Mat Weisfeld, CEO and heir of American brand VPI, was recently kind enough to give us a closer look at his company and the new turntable projects he’s got lined up for 2017. From all of us here at maPlatine.com, thanks to Mat for taking the time to talk to us for this interview.
1. Is the VPI philosophy the same now as it was when the company was founded?
Absolutely. When Harry and Sheila founded VPI nearly 40 years ago, their goal was to build a family business on the foundational principles of high quality craftsmanship and a love of music. When I took over the company, I felt that it was very important to honour the work they had done, as well as the memory of my mother, while staying true to the original VPI philosophy. Although we have grown a lot in size, we have held on to our human touch. We are giving it all we’ve got to continue to grow and bring music to as many people as possible, as well as to grow the VPI family.
2. Do you think that vinyl is just a passing phase?
Yes and no! We have of course noticed that vinyl has been making a comeback for a good ten years now, but I’m convinced that it’ll still be around for years to come! After all, the last famous resurrection laid the foundations of a worldwide religion… 🙂 So we have good reason to believe that the resurrection of vinyl is here to stay. That said, there is a ‘fad’ aspect of it coming from companies who see vinyl as the only way to make a quick buck. They’re trying to take over parts of the market, but they’re doing it in an unsustainable way. They’ll soon disappear and leave customers in limbo as soon as the vinyl market slows down. VPI will always be there, whether vinyl’s in fashion or not!
3. What are the brand’s current flagship products?
Currently, the VPI Avenger Reference turntable is our flagship product. But we recently made a breakthrough that’s taken things to a whole new level. At two recent trade fairs, we presented the VPI Titan record player, which was extremely well received, for its sound quality as much as for its striking aesthetic. The Titan turntable uses a magnetic drive system called ‘Magneto Rim Drive’. It has a dual chassis that is 10cm thick and weighs over 11kg. The solid platter is driven magnetically by a sub-platter positioned between the two chassis. The sub-platter is driven around its edge by a wheel, which is itself driven by two motors. The tonearm is our own JMW 3D-12 Reference model. As it is, the Titan can be sold for up to €55,000, depending on the options and tonearm mounts chosen (up to 3 tonearms available). But audiophiles can also start with a ‘basic’ Avenger and upgrade to a Titan over time. 
VPI Titan vinyl turntable
4. You are also internationally renowned for your record cleaning machines. Is this still a priority for VPI?
Our very first record cleaning machines date back to the creation of VPI itself in 1976, and are renowned across the world for their reliability and durability. However, it is true that we have been focusing our attentions on improving our turntable production line, which is what’s made VPI so successful. But record cleaning machines are still our second priority! The VPI HW-16.5 record cleaning machine was designed well before I was even born, and we still sell it 30 years later. In fact, record cleaning machines are always a high priority because if your vinyls aren’t clean, the rest is irrelevant!
5. Do you have any cleaning machine developments in the pipeline?
The HW-16.5 has had a facelift, which has placed it in a very strategic position in the VPI range. After remaining unchanged and steadfast for over 35 years, it has more than earned the right to stay in the VPI product line forever. However, the HW-17 has been put to one side, as have requests for a VPI ultrasonic machine. Since Harry Weisfeld ‘retired’, we’ve had a lot more time to think about how we can develop our cleaning products. So we could see something new happen in the VPI cleaning machine range, to give a boost to the new MW-1 Cyclone model. 
6. VPI developed the first ever 3D-printed tonearm. Is this technology now the future of the brand? What advantages does it have over an aluminium tonearm (such as the JMW)?
Absolutely! Before I was working full-time for VPI, I was a high school teacher. I originally taught web design, animation and CAD 3D modelling. It all started from a very simple idea. I was using my father’s VPI tonearm designs in my classroom as examples of what my students could create using 3D modelling. So the idea to create a 3D tonearm came to me during my school classes, while I was teaching my students about the principle of extrusion using the JMW tonearm as an example. Later the same day, I was talking to my father and realised that the 3D work we were doing in my classroom had given me an idea. So I asked him, ‘Hey Dad, why don’t we try to 3D-print a JMW tonearm? ‘. So we printed a prototype and were pleasantly surprised by the initial results. After that we did a lot of R&D, and that’s how we got into 3D printing. The sound quality is far superior to what have been able to achieve with metal tonearms. Although they are called tonearms, 3D models don’t generate a ‘tone’. 3D tonearms expand the sound stage and enhance the detail of every single note, all without any surface noise! When listening to piano music with a 3D tonearm, you can practically feel the pianist’s fingers gliding over the keys.
7. We met last May at the Hi-Fi trade fair in Munich, with François Gourdain from Synergie, too. You mentioned new projects you had in the pipeline then. Can you tell us more about them now?
Essentially, we have been focusing mainly on one project: the VPI The Player turntable. This project has taken some time to come to fruition, and has the same basic features of the VPI Nomad. But it’s not easy to design a Hi-Fi product that is also affordable and entry-level. In fact, the simple fact of putting these three criteria in the same sentence feels counter-intuitive! We wanted to break new ground by improving the record player with a machined aluminium platter, as well as improving the electronics with the help of our electrical engineer Michael Bettinger, who designs everything in-house. 
Mat Weisfeld and the VPI The Player turntable
The VPI Player has a built-in headphone amp and phono preamp, and is fitted as standard with a cartridge and highly rigid 9-inch tonearm (capable of hammering a nail into a wall :)). The turntable is available in two finishes: light maple and dark walnut. It is currently only available with all of the above built-in features, but we are open to the possibility of releasing special editions without these electronic elements. We are also delighted to announce that we will be modernising and streamlining our product line in 2017, with a particular focus on fine-tuning the world-renowned Prime and releasing the Prime Signature turntable. We will also be working on the Scout, using the R&D progress we made when developing the Prime. 
VPI Prime Signature vinyl turntable
Two years ago, the extraordinary success of the VPI Prime vinyl turntable pushed the limits of our production lines, forcing us to carefully rethink them. Thanks to this progress and to our new 3D printing expertise, VPI has been able to reach unprecedented levels of production and design quality with the VPI Prime. And this has enabled us to add the following new features to the VPI Prime Signature: a plinth consisting of one aluminium plate sandwiched between two glossy black MDF plates, a JMW-3D-10 Reference tonearm fitted with a Nordost Reference cable, a motor with a stainless steel housing, and Prime Signature feet (previously known as Classic Signature).