Earlier this year we drove out to Jersey to visit Mat and Harry at the VPI House for the unveiling of the VPI Forever Model 1. This table is the culmination of decades of turntable design and manufacturing coming into a single product that intends to last forever. Mat wanted to bring design elements and heritage of the tables his dad Harry designed while also implementing the best isolation technology they currently have to create an instant classic. The philosophy behind the name and the design is that you can upgrade it as new tech and options come out meaning you don’t have to buy a whole new table and start from scratch. Mat also wanted it to be versatile, meaning you get a removable armboard that can accommodate just about any arm on the market and you can order it without the new S arm if you already have one you want to use. The best part about all of this though is the price, while it isn’t cheap, it is very affordable in the world of high-end audio at an MSRP of $5,250.00 (U.S.) which includes a Tonearm, Cartridge, and Dust cover. So with all that, how does it sound? Well, we will get to the bottom of that below.

Unboxing and Setup

Turntables are probably the most difficult pieces of Hifi to set up as shipping them safely usually means taking them apart and packing each piece carefully to ensure the delicate parts do not get damaged in transit. With that said, if you have never done it, it can be daunting and I wouldn’t blame anyone for leaving it to a pro to get this or any table properly set up in their system. I want to clarify that my example is an early production prototype so some aspects of my experience will not be your experience when you get a full production model. Really the only difference is the packaging and the dust cover as at the time Mat had not fully decided on a hinged or removable dust cover. Also, you will get instructions with yours. That said I have set up many turntables from scratch including my Prime from VPI.

If you are not going to do your own setup, feel free to skip this part. That said the first step was to get everything out of the box and take inventory of what I had in front of me. If you know what a turntable should look like finished most of it will be self-explanatory, but do be mindful to use a gentle hand when lowering the platter and handling the tonearm to avoid damage. The S tonearm is certainly easier to set up than my 10″ Unipivot on the Prime as it is a gimbal that doesn’t have the same level of adjustment to deal with. I will say an extra set of hands to hold the table while you guide the base into the table and get it secure is recommended, then you just need to adjust the height based on the cartridge you have to get your Verticle Tracking Angle correct. After it is adjusted, you just need to align the cart, set the tracking weight, and adjust the arm lift as needed. VPI included a pully cover that brings back the look of the heritage models and makes a nice finishing touch, though you do not need to put it on if you don’t want to. I like the look but it does make changing speeds a little more difficult.

Connectivity is similar to other VPI models where the tonearm plugs into an RCA block at the back. I think it would be really cool if the RCA junction block on the Forever Model 1 also had a standard DIN connector for those interested in running arms that use that style of connector. The really cool thing is if that becomes an option on a later model you could easily upgrade. To connect the Model 1 to the Avenger Phono (review to come) I used SR Foundation SX phono cables, Exprit Celesta Phono Cables, and lately Audioquest Forest Phono Cables. I ran the Model 1 with Three different phono stages, the VPI Avenger, SOTA Pyxi, and the Java Single Shot integrated MM phono stage to see how it works with a variety of phonos.

Sound

There are really three main jobs for a turntable, spin reliably at the speed the record calls for, transport the signal to the preamp while doing nothing to interfere with that signal, and lately isolate the cartridge from any outside vibrations. If it does all three of these jobs well it is certain to be a good table. There are certainly additional features that can make a good table a great table, such as adjustability, and modularity. How any given table accomplishes these tasks is what makes them different and what may draw you to one over another. One of the ways VPI achieves stable speeds is through mass. Using Newton’s first law of physics, a body at rest will remain at rest, while a body in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. High Mass platters are more resistant to changes in speed due to their inertia so it takes more outside force to change their velocity than a light way platter. The milled aluminum and stainless platter weighs a substantial 20 pounds, as much or more than some whole turntables, my old LP-7 weighed 18.5 pounds. For isolation, VPI has included feet with built-in dampening, as well the whole splatter and arm chassis is separate from the main chassis adding in an additional layer of dampening. I was able to jump around my gear rack more than anyone probably would normally before getting any audible vibration transfer. I also placed my subwoofer on the bottom shelf of the rack to see if listening to bass-heavy songs would affect it, and well it didn’t in my case, but I still don’t recommend this as you are likely not getting the best sound from your sub or other gear by voluntarily adding vibration directly to the rack. Lastly, does it add or remove anything from the music? Well, this one is harder to test as there are so many variables you can’t eliminate to isolate the table. The Phono Stage, Cartridge, and cables all play a role in the sound. The best way to test this is by using multiple different setups and see what doesn’t change with each change as that is the constant of the table.

General thoughts

As mentioned above, I used a variety of cables, phono stages as well as cartridges to put the Model 1 through its paces. Something that is noticeable is that this table will take full advantage of better-supporting gear, but also if you are working with more entry-level gear you should be able to enjoy the Model 1. What that means is you can get this table, and continue to upgrade the system around it and continue to discover the quality of analog playback you get for quite some time. My favorite combination was with the ZYX Ultimate Exceed 100 and the Avenger Phono stage as it offered incredible levels of detail and imaging. Following that was with Shyla and Avenger Phono which had a bit more lush midrange than the ZYX but they are fairly comparable and would likely come down to preference and synergy with the rest of your system. Both the ZYX and Shyla sounded nice with my Pyxi Phono Stage, but they were not quite as bold, and the detail and clarity were not as good. Lastly, with the Java, though it’s hard to compare as it only has an MM Phono stage and the Avenger is only for MC carts. I used my best MM Cart, the Ortofon 2M Bronze, and have to say it is the best I have gotten out of the Bronze, though MM comes with its own limitations. As mentioned, I also swapped out cables using Synergistic Foundation SX, Esprit Celesta, and Audio Quest Forest cables. The SR and the Esprit were quite similar in sound quality, and both played much better with the Model 1 than the Forest cable from AQ when using the Avenger Phono, though the differences are less noticeable when listening with the Pyxi. My takeaway from this and other cable tests I have done is that they make a difference but if you are working with an entry-level system you likely won’t get the full value of higher-end cables, and the opposite seems true, that lower quality cables can hinder a more resolving system.

Listening Samples

Laufe – “A Night at the Symphony”

I got Laufey’s “A Night at the Symphony” album for Christmas and it absolutely had to be a part of this review. If you have not heard any of her music, her sound is best described as neo-classical jazz. Her voice is incredible and she plays a few instruments as well, such as the Cello, Violin, and Piano. She has 4 albums out if you count the Goddess Edition of Bewitched, and I do. All of her albums are magnificent but my favorite has to be A Night at the Symphony as it includes as it implies a full orchestra. The album is 45 RPM and is an excellent pressing with no surface noise, or at least mine is. I listened to it on both my Prime as well as the Model 1 and to be honest, I like it on both, but nonetheless, the imaging and stereo separation on the Model 1 is spectacular. The entire album is full of little details and transients that create the ambiance and depth of the album and every last one of them is present. The Shyla cart I had on while listening to this album tracked wonderfully and being mounted on the S Arm there were no resonances carried down the tube as there isn’t a tube. the S arm is milled from solid aluminum. It moves with such ease that it allows the cartridge to glide with no resistance.

The combo I happened to have while listening to this album was the Shyla into the Pyxi as well as the Avenger Phono into the Java using Synergistic Research Foundation SX Cables. The Avenger had a definite edge over the Pyxi in the resolution and dimension, that said if you are using a more entry-level phono stage don’t feel like you need to upgrade it first as I still enjoyed the music with the Pyxi. Vocals sound great on both as does the midrange in general, however, the Avenger being battery-powered is dead silent in my system with the Model 1. The Pyxi had a slight noise when nothing was playing and the volume was high, higher really than I normally listen at, the background noise was not audible enough to come through the music though.

Gorillaz – “Demon Days”

This is the album that got me into the Gorillaz all those years ago and remains one of my favorites. Now I have all their albums, and I find this one gets the most play time followed by “Gorillaz” and Plastic Beach. Feel Good Inc. is a classic, the bass and iconic vocals are instantly recognizable, and speaking of that, the Shyla Cart on the Model 1 into the Avenger does the album justice in every way. The bass is tight and controlled and the dynamic range is great, balancing out the bass with spacious highs. Listening to the album on the Model 1 transports me back to watching the music videos on VH1, wishing I could have heard it like this back then. The album is packed with great tracks and on the Model 1 every one of them sounded great. The isolation of the table didn’t allow any of the bass coming from my subwoofer to come into the signal, even during the heaviest parts. The depth of the layers that are used to build their tracks is spacious enough for nothing to get buried or muddied so you get micro details as well as the meat and potatoes of the tracks. Stereo separation is also very good which helps the imaging and creating the holographic image of the stage. Overall I really enjoyed the album on the Model 1.

Rage Against the Machine – “Evile Empire“

Rage was a childhood staple for me, ridding around listening to “Battle of LA” and “Evil Empire” in my older cousin’s 80’s Caprice Classic. Of course, it didn’t have a CD player so he had a portable CD Player with a Cassette adapter. The sound was not great from what I remember but that didn’t matter much then, we were jamming. The inclusion of RATM in Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 is probably how a lot of kids my age were introduced to them. Fast forward 20 years and I am still playing Rage, just now I am getting the sound quality they deserve. The most popular song on Evil Empire is probably Bulls On Parade, but the whole album is great. The album has loads of fast sections and breakdowns and the Model 1 keeps up, never being a hindrance or influencing the music. Tracking is accurate and fast as well thanks to the Shyla Cart. Zach Da La Rocha sounds very much how he sounds live, which is to say not natural. His vocals have this deep groveling grunge sound that sounds almost modulated at times and has a lot of weight and texture.

An excerpt from the ZYX EX 100 Review

Using the Model 1

How you interact with a turntable is an important part of owning one, whether it be fully automatic or fully manual, how you change speeds and so on all contribute to whether or not someone may be interested in a particular model. The Model 1 is completely manual meaning you need to set the speed, queue the record as well lift the arm, and replace it at the end. The queuing lever is fluid and lowers the stylus slowly ensuring you don’t damage it. It also lifts nicely at the end. The armrest has a locking mechanism that can be adjusted by tightening or loosening the screw. Adjusting tracking force is easier than older model VPI Arms that have a sliding weight, the S arm implements a screw-type weight making precise adjustments easier. The Speed selection is the only thing about the table that may bother some users, as it implements a 2-speed pully that you move the belt on to change speeds. The thing is though, as this table was meant to play hommage to the VPIs of the past, there is a pulley cover that makes changing speeds a little harder than on my Prime. You don’t have to install the cover, but it does look so good with it on, for as often as I play 45s isn’t a big bother, though your mileage may vary. The center spindle has a threat on the top allowing you to use thread on style clamps, or you can always use a weight as they are compatible as well. Lastly, the on and off button is a nice metal button set into the top of the plinth and easy to press. The button plate is large enough to house a couple more, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a direct drive unit is in the plans and will have a 33 and a 45 button next to the on-off button.

Pros and Cons

Specs:

VPI S-Tonearm

• Type: 10-inch, S-shaped, statically balanced tonearm
• Effective length: 255 mm
• Mounting distance: 240 mm
• Effective mass: 10.4 g
• Overhang: 15 mm
• Pickup weight: 5–15 g
• Height adjustment: 40–65 mm
• Anti-skating: Yes
• Headshell: Solid aluminum
• Offset angle: 21 degrees
• Internal wiring: 69 VPI Copper wire

Technical Specifications

• Chassis Composition: Wood Skirt with Machine Aluminum top plate
• Platter Type & Size: 12″ Aluminum, 20lbs
• Tonearm Included: VPI S-Tonearm
• Motor RPM: 300 RPM
• Motor Pulley Accuracy: +/- .0005″
• Wow and Flutter: .05%
• Speed Accuracy: .05%
• Rumble: 80 db Down
• Footprint: 19 ½” x 13 ¾
• Overall Size: 21 ⅜” x 15 ¾”
• Total Weight: 40lbs

Price: $5,250.00 (U.S.)

Conclusion

The Forever Model 1 is a great table, at a great price, that will only get better with time as VPI offers new upgrades for the line. The Concept of the table is what draws me in, the idea that VPI made an affordable table with the intent that you keep this forever, and if you choose to upgrade you can upgrade individual parts of your existing table. It is a lot easier for most of us to justify spending a thousand dollars on an upgrade than say 10 or more on a whole new table. Plus this mentality of Forever, meaning supporting the customer base as long as VPI is a company. This table is made 100% in the U.S. by passionate craftsmen and it shows in the final product. The quality of the product you get for this amount of money and the level of performance is not a common thing in this industry as prices continue to go up. Comparing it to my Prime which this aims to replace, you get more for the money, granted it doesn’t have that cool shape of the Prime, but the isolation design alone makes it a worthwhile upgrade. Plus if you want to keep your existing arm from your Prime, you can order the Model one with a blank armboard you can mount your VPI Gimbal or Unipivot on. I for one am very excited for this chapter in the VPI History book. If I had not just purchased a VPI Prime earlier this year this would be the one I would get.

For more information click the links below

Our Visit to the VPI House for the Model 1 Launch:
https://hifichicken.com/news-vpi-forever-series-model-one-nod-to-the-past-looking-to-the-future

VPI Dealer Locator:
https://www.vpiindustries.com/dealership

If you are in Ohio, we recommend Sound and Vision Inc. as a great VPI Dealer Link Below
https://www.soundandvisionohio.com/

Disclaimer: VPI provided Hifi Chicken with a review sample of the Forever Model 1 for the purpose of this review. VPI nor any affiliate paid in full or in part in exchange for this review.