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In Reply to: RE: VPI Customer Service Reputation posted by Schlep on March 13, 2015 at 09:38:12
she was everyone's mother when they needed it. Absolutely top shelf service and remains among the best ever.
Now I don't care for their products, or philosophy, but that's another kettle of fish entirely.
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I too mourn Sheila's death.
That being said, Harry, in passing the torch to son Mat, is doing a lot of good. True, there are teething issues in the transition, but Mat seems to be picking up the reins and rectifying issues. His getting engaged has both an hindrance ( and distraction) but in dealing with the fiancee, things seem to be on the move up.
One issue of course is Mat is young. He wasn't around with the early VPI stuff. Good thing Harry is still around and remembers.
Give Mat a chance. I was worried for a while, but he seems to be able to roll with the punches. His improvements have been nice and consumer friendly.
To clarify about philosophy, first it's plastic platters, then composite, then metal. Unipivot arms, captured bearing arms. Motors inboard, motors outboard. Integral suspensions, suspensions in the feet, no suspensions. It is a completely personal preference, but I want a company with a point of view and VPI does not seem to have one. And, in the end, I really don't care for the sound of their products.
But I like the work that Matt is doing. And I think that he is focused on an underserved group, the youngsters just beginning to appreciate vinyl replay. That's fantastic and even if there are teething pains, I am sure that the torch will be passed with grace and passion. His dad and mom are leaving some pretty big shoes behind though.
First platter was aluminum and lead, then acrylic and lead, then acrylic and other metals, then acrylic alone, then aluminum (with a steel plate?).A great many of the changes seem to have been motivated by worker safety (lead) and the rising cost of obtaining and fabrication of quality acrylic. More recently obtaining and machining aluminum was IMO definitely a cost saving (and price reducing) move. As VPI has resisted, to the extent possible, moving manufacturing off-shore they have felt it necessary to make cost cutting moves.
Nobody provides better customer service!
Edits: 03/14/15 03/14/15 03/14/15
When VPI first came out with their thicker acrylic platters, I remember going to my local plexi supplier and inquiring. This was way back in the 80's and the cost was $1500 per 4 by 8 sheet and I had to buy a pallet of 5 sheets !!!! Stainless was even more expensive.
For a smaller family run company switching to different materials often requires a huge capital investment. Consider that the machining is outsourced so the material costs are even greater. Experimentation itself becomes even more expensive as one ofs cost even more per unit.
IIRC both Acrylic and Stainless are essentially cast to finished sheets.
It wasn't until sales orders picked up enough that Harry could stake the splurge and purchase 2 inch thick acrylic (TNT Plinths).
While consumers see this as manufacturers following their personal whims, there are rather large financial considerations to be made if an affordable product is to be offered.
Personally I am glad that VPI has so many options from which you can pick and choose what ever options you desire.
Very few manufactureres can offer the array they present
Their point of view is product churn.
Knowing how many audiophiles are such insecure beings it has worked out well for them.
It is interesting. Bear in mind I'm an old man and have been dealing with VPI over many years.
The company is on the business to make money. QED.
I remember talking to Harry and both he and I were grumbling about some of the pronouncements of HP which ran contrary to our experiences.
A good example was that HP preferred the acrylic platter at first, then later changed his mind and liked the heavy platter.
IT drove Harry nuts because the consumers were demanding what HP liked
and not necessarily what reality.
That being said, HW has not been afraid to try many ideas and not necessarily the traditional belt drive systems. The rim drive and the direct drive are direct manifestations of this experimentation.
For many, this is a confusing array of choices. For some, simply setting up a rim drive may be beyond their capabilities ( believe me, I have witnessed this myself).
There is a great compromise between performance and consumer ability, and sometimes manufacturers will drop an good idea because of those difficulties. I once had to set up a Forsell: what a piece of crap.
If it stayed in alignment that would have been great but it didn't.... Plus it needed 20 minutes to build up speed !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even TAS finally admitted that it spent more time going to and from the factory than actually playing.
Sheila, bless her heart, was a most generous woman and did her best to help out consumers, but I have seen her blow up more than once, but not at consumers, but at dealers, particular mail order ones who would refer the slightest issues to the factory. The whole reason we give them a profit margin was so that they take care of minor, but irritating issues, she would say.
I notice now Mat includes even a Stylus pressure gauge along with the alignment jig.....Cool, but he has addressed the issue of mail order flubs.
I believe part of the issue you have is Harry has been way too accomodating. Lenco and Garrards become hot, so VPI markets a rim drive. Flywheels become a popular concept, and VPI comes out with one, etc. etc.
The problem here is the consumer maybe has too many options. Too many changes , too many means of changing the sound.
I personally like this, because I can maniplate the sound I can get. I purchased the first increment of the Teres project just to experiment with TT concepts. For most , though, it can get extremely confusing and the vast majority of retailers do NOT the necessary experience to properly advise the consumer.
Just my 2 cents
How much is their cost on that direct drive motor again?
You know the type of drive scoffed at by audiophiles for decades.
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