no sense to me. The HW40 DD is $15K, the magnetic drive interface is $6K and the Voyager preamp is $2.5K. That leaves $95K+ for the stand and the bling.

The look reminds me of my Seeburg model 46 'trashcan' jukebox; it's also direct drive (worm gear) and has lots of bling. I wonder if I could get $125K for mine?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

53 post Audiogon thread mostly bashing the VPI 'Vanquish'.......for various reasons, mostly the look and value proposition. and some agendas going on too.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/vpi-s-new-vanquish-ultra-high-end-turntable-is-a-stunner

personally i agree it's fuggly, but am open to how it might sound. i do applaud that they made the effort to try to enter this market of uber tt's. will the market 'buy' a $120k VPI?

 

[spiritofmusic]

Well, if this thing can make Muons sound any good, that's miracle enough for me.

 

[spiritofmusic]

I just love these quantum exponential shifts upward in high end pricing.

For a while, 50k for Kronos and 90k for AF1 were the technical package/aspirational price packages for tts.

Maybe 15k max on arms.

Etc etc, you get the picture.

Then almost all in the same 2 year period, things spike upwards. Now 50-90k is not enough on a tt ($, £, €, immaterial). Now we have 200k for the SAT based on a 10k SP10R, 120k for this ugly unwieldy beast, soon 300k for the new Wilson Benesch tt package. 500k gets you AF0.

Now 25k for tonearms de rigeur. 50k for SAT.

If you're really stupid enough to readily shell out 120k for the VPI, they have the tt for you. But please, don't claim its anything other than "me too" marketing.

 

[tony22]

I'm new here, but long time member of various other audio sites. I was at CAF and saw / heard the new Vanquish. At the start of the show on Friday, Mat did a show and tell and readily admitted the new table was at a high cost (at least relative to them), but observed that they believe their all out assault is priced at a higher 'value for the dollar' (my words, not his) than other uber-tables that are priced much higher. I don't live in that audio stratosphere, so I don't know. But, did it sound nice? Yes, very much so. My Avenger is no slouch, but there was a better sense of blackness, image specificity, and spatial stability (all relative of course). All caveated by the usual guesswork used at shows when listening to unfamiliar gear. Did they make the Muons sound good? Surprisingly, yes, and I haven't been a real fan of Kef speakers since the 104.5.

 

[spiritofmusic]

My issue Tony is not w this tt, but the fact so many are now in the 100-200k bracket. If it indeed is the best of this crop, and you can see/hear where your money is being spent, great. But for so many tts to inhabit this realm...

 

[tony22]

I wholeheartedly agree. At the same time, I suppose, I can appreciate the pressure a manufacturer faces when everyone else is throwing exorbitantly priced gear out there. If they choose not to challenge that level, they run the risk of people thinking "they can never be that good, that's why they don't try". Not saying it's right, but it seems like a devil's circle. I can only hope some of what happens up there eventually flows down to people who can afford more reasonably priced gear.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Tony, crumbs from the top table always nice Lol.

 

[tony22]

As I think I understand it, the new Vanquish itself (without the stand, new ADS, and new phono pre) is $15K. Not sure if that includes the mag. Closer to the realm of possible.

 

[Vienna]

Hi Tony was there a new ADS?

 

[tony22]

Yes. Mat talked about it, but I didn't get a chance to get the details from Mike.

 

[Vienna]

Nobody had written anything about it

 

[Lagonda]

I just love these quantum exponential shifts upward in high end pricing.

For a while, 50k for Kronos and 90k for AF1 were the technical package/aspirational price packages for tts.

Maybe 15k max on arms.

Etc etc, you get the picture.

Then almost all in the same 2 year period, things spike upwards. Now 50-90k is not enough on a tt ($, £, €, immaterial). Now we have 200k for the SAT based on a 10k SP10R, 120k for this ugly unwieldy beast, soon 300k for the new Wilson Benesch tt package. 500k gets you AF0.

Now 25k for tonearms de rigeur. 50k for SAT.

If you're really stupid enough to readily shell out 120k for the VPI, they have the tt for you. But please, don't claim its anything other than "me too" marketing.

Your previously outrageous buys suddenly become frugal purchases.
Everything has a silver lining Marc, at least you and i have lived in a time where you could buy the best without being an internet billionaire

 

[tony22]

Nobody had written anything about it

Well, it sure looked like a new ADS to me. They talked about it like it was.

 

[Phoenix Engineering]

Tony, if you are referring to the power supply used with the Vanquish, it is just an external version of the HW40 power supply. Using an ADS to power the Vanquish (or HW40) doesn't make any sense as the motor controller would negate any perceived benefit of the ADS. Not to mention the power supply in the Vanquish/HW40 is just over 50W. I think the idea of an external supply for the Vanquish was to reduce some of the noise generated by the controller, which I understand is considerable since it uses PWM output at 10kHz with almost no filtering. Unfortunately, I believe most of the radiated noise comes from the motor windings which are still directly underneath the platter.

 

[tony22]

Ah, thank you. I stand corrected. Sorry for the unintended misleading of people.