VPI Classic

also...VPI tables have 4 feet. When leveling the platter, check to see if the weight of the table is spread over the 4 feet. Its very easy to level the platter only to find one of the feet not even touching the table on which the turntable is resting.

Isn't there a slight problem with VPI arms that don't seat firmly onto the point of the unipivot bearing? (I've seen that before.) It's easy to lift the arm off of pivot and try to make sure it settles back onto the pivot correctly and firmly.

Someone asked about a TTWeights ring with the Classic. I have the 600g ring but find that it imparts an unpleasant metallic brightness to some material (is this what people call ringing? no pun intended) and now generally avoid using it. This is a shame since I very much liked what the ring did with my previous table. Maybe the copper ring is not a good match with the aluminium platter? I've sometimes wondered whether the much heavier (but, unfortunately, also much more expensive) VPI ring would avoid the same problem. Can anybody speak to this?

I was the person who asked about TTW and the Classic and have since purchased the 600g ring. I don't think I'm experiencing what you described; granted, I wasn't blown away as some said I would after using it, including the manual, but certainly now enjoy some of my warped records thanks to the ring, when I would simply not play them at all before.

I also wonder about the "ringing." The ring does not touch the platter; it simply flattens the record. Why and how could it impart any significant aural characteristic on the sound? Is there any science behind this theory, or is it simply nonsense?

Lastly, I don't care who machines the VPI ring and how sophisticated the process is; the price is beyond absurd for an accessory.

Update: I contacted Larry at TTWeights and asked him about ringing some users report with the Classic's aluminum platter and his copper rings. His response suggested that the problem lies not with the ring, as the ring does not resonate, but rather with the platter, which resonates like motherf..k (I'm paraphrasing the symbols he used to describe how badly aluminum platters resonate :). He suggested using the TTW copper mat or the new wood/copper mat designed specifically for the Classic to stop any resonance.

I find this explanation interesting as Harry favors bare platters, including the Classic. If aluminum resonates that badly, why would VPI, first, choose that material, and second, insist that the Classic sounds best with no mat?