We are very used to beautiful turntables, so a new model has to be quite spectacular in appearance to catch our attention. And the Model One, VPI’s new high-end turntable, has certainly caught our attention. It looks absolutely stunning and the specs are pretty special too.
The Model One features a new motor drive and platter module with a 500 rpm belt-driven motor and two-speed pulley. The inverted bearing minimizes contact between the bearing and the platter, reducing friction and improving performance.
The star of the show is the new VPI-S tonearm. The 10-inch, S-shaped, statically balanced tonearm features a solid aluminum architecture that VPI says eliminates tube resonances, and there’s both vertical tracking adjustment in the arm base and azimuth adjustment in the headshell. Once again, fancy bearings are involved: ABEC 5 bearings for very low friction, long life and reduced vibration. And there’s one continuous stretch of high-purity copper, from the headshell to the RCA jack, for a clean audio signal.
VPI Model One turntable: main features and prices
In addition to the above improvements, there is also a new 3-point floating suspension system that VPI says provides “superior isolation” against external vibrations, minimizing engine noise and reducing vibration from both internal and external sources.
This is a high-end turntable with a price that puts it firmly in money-not-object territory, but it’s also highly expandable: it’s part of the Forever series, which is designed to last as long as as the name suggests.
Both the motor drive and dish module are made with a modular design, meaning they should be easy to maintain, modify, replace or upgrade; VPI promises that future upgrades or new models will integrate seamlessly with this platform, allowing you to turn a Model One into a Model Two or a Model Three, depending on time, technology and finances. And there’s a 10-year warranty for extra peace of mind.
The Model One is distributed by Renaissance in the UK and Ireland, where it has an RRP of £4,990 including VAT; in the US it will be $5,250 plus sales tax (so about AU$7,919 or thereabouts). More information can be found at renaissanceaudio.co.uk/vpi.