A limited-edition direct drive turntable design, Paul Rigby reviews the VPI HW-40 in its ‘Anniversary’ configuration for this archive review.

VIDEO CONTENTS
00:00 - Archive?
0:55 - Intro
1:44 - VPI
3:12 - Closer Look
11:21 - Sound Quality
12:04 - Nancy Wilson
18:37 - Prog Rock
19:18 - Stabiliser
20:48 - Conclusion

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TECHIE STUFF
THE VPI BEARING: The platter features an inverted bearing with the thrust bowl sitting on top of the bearing spindle that then sits on a thrust pad made from PEEK (Polyetheretherketone). It’s inverted because, according to VPI, “…the point of contact between the thrust pad and the ball bearing is at the same level as the tracking stylus. This means there is minimal movement and mechanical resonance. If the bearing is down in the well of the plinth, the structure is swaying on top if it. The issue with an inverted bearing is that you need a tall platter to accommodate them.” And that’s what we have here.

THE VPI ARM: To counter the downsides of a longer arm tube, you need to almost over-engineer the tube. VPI likes its unipivots but this is a gimbal bearing design so a different build approach was required.
The tube itself and headshell is a single piece, there are no mechanical interfaces here. This section of the tonearm is 3D printed. It begins flat in shape and tapers to a cylinder the further back it flows. According to VPI, this is to reduce standing and resonance waves. One thing to note here, 3D printing allows you to shape the inside of the tube as well as the outside. I’ve never heard anyone talk about this before but VPI made a point of noting it and, to be honest, it’s a great point. When a metal tube is utilised, for example, you’re really stuck with the starting former and then you shape it from there, “The inside of most production tonearm wands, varies,” confirmed VPI. “No-one can rework the inside of it whereas, with 3D, you have full control of that."
VPI has produced fully 3D-printed tonearms before which is fine for a unipivot. A gimbal arm needs great strength in and around it though, hence the use of metal at the rear of the arm construction. Stainless steel is used for the core of the tonearm. Nordost wire is used within, “They give us ultra-low capacitance cables,” said VPI. “If there was an appreciative capacitance here then you would have to adjust that in the phono stage and there are precious few phono stages out there that will allow you to make that required capacitance adjustment.” The bearing is a Japanese-sourced ABEC-9, a known and well-liked bearing grade.

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OTHER CREDITS
Old Bossa by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution
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REFERENCE
Origin Live Sovereign turntable
Origin Live Enterprise 12″ arm
Van Den Hul Crimson XGW Stradivarius Cartridge
Soundsmith Paua Mk.II cartridge
van den Hul MC One Special
Icon PS3 phono amplifier
Aesthetix Calypso pre-amp
Icon Audio MB845 Mk.II monoblock amplifiers
Quad ESL-57 speakers with One Thing upgrade
Tellurium Q Statement cables
Gekko Purple Haze cables
Studio Connections Cables
Blue Horizon Professional Rack System
Harmonic Resolution Systems Noise Reduction Components
CAD GC1 Ground Controls
All vinyl was cleaned using an Audio Desk’s Ultrasonic Pro Vinyl Cleaner

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