VPI 3D tonearm

Could you explain why this is a 'cynical exercise in marketing hype'?

I thought I had in my first post above?
But here goes again...........

3D printing is perfect for complex shapes or one-off prototypes for testing or limited production items.
It is extraordinarily useful in the medical field whereby entire internal human organs may be re-created from CT Scans and/or MRIs to allow for EXACT replacement parts to be fabricated for surgical transplant BEFORE the patient is even admitted to the operating theatre.

At present...the range of materials able to be used in 3D printers consist of ABS plastic, PLA, polyamide (nylon), glass filled polyamide, stereolithography materials (epoxy resins), silver, titanium, steel, wax, photopolymers and polycarbonate.
This leaves out a large selection of materials such as copper, brass, bronze, wood, stone, concrete etc but this may change in the future?

The point is.....that the VPI 3D tonearm is NOT complex in any way.....and could have been produced by traditional fabrication methods used for over 100 years.....and in virtually every material available on earth.
In plastic.......this arm could be fabricated in mass quantities using Injection Moulding or Compression Moulding or Vacuum Forming or Blow Moulding or Rotational Moulding or Continuous Extrusion.
The choices for the combination and formulae of the plastic selected using these methods......is vastly greater than for those used for 3D printing and thus testing for the 'acoustic' properties of the selected material would become the important criteria instead of the resultant 'accident'?

Finally....the costs involved in 3D printing of simple multiple identical objects is vastly greater than for those produced by 'mass production'.

If this VPI 3D tonearm turns out to sound 'wonderful' as some here are eager to conclude........be aware that you could have been listening to EXACTLY the same tonearm, manufactured by 20th century methods 25 years ago!?

If that doesn't strike you as 'cynical'.......then join the queue and enjoy :-)

If this VPI 3D tonearm turns out to sound 'wonderful' as some here are eager to conclude........be aware that you could have been listening to EXACTLY the same tonearm, manufactured by 20th century methods 25 years ago!?

The same could be said about every new tonearm and turntable.

Sweating, brazing, threading parts do not make a one piece tonearm.

I still don't see it as anymore cynical than when Corvette went to plastic bodies.

Thanks for the 3d primer, very informative.

I am perfectly happy with my current tonearms and have zero interest in purchasing this one.

Sweating, brazing, threading parts do not make a one piece tonearm.

But casting, welding, machining and gluing do.

I hope I am always behind the person or company that puts its own money behind new products and innovations and lets the market determine its success or failure. Where you see cynicism I see the American Dream.

I heard a description of this VPI arm at the NYC show in April. Harry explained that there are some complex shapes and sectional changes in the arm tube interior that are not possible to produce by other methods. Apparently this arm tube is very good at controlling/damping vibrations. The lack of joints/seams also was discussed as an advantage.

I don't know how different the VPI 3D is from my SME V-12 arm tube, but the latter is also one piece with a varying cross section, and it is made of magnesium.

I was also told the 3D takes one day to make in the printer.