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Playback That Draws You Further in Each Time You Listen
Designed to bring out the absolute best in your vinyl collection, the Red Dragon turntable from VPI will transport you to the studio where the music was recorded. From finish to mechanics, every single detail of this high-end turntable has been engineered with superior technologies and beautiful custom features to create an excellent sound stage, engaging dynamics, and pure audio playback that draws you further in with each listen.
Developed as an effort to bring all aspects of a high-end into an easy-to-use and ready-to-perform deck, the Red Dragon has spread its musical wings! The Dragon comes standard with a Gimbal tonearm, built in speed control, and a layered resonance cancelling chassis.
Custom Leather Finish
You've heard this phrase before, but in this case it is 100 percent true. The Red Dragon absolutely "looks as good as it sounds," thanks to a totally unique custom leather finish in red or gray. You've never seen or heard a turntable this visually striking.
Exceptionally Quiet Design
To capture even the most subtle nuances of the recording and ensure you hear every note, the Dragon's high-torque AC synchronous motor is housed in a mechanically separate enclosure. This, combined with integrated motor electronics and a unique triple-belt drive system, keeps motor vibrations from entering the audio signal, so all that you hear is the record.
A Serious Synchronous Motor and 20-Pound Platter
The Red Dragon uses a 300-rpm AC synchronous motor capable of high torque and quiet operation. Integrated motor-drive electronics boast two low-distortion oscillators and a class-AB electronics. The optimized drive system uses a mechanically isolated enclosure and triple-belt drive. For superior isolation, the motor is installed in a separate aluminum and steel machined assembly.
For unsurpassed speed stability, the Red Dragon boasts a 20-pound, 12" diameter damped platter machined from solid aluminum with an MDF damping layer. The platter rotates on an inverted phosphor bronze bushing. The motor pulley has an accuracy of +/- .0005” when leaving VPI's factory and has a wow and flutter rating of >0.03%, speed accuracy of >0.04% and rumble of >80db down.
Machined Delrin and aluminum feet with a vibration-damping polymer core provide additional isolation.
10" Gimbal Tonearm
The Red Dragon comes with a very high-quality 3D-printed gimbal arm, the Gimbal 10-3D. Since VPI began offering its gimbal arm as a readily available option for its turntables in 2017, requests for the gimbal version have slowly but increasingly outpaced requests for the standard uni-pivot mount.
Both uni and gimbal arms have their own unique sound signatures, but for the Prime turntable, gimbal has become king. Also, the gimbal mount makes cartridge installation easier, and it has a nicer feel for customers who are new to turntable use.
The Gimbal 10-3D full gimball-bearing tonearm is made with 3D-printed technology and uses materials consisting of, but not limited to, epoxy resin, Delrin, copper, aluminum and steel. Internal wiring is a very high quality VPI copper weave.
This tonearm features full adjustability for maximum compatibility with your cartridge. Tracking force is easily adjusted by turning the adjustment knob left or right to move the counterweight. The fine-adjustable capability makes cartridge set-up easier than ever. You can also set the VTA, azimuth, and anti-skating.
