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The VPI Rim Drive HR-X turntable integrates a triple-layered X-shaped plinth made of acrylic-aluminum-acrylic, providing heavy, rigid, and critically damped support. It features a 40-pound separate machined drive system with two low-powered 24-pole 300RPM AC synchronous motors driving a 12-pound flywheel, machined from a solid block of aluminum for minimal wow and flutter. The flywheel spins at 300RPM and has 62 times the inertia of a 25-pound platter, contributing to extremely low levels of wow, flutter, rumble, and FM distortion. The turntable includes a stainless-steel HR-X center weight and an isolation system in the feet that allows placement near powerful woofers without interference. It comes equipped with VPI's JMW 12.6 (or 12.7) tonearm, which is a unipivot design with extensive adjustment capabilities. The Rim Drive system uses a heavy-duty six-inch aluminum drive rotor with a rubber surround contacting the platter's outer rim, driven by a dual motor flywheel system with belts coupling the motors to the rotor. The turntable measures 25" W by 19" D by 8.5" H and weighs approximately 115 lbs. It is designed and manufactured in the USA by VPI Industries, with a price around including the tonearm and motor controller. The HR-X has received acclaim for its near-silent operation and exceptional sound quality, winning awards such as The Absolute Sound's Product of the Year. The design emphasizes minimal parts, ease of servicing, and future-proofing with replaceable components. The Rim Drive variant is a specialized option that enhances energy transfer and speed stability compared to traditional belt drives.
Turntable mechanics and performance
Tonearm specifications
Size, weight, and appearance
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The closest alternatives on specs, description and the systems they turn up in, with the specs they share set side by side.
The Fat Bob S TMD's platter weight is 12 kg (26 lbs) against the Rim Drive HR-X's 5.44 kg (12 lbs), its effective length 304.8 mm against 318 mm, and its drive type Belt against Idler. Both share platter material (Aluminum).
The TNT HR-X's platter weight is 13.61 kg (30 lbs) against the Rim Drive HR-X's 5.44 kg (12 lbs), its effective length 323 mm against 318 mm, and its drive type Belt against Idler. Both share platter material (Aluminum).
The Signature 21's platter weight is 9.07 kg (20 lbs) against the Rim Drive HR-X's 5.44 kg (12 lbs), its drive type Belt against Idler, and its weight 29.94 kg (66 lbs) against 52.16 kg (115 lbs). Both share platter material (Aluminum).
The TNT 5's platter weight is 28.12 kg (62 lbs) against the Rim Drive HR-X's 5.44 kg (12 lbs), its effective length 317.5 mm against 318 mm, its drive type Direct against Idler, and its platter material Composite against Aluminum.
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