VPI Classic 2 Manual

VPI Classic 2 Turntable
Setup and Instruction Manual
VPI Industries, Inc., 77 Cliffwood Ave. #3B, Cliffwood, NJ 07721
phone: [phone], Email: [e-mail]
http://www.vpiindustries.com

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Important: Read Before Proceeding!
Read and follow the Safety Instructions below.
Save all packing materials. The Classic 2 should only be moved or
shipped in its original packaging to reduce the risk of damage in transit.
The Classic 2 must be placed on a flat, level surface. This will make
setup easy, provide better sound quality, and put less strain on the main
bearing.
Safety Instructions
Follow the instructions below to reduce risk of electrical
hazard or injury.
1. To avoid electrical shock, do not open the motor cover.
2. If the power cord provided with the Classic 2 does not reach an outlet,
use a heavy-duty, grounded extension cord.
3. To avoid electrical shock, always plug the Classic 2 into a grounded
outlet.
4. Do not expose the Classic 2 to rain or excessive moisture.
5. Do not touch the male pivot point of the tonearm assembly. It is
extremely sharp.
Introduction
The Classic 2 turntable is a precision instrument. It has been thoroughly
tested and run for at least 4 hours. The speed accuracy, wow, flutter, and
rumble have been checked, and this unit meets all of our specifications.
Minimum Specifications
Wow and flutter Less than .02%.
Rumble Greater than 80db down.
Speed accuracy Within .1%.
Total weight 65 pounds.
Platter runout +/- .001 inch.

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Unpacking the Box
The turntable and tonearm are packed very carefully to avoid damage during shipping. It
is important that you save the packing materials and boxes to use for shipping or moving
the Classic 2.
Set aside the bag containing the drive belt.
Complete and return the warranty card. The warranty does
not take effect until the warranty card is returned.
Remove and set aside the following items:
Alignment Jig.
Record clamp.
Power cord.
Bag containing screwdrivers and screws for mounting the cartridge.
Shure Stylus Force Gauge
JMW-Classic 2 tonearm wand
Remove the large foam top packaging piece and place it on the side.
Make room for the turntable, it will be ready to place in its final destination
immediately.
Grab the turntable on the sides where the foam is cut out and lift straight up. Be
careful, the turntable is very heavy (40 pounds) if you need help, get it. Place the
turntable on a flat sturdy surface that will support the weight.
Lift the aluminum turntable platter from the smaller box, remove the plastic bag, and
peel off the tape covering the bearing hole. Be very careful not to hit or damage the
motor pulley when sliding the platter on to the spindle shaft. It measured +/- .0005”
when it was tested at the factory. Try not to disturb it at all. The platter can be
damaged if it is hit, be careful.
The paper protection on the platter can be used as a mat if you are not comfortable
with the record sitting on the bare aluminum platter. There is also a urethane mat
provided for those that must use a mat. We recommend bare platter listening but it is
an owners choice to decide.
Setting up the Classic 2
The Classic 2 must be placed on a flat, level surface. This will make setup easy, provide
better sound quality, and put less strain on the main bearing.
Place the turntable chassis on the shelf or stand where it will be used. The Classic 2
has very good isolation so it simply requires a good solid shelf on a rack that doesn’t
sway in the breeze. You can get very good sound by placing the Classic on a maple
butcher block board about 2” thick.

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The platter bearing is lubricated; no additional lubrication is needed for at least one
year. Remove the platter from the smaller box, peel back the tape over the bearing
hole and place on the spindle shaft carefully lowering it onto the table.
Place the drive belt around the platter and around the pulley on the motor. The belt
does not have to be level on the platter. It will self-level when the platter starts
rotating.
For 33 RPM operation, place the belt on the upper part of the pulley. For 45 RPM
operation, place the belt on the lower, wider part of the pulley. The center groove in
each diameter is usually the correct speed.
Connect the supplied power cord to the Classic in the fused rear socket.
Verify the turntable is level by using a 9- or 12-inch bubble level front-to-back and
side-to-side on the platter. If it is not level, rotate the TNT mini feet up or down. If you
must turn the Classic feet more than three full turns, level the shelf or platform the
table sits on first.
The power button is on the left side, it is recessed for protection. Turn on the Classic
2 by pushing the power button and allowing 3 seconds for the platter to get up to
speed.
If you bought the Classic 2 with a Dynavector 20X Special or a VPI/Grado it was
installed at the factory and you simply have to drop the arm on the bearing assembly.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Be very careful when handling the tone arm. The internal VPI arm wire is exposed at
the headshell and at the rear of the arm. The wire is very delicate and physical
damage to the wire is not covered by the warranty after the arm is removed from its
box.
When you remove the black tube covering the unipivot male bearing assembly be very
careful it is sharp, do not touch it, you will get punctured or cut.
There are a number of setscrews on the Classic 2 arm, the Allen wrenches that come
with your arm will only fit the setscrews that you will need to adjust. All other screws
are factory set and should not be adjusted, except by our trained technicians.
Resetting any of the factory settings is not covered by the warranty.

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A. CARTRIDGE MOUNTING:
FOR CARTRIDGES WITH THREADED MOUNTING HOLES:
Use the screws supplied by the cartridge manufacturer to mount the cartridge. Any
other screws may not fit the thread properly and may even damage the threads and
cartridge. USE ONE OF THE SUPPLIED WASHERS UNDER THE SCREW HEAD.
For all cartridges with pass through mounting holes use the hardware supplied with the
arm. Remember to use the washers under the screw heads to prevent damage to the
finish on the JMW arm. In this step, the connectors will be attached to the cartridge's
terminals. Disregard the color of the insulators on the cartridge clips.
B. THE COLOR CODE OF THE WIRES IS:
RED = right hot BLACK OR WHITE = left hot
GREEN = right ground BLUE = left ground
IF YOUR PHONO SECTION INVERTS PHASE, THE HOT COLOR BECOMES THE GROUND
COLOR
Using tweezers or fine tipped pliers grip the center of the red wire's connector (do not
grip the wire) and push it onto the cartridge's right hot terminal pin. In the same way,
connect each of the remaining connectors to its respective cartridge terminal. Do not
push the connectors all the way on, as this could damage the cartridge. Always back
up the cartridge with your finger when pushing on the clips.
The Classic 2 tone arm comes with one large dropped counterweight installed on the
rear shaft of the tonearm. For most cartridges you will only need this large weight.
The counterweight is held in position by a setscrew.
Pick up the arm tube, taking care not to strain or damage the fine 4-color wire and
Lemo connector.
For now, position the large counterweight as close to the bearing housing as you can
(toward the front of the arm) but not touching the balance ring. The object here is to
balance the arm while keeping the counterweight as close to the bearing housing as
possible. This results in the least inertia for a given cartridge weight.
In some rare cases it may be necessary to use two counterweights together or a larger
counterweight. Contact your dealer if a second or larger counterweight is needed.
C. OVERHANG ADJUSTMENT:
This adjustment will yield the lowest distortion in the last third of the record, the
hardest to track, when playing a typical 12" record. Do not go crazy over this
adjustment. You do not know if the stylus is aligned properly on the cantilever. You
are also facing a constantly moving target when playing a record. The arm is moving
in 3-dimensions and will only approximate the accuracy you have built into your
alignment.

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Place the arm tube assembly on the lower bearing, taking care not to strain or damage
the 4-color wire and Lemo connector. Place the arm in its rest.
At the rear of the arm base assembly is the connector block. Plug the Lemo connector
into its receptacle on top of the block. Notice that the connector can plug in only one
way. Align the red dots on the arms plug with the red dot on the receptacle. Push
gently, do not force the plug.
Place the Alignment Jig into position by sliding the narrow end with the circular cutout
between the arms lateral balance weight and the platform that supports the armrest.
Make sure that the jig's cutout fits against and around the bearing well and the hole is
over the spindle.
While the arm is in its rest, loosen the screws that hold the cartridge just enough that
the cartridge can be moved back and forth.
Carefully swing the arm over the grid at the far end of the jig and place the stylus as
close to the dot in the center of the grid as possible. Using a lighted magnifier will
make this job very easy.
BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO DAMAGE THE CARTRIDGE'S STYLUS:
Move the cartridge so that the stylus rests on the dot. Now, viewing the cartridge from
above, line it up so that its sides are symmetrically positioned between the lines of the
grid. If the cartridge has parallel sides, these should be made parallel to the grid lines.
Also make sure that the cartridge is centered between the sets of lines. If you can see
the cantilever clearly you can align the cantilever to the alignment grid. This is difficult
and may produce no increase in sound quality.
Double check the adjustments made above. The cartridge needs to be both centered
and "square" between the gird lines and have the stylus resting on the dot.
FIG. #1: THE PROPER WAY TO USE THE ALIGNMENT JIG.

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Place the arm back in its rest.
Without letting the cartridge move, tighten the screws holding the cartridge to the arm
head. Make it tight, but don't over do it and strip the threads or distort the cartridge
body.
D. TRACKING FORCE AND AZIMUTH
Place the arm tube assembly on the lower bearing, taking care not to strain or damage
the 4-color wire and Lemo connector. Place the arm in its rest.
At the rear of the arm base assembly is the connector block. Plug the Lemo connector
into its receptacle on top of the block. Notice that the connector can plug in only one
way. Align the red dots on the arms plug with the red dot on the receptacle. Push
gently, do not force the plug.
Make sure the turntable is level. Refer to your turntable instructions and use a bubble
level to check level. In most cases, the best place to put the level is on the platter.
With a unipivot arm it is particularly important to level the turntable.
Move the counterweight until the arm has a very slight downward tracking force, just
enough to keep it from moving sideways on the platter or enough to keep it in the
groove of the record
Tracking force is adjusted by moving the counterweight forward and back just a bit at
a time. At least initially, you will be setting the tracking force twice. The first time will
be before the cartridge's overhang is set. After this is done, you will need to double
check the tracking force and adjust it as needed.
FIG #2: THE PROPER WAY TO ALIGN A CARTRIDGE, ALIGN THE CARTRIDGE, NOT THE
TONEARM HEADSHELL!

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The Classic 2 arm does not have a built-in tracking force gauge, but a Shure Stylus
Force Gauge is supplied with your arm. Following the gauge instructions set the
tracking force to the cartridge manufacturer recommendation plus 1/10 of a gram
more. We always recommend going to the high side when it comes to tracking force.
High frequency vibrations can cause a light-tracking cartridge to cause more damage
to the grooves than running a cartridge at a heavy setting. Make sure the damping
fluid is not installed when setting this force.
VERY IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE THE TONEARM IS PARALLEL TO THE PLATTER WHEN
SETTING THE TRACKING FORCE. IF IT IS NOT THE END RESULT WILL BE HIGHER OR
LOWER VTF THAN YOU WANTED.
Next, the lateral balance or azimuth must be set. Because the phono cartridge is
offset, there is an unbalancing force that tilts the arm to one side. For the cartridge to
properly track the record groove, the stylus must be ninety degrees to the record
surface. Move the counterweight so a slight tracking force is applied and the stylus
just sits on the record surface.
Use the azimuth ring to set correct azimuth. Lay the long thin rod supplied behind the
cartridge mounting screws into the V groove and use it as a guide for setting azimuth.
Rotate the flat part of the ring towards the side that is lower and that side will become
lighter causing it to rise. Playing with this will give very accurate azimuth settings.
Unlike other unipivot arms, the JMW’s lateral balance weight does not hang off to the
side of the arm. Instead, its position around the bottom of the upper bearing housing
places the weight below the pivot point. This increases mass below the pivot and
increases arm stability.
In the rear of the counterweight stub there is a large hole, in this hole is a screw that
is used for fine adjustment of VTF. Use the large wrench supplied for this operation.
Most times you will not need this but it is there if you want to really fine tune. You will
need a digital tracking force gauge to use this feature properly.

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E. ANTI-SKATING:
REMEMBER: A 10.5” ARM NEEDS VERY LITTLE ANTI-SKATING FORCE
Anti-skating is one of the least understood forces acting on a tonearm. Skating force is
created by friction between the stylus and the record, causing a force vector in a
direction towards the center of the record when the headshell of the tonearm has an
offset angle. Putting a stylus down on a flat, groove less record will cause the arm to
move toward the center of the record. Arm manufacturers have tried to compensate
for this force, but that is impossible because the force is constantly changing as the
music and velocity change.
VPI has conducted careful listening tests and determined that every tonearm we tried
sounded better with its mechanical anti-skating disabled and the tracking force very
slightly increased.
VPI has a unique solution to anti-skating: the coiled wire of the JMW Memorial Tonearm
acts as a spring and pushes the arm back without affecting the sound quality.
You now have the option of using a mechanical anti-skate for those that want it.
If you try adjusting the anti-skate with a groove less record, you will ruin the twist
in the tonearm wire and void your warranty. Do this with the mechanical anti-skate
if you want that much anti-skate.
IF ADDITIONAL ANTI-SKATE IS NEEDED FOR WORKING WITH TEST RECORDS YOU CAN
GO TO THE MECHANICAL ANTI-SKATE SUPPLIED.
F. ARM HEIGHT:
Unlike many tone arms, the Classic 2 height is both easy and repeatable to vary. The
knob next to the bearing housing bears a scale numbered from zero to ninety-nine. Below
the knob there is an index mark engraved on the front of the support pillar.
Rotating the knob clockwise lowers the arm and rotating it counterclockwise raises it.

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Set the arm height as follows:
Start the turntable and place a record on it. Lower the arm onto the record and make
the arm tube parallel to the record surface by rotating the arm-height knob as needed.
This is a good initial setting. You may wish to vary it depending on the cartridge you
are using and or the particular record being played. The knob's scale makes it easy to
return to a previous setting by making a note of the number above the index mark and
the number of complete turns taken.
If you have a gentle touch (so as not to bounce the turntable) you can simply vary the
arm height while listening to the record and the changes in distortion that results.
Depending upon your patience and other mental factors, you could go through this
process for every record you own. Or, as most of us do, you can find a setting that
works for most records and sit back and listen to the music.
THE ARM HAS TWO THUMBSCREWS FOR LOCKING THE VTA SETTING ONCE
YOU ARE DONE ADJUSTING. LOCKING THE ARM WILL GIVE THE BEST
SOUND WITH THE TIGHTEST CLEANEST BASS. REMEMBER, WHEN
MOVING THE VTA UP OR DOWN YOU MUST LOOSEN BOTH THUMBSCREW.
H. VISCOUS DAMPING
The Classic 2 has the ability to use damping fluid around the pivot. Use this option
sparingly and only if needed with certain cartridge like Grado or Clearaudio.
You can now add damping fluid. Use only enough to stabilize the arm, too much will
kill the sound and make the cartridge sound slow. Try listening with and without
damping and decide which you like better in your system and with your cartridge. Fill
only ½ to begin, excess will spill over and make a mess.
I. CONNECTING TO THE PREAMPLIFIER/AMPLIFIER
ONLY USE INTERCONNECTS THAT ARE SHIELDED AND PROPERLY GROUNDED. NON-
SHIELDED INTERCONNECTS CAN HUM AND PICK UP RF.
The ground connection is available to eliminate hum if necessary. If hum is present,
first connect a ground lead from the connector block to the preamplifier or amplifier to
which the output cable is connected. If this does not eliminate the hum, run a ground
wire from the turntable chassis to the connector block as well. The block's connector
will accept bare wires, spade lugs, or ring tongue connectors.
J. PLAYING RECORDS
Before playing a record, make sure that the two tonearm thumbscrews are tight.
You can use either the paper, gray urethane, or no mat at all on your Classic 2. They
sound different and one may work better in your system than the other. We prefer no
mat at all or the paper mat.