VPI Industries Periphery Outer Ring Clamp

This is the VPI Periphery Outer Ring Clamp. I bought it used last year to see how it would affect the sound with my VPI Classic 3 and my Levinson 515, both of which use the VPI 20 pound Classic platter. I have graded it 7/10 because it arrived here with some very light scratches on the very top surface of the ring. They are difficult to see in the photographs, but you will notice them on close inspection from the top side. Viewing the ring from the front, back, or sides, these minor scratches aren't visible.

I can say that if your record is badly warped so that the needle is thrown inwards as it tries to negotiate the lead in groove, that, at least in my case, this ring fixed that problem. I used it whenever I played warped records. The ring also helps mitigate woofer pumping due to warps.

Some folks say that it is a substitute for a vacuum system, and useful to hold records in tight contact with the VPI platter. While this is true, and while I could hear circumstances where the clamp did seem to improve the sound of some records, I did not find it to be an accessory that I wanted to use in every instance. Of course this is also true for vacuum systems.

I used this ring primarily on my Levinson 515 when I used the bare platter. For records where I used either the thick or the thin Levinson mats, I did not use it. One of the nice things about tweaks is that whether you use them or not is up to your personal perception of their benefit.

This is a modestly priced way to get to try the periphery ring. You may like it. Why am I selling? Because I am trying to pare down to just three turntables, and I've got to make some choices. Right now my choice is that the Classic 3 and the Levinson 515 will be sold. The three that I intend to keep are all sprung chassis tables, and so they cannot support the weight of adding a peripheral ring clamp to the platter.

I will pack this up carefully and ship it insured and with tracking at no cost to buyers in the contiguous 48 states. If you live somewhere else, ask before you buy it, and I will get you a discounted shipping quote.

PayPal is my preferred method of payment.