VPI Nomad, the way forward?

[Al ears]

Having recently seen the VPI Nomad turntable reviewed I was wondering if devices such as this will support the so-called vinyl revival or not.

Seems like a good idea with inbuilt phonostage and headphone amplifier (you don't even need to turn your amp / all-in-one minisystem on to listen to an LP) but then I saw the price. At least I saw the price in dollars so can have a fair guess as to what it is going to cost when it arrives in the UK. For that money if comes fitted with an Ortofon 2M Red......sigh!

This integrated solution might have been a good idea for anyone about to join the revival and ideal for plugging in to a mainly digital set-up but think they might have shot themselves in the foot with their pricing. Surely anyone prepared to spend this sort of money on a TT already has a suitable amp and / or headphone amp and they'd certainly want something a bit more upmarket than a 2M Red.

What do you think?

 

[chebby]

Having recently seen the VPI Nomad turntable reviewed I was wondering if devices such as this will support the so-called vinyl revival or not.

Seems like a good idea with inbuilt phonostage and headphone amplifier (you don't even need to turn your amp / all-in-one minisystem on to listen to an LP) but then I saw the price. At least I saw the price in dollars so can have a fair guess as to what it is going to cost when it arrives in the UK. For that money if comes fitted with an Ortofon 2M Red......sigh!

This integrated solution might have been a good idea for anyone about to join the revival and ideal for plugging in to a mainly digital set-up but think they might have shot themselves in the foot with their pricing. Surely anyone prepared to spend this sort of money on a TT already has a suitable amp and / or headphone amp and they'd certainly want something a bit more upmarket than a 2M Red.

What do you think?

It costs $995 so will probably be the same in £s when/if it gets sold in the UK. Not as 'astronomical' as I expected when reading your post.

Yeah, the 2M Red would need a 2M Blue stylus upgrade straight away (from my own experience of both versions) so that adds about £130 unless you are happy with the coarseness of the 'shanked' Red stylus compared to the smooth and detailed 'nude elliptical' on the Blue.

More manufacturers should make these 'all-in-one' TT packages and not just at the low budget end of the market.

 

[Al ears]

Uhmmm. Agree with your thought on cost by the time it reaches the UK.

I was just a tad confused as to whom this turntable is directed at. Surely not first time buyers as though even at $995 it is still very expensive compared to the usual TT's we recommend for those first getting into vinyl even if you add in the cost of a cheap external phono pre-amp device.

It will indeed be interesting to see if it sells in any numbers whenever it makes it to / is stocked by someone on these shores.

 

[nopiano]

As a family business who have shrewdly survived I'd be pretty confident they have their home market sussed. Over the pond, our Rega and Michell products carry a premium, so are probably outclassed by the VPI.

 

[Al ears]

As a family business who have shrewdly survived I'd be pretty confident they have their home market sussed. Over the pond, our Rega and Michell products carry a premium, so are probably outclassed by the VPI.

I understand that and the reputation of VPI turntables in general.

However, whichever way you look at it, $995 is not exactly entry level even for those in the States.

 

[nopiano]

As a family business who have shrewdly survived I'd be pretty confident they have their home market sussed. Over the pond, our Rega and Michell products carry a premium, so are probably outclassed by the VPI.

I understand that and the reputation of VPI turntables in general.

However, whichever way you look at it, $995 is not exactly entry level even for those in the States.

No, indeed, some way above that. But I see a RP3 is $895 which makes the VPI pretty good value.

 

[Al ears]

As a family business who have shrewdly survived I'd be pretty confident they have their home market sussed. Over the pond, our Rega and Michell products carry a premium, so are probably outclassed by the VPI.

I understand that and the reputation of VPI turntables in general.

However, whichever way you look at it, $995 is not exactly entry level even for those in the States.

No, indeed, some way above that. But I see a RP3 is $895 which makes the VPI pretty good value.

If that is the case then the Nomad would be, as you say, pretty good value.

That's one heck of a mark-up for Rega kit.

 

[friendly_ghost]

The RP3 is 750€ in Belgium, 999€ with the TTPSU.

So 895$ seems reasonably cheap to me actually...

 

[Al ears]

The RP3 is 750€ in Belgium, 999€ with the TTPSU.

So 895$ seems reasonably cheap to me actually...

It would seem it is all relative.

You are comparing it to the cost in Belgium.

If the VPI ever gets imported there then who knows what it will cost as it seems the Flemish are being ripped-off too.

The RP3 costs £374 or there abouts in the UK and that is with tax added so it should cost 468 Euros (at todays exchange rate).

Compared to that the VPI is expensive.

 

[thescarletpronster]

The RP3 costs £374 or there abouts in the UK and that is with tax added so it should cost 468 Euros (at todays exchange rate).

Shurely you mean the RP3 is about £475 without cartridge, or £550 with a factory-fitted Elys 2. I don't know where you've seen it for £374, but that's a heavy discount and not a standard retail price. Assuming the RP3 in the US for $895 is without factory-fitted cartridge, that's a decent comparison with the UK price (=£530). The Belgian price is equivalent to £595, so perhaps it comes with the Elys 2 fitted.

 

[friendly_ghost]

Yes, the price mentioned is with the cartridge fitted. Sorry if that was not clear from my part...