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Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: VPI Industries Prime Turntables by Drew769

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REVIEW: VPI Industries Prime Turntables

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Model: Prime
Category: Turntables
Suggested Retail Price: $3,800.00
Description: All the right pieces
Manufacturer URL: VPI Industries

Review by Drew769 on November 27, 2015 at 22:08:05
IP Address: 108.35.124.217
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for the Prime


i'm adding my review of the VPI Prime as a follwo up to Bill Stephenson's review of this table. Coincidentally, Bill and I apparently have very similar setups: I also run my Prime with an Ortofon Cadenza Black cartridge, and the Phoenix Engineering Eagle PSU and Roadrunner Tachometer. I posted a video review of these devices on YouTube. My Prime is one of the first units produced by VPI, serial #22. As such, it has the earlier version of their 3D-printed tonearm, which includes the all-in-one-piece molded finger lift, as opposed to the later metal addition. I'm not sure which version is better sonically, as the lift on mine is quite large. The new design is more a function of the earlier ones being snapped off whilst in transit than any performance reason. (I've heard another Prime with the same cartridge and the new tonearm, and it's a non-issue.)

I did not set up my cartridge on my table, but instead left that work to my dealer, Soundstage Direct. I did, however, do my home set-up, including leveling the table. The Prime is very easy to set up and level, thanks to the excellent feet (called Prime Feet, as opposed to HRX or Mini-HRX feet) of a new design for this table. They have ball bearings built into the tips, and they are a breeze to set using a bubble level. I have also further isolated my Prime using a 2" Boos Block maple cutting board and some HVAC isolation blacks - an effective combination in lowering vibrations even further from the stock set-up. The table really looks great - muscular, purposeful, and attractive with the curves in the plinth and the black and silver contrasts throughout. It's the new Darth Vader of the VPI lineup.

If you watched my video of the Eagle and Roadrunner with this table, you will see that my speed results in stock form are almost exactly what Bill experienced with his table. The Prime indeed runs a tad fast in stock form, although it is not unstable - the Roadrunner showed the stock table to run fast, albeit with a tight speed tolerance. The available speed adjustment in my Prime using the belt position on the tapered drive spindle is not enough too correct (lower) the speed to 33.33, but the Eagle unit combined with the Roadrunner fixed that problem. Whether or not the speed adjustment is critical to you probably depends more on your music tastes (solo pianos obviously require more care than Led Zep). For the modest investment for the two boxes, and the added benefit of switchable speed on the fly without futzing with the belt, I'd say they are worth it. Are they essential? Of course not.

I first heard the Prime at the New York Audio Show in 2014, and quickly ordered one to replace my VPI Scout. Thay demonstration table was wearing a Cadenza Bronze, the step just below the Black, but with a warmer signature than the more analytical bigger brother. Honestly, the Prime has an uncanny ability (like many great tables) of elevating whatever cartridge is mounted to it. The Bronze Cadenza was beautiful, smooth, non-fatiguing without being rolled-off. My Cadenza Black in my system exposes everything in the music, for better or worse. It is dead quiet, however, and also non-fatiguing. At this year's New York show, a VPI Prime was being demonstrated in one of the rooms wearing a venerable Denon D103R cartridge - a product that can be had for roughly the sales tax you pay on a Prime - and it shined brightly. So beautiful was the 103R and Prime combination that I couldn't help but wonder where the $2300 difference is between that and the Cadenza Black. There are many great choices in affordable phono catridges, and with the Prime you may want to explore some of these choices, particularly if it helps allowing one to afford this $3,800 table.

The Prime also includes the VTA-on-The-Fy adjustable knob base. Its operation is simle - loosen two thumbscrews and you can set the VTA of the arm in micro adjustments by simply turning the large calibrated knob. Turn clockwise, it goes lower - counterclockwise raises it. Personally,, I have tried to avoid playing with this adjustment. It is very very small, assuming your cartridge is set correctly from the start, and I find that I become a paranoid listener by tweaking too much. Sometimes, you need to set it, annd just enjoy the music.

With the Prime, you lower the 3D arm, and you hear music. It has an effortless quality in extracting music from your records. You will hear more details on albums you've heard a million times before. You will spend hours and hours into the evening rediscovering your collection, guaranteed. Compared with my Scout, there is a similar signature, but just more of it - more air, more space, more detail, more soundstage, more enjoyment. This table essentially brings you the threshold of turntables costing many multiples more than the Prime. You would have to spend perhaps two or three times more money to gain an appreciable difference from this $3,800 table, and even then I'm not sure if you wouldn't be having some sellers remorse on the drive home. The Prime has a sound that I have found that I've grown to appreciate more and more throughout this past year of use, a deeper level of analog bliss than I've experienced before.

I give the Prime a solid recommendation. While $3800 is not cheap by any means, it certainly is a small sum for what you are getting here. You could double or triple that investment and not realize any tangible improvements. The Prime is that good.


Product Weakness: Speed runs slightly high (easily correctable using power reguulation, VPI SDS or Phoenix Engineering products). Tonearm is sometime finicky to cue because of pad material on cueing lift.
Product Strengths: Effortless sound and detail retrieval, toe-tapping pace and rhythm, flexibility with cartridge selection, value that makes you scratch your head when comparing with pricier options.


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Rogue Stereo 90 Super Magnum
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Rogue Perseus Magnum; Rogue Ares Phono Preamp
Sources (CDP/Turntable): VPI Prime
Speakers: Vandersteen Treo
Cables/Interconnects: Grover Huffman
Music Used (Genre/Selections): The gamut - Acoustic Rock, Alternative, Progressive, Jazz
Room Size (LxWxH): 27 x 15' x 8'
Room Comments/Treatments: Living Room
Time Period/Length of Audition: One Year
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Richard Grey
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition): Home Audition




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Topic - REVIEW: VPI Industries Prime Turntables - Drew769 22:08:05 11/27/15 ( 54)