What goes around comes around, and the sonic dinosaur of the past decade--the turntable--has survived the rage for CDs to become a status symbol among audiophiles. One reason, of course, is the good news that artists such as Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins have their latest releases pressed on vinyl as well as on CD. (Pearl Jam's latest album, Vitalogy, sold more than 70,000 copies in LP format.) Another reason is that many music critics believe that LPs sound warmer and richer than CDs. Plus, there's something about a turntable that's sexy. When Robert Redford woos Demi Moore in Indecent Proposal, he plays mood music on a VPI turntable. The one shown here--VPI's TNT Series III model, with a unique drive system that features in idler pulley system--revolves the platter without noise or vibration. You know how much that matters when you're cranking the volume, listening to Eddie Vedder belt out Go.
The stainless steel VPI TNT Series III turntable is a work of art, both acoustically and aesthetically. All major structural parts are laminated for greater resonance control. The unit features a 21-pound motor assembly with a high-inertia flywheel for smooth rotation. The Series III plays 45s in addition to LPs, and a 78 rpm adapter is available as an option. Price: $5000. Fitted on the turntable is a VPI JMW Memorial tonearm, which features a dampened unipivot with an adjustable tracking angle ($2300), and a handmade Symphonic Line RG8 gold phono cartridge ($5000).
