VPI Classic Series Discontinued 2017

Discussion in 'Vinyl Nutjob World: Turntable and Related Gear' started by Wfojas, Oct 18, 2016.

  1. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

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    Ok. Here it is. NIce textured leather platter cover. The Shinola Runwell.

    http://americanmadeaudio.com/2016/10/24/shinola-x-vpi-turntable/

    Today VPI Industries announced the result of their collaboration with Shinola, the Shinola Runwell turntable, made in America. The table launches in November, 2016, with a $2500.00 MSRP, including cartridge and phono stage.

    Waiting list now: https://www.shinola.com/audio.html#/

    Coming to a Cloth and Metal near you (love their Sopra 2 display, though). Just speculating on this one, though.

    https://www.clothandmetal.com/collections/shinola

    https://www.clothandmetal.com/collections/audio/Turntables
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2016
  2. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

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  3. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

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    That VPI Titan looks interesting. I wonder what a target price point would be.
     
  4. MrTie

    MrTie Friend

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    looks like a Scout "Upgrade" by cheap manufacturing and less materials, bet the price rises too.
     
  5. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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  6. Dino

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    You are not striking me as a VPI shill, Wfojas. That never entered my mind. I find this stuff interesting. Keep the info coming.

    I find it kind of dissappointing, but I want to know what is going on with VPI.

    Hopefully, VPI continues to make spare parts for the Classic well into the future. While Harry is going to continue making limited edition Classic turntables, they may get more expensive, I'm thinking. My HW-19 Mk. III may be all the VPI turntable I need/really want. I have been satisfied with it for decades. I am needing a new belt for it. I saw that the belts were no longer listed on the VPI website. I got a kind of sinking feeling. Found them on Music Direct so I am good for now.

    There are companies, products and product categories that I form an attachment to and would like to see them continue. There are only a handful (maybe a couple of handfuls if I thought about it longer). But, things evolve and life goes on...

    An example that many here may relate to, if Sennheiser announced that the HD6X0 was being discontinued (maybe spare parts, as well). I may have all of the HD6X0s that I ever would want (until the earpads need replacing) but it is cool that they are still being produced for others (and just because).

    Hopefully my words are not coming across as more dramatic than my feelings.
     
  7. Dino

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    I always heard it as "You don't know shit from Shinola".

    Shinola used to be a shoe polish brand name, IIRC.
     
  8. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Instead of Chinese made junk, it's American made junk, with a retro / hipster style, and corresponding higher prices. Don't have anything against it per se; but combining audio (or anything tech) with retro / hipster style usually equals fail. The problem is that only hipsters in the Bay Area can afford this kind of bling, but they are much smarter than the Shinola marketeers and rather get the real thing. (The hipsters is SoCal, despite doing brag-worthy things such as working on the Deadpool movie are actually paid like shit. So they won't be able to afford it.)

    Also I'd rather stick with the Seiko watch my wife gave me as a wedding present, or my weird assortment of cheap-ass Chinese made multi-function watches from eBay. The Shinola brand reminds me of Fossil ten years ago. Memba them? Except Shinola is much more expensive.
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2016
  9. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

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    You are right, it was shit from Shinola!
     
  10. Bobcat

    Bobcat Friend

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    Funny, I always heard an entirely different "s" word substituted for "Shine"...

    Rob
     
  11. Dino

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    Substitute the VPI/Shinola for the Classic in this shot.

    [​IMG]

    Would dilute the whole feel of the TV commercial, imo.
     
  12. MrTie

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  13. drfindley

    drfindley Secretly lives in the Analog Room - Friend

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    Let's not pretend that many Bay Area hipsters have no idea. I mean, they thought it'd be a good idea to remove the headphone jack on the iPhone for "digital audio". And the quality of record stores here compared to LA is just kinda sad.
     
  14. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

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    I used to like the Amoeba Store on Haight, and Rasputins, its been a while, though.

    I think its just there are a lot of material in LA, specially promo copies. This was a wasteland for a long long time, until the late 2000s IIRC.
     
  15. drfindley

    drfindley Secretly lives in the Analog Room - Friend

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    The Amoeba store on Haight used to have lots of fun things to dig through. Now it's mostly new stuff. Rasputins are almost all sad used DVD places with a couple records. Streetlight is alright. My favorite will always been The Analog Room
     
  16. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

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    Oh, I haven't been to Brian Hartsell's in a long time. Glad to read that his store is still going.
     
  17. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

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    I asked, they said $48,000. Wowzers.
     
  18. Dino

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    I'll wait for the Shinola version. :)
     
  19. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

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    Mofos!
     
  20. Chris F

    Chris F Boyz 4 Now Fanatic - Friend

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    I don't understand where the $48K price for the Titan comes from. It's the magnetic Avenger with a plinth that apparently costs nearly 7.5K (30K/4x markup) to make over the regular one. 48K is Air Force 2 or Kronos Pro or Doehman Helix or Kuzma XL money; all of which have way more going on in terms of parts quality and engineering.

    VPI has always offered decent value for money but this seems way off the deep end. Maybe the pricing is a stab at the Asian market where the uber rich don't care and want bragging rights just as much as sound quality?
     

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