VPI Classic 3 Manual

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

Important: Read Before Proceeding!
Read and follow the Safety Instructions below.
Save all packing materials. The Classic should only be moved or shipped in
its original packaging to reduce the risk of damage in transit.
The Classic 3 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 3 does not reach an outlet, use a
heavy-duty, grounded extension cord.
3. To avoid electrical shock, always plug the Classic 3 into a grounded outlet.
4. Do not expose the Classic 3 to rain or excessive moisture.
5. Do not touch the male pivot point of the tonearm assembly. It is extremely
sharp.
Introduction
The Classic 3 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 .1%.
Rumble Greater than 70db down.
Speed accuracy Within .1%.
Platter runout - +/- .001 inch in 39” circumference as measured on
the table
Pulley runout –as measured less than +/-.0005

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.
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 weight.
Power cord.
Bag containing screwdrivers and screws for mounting the cartridge.
Shure Stylus Force Gauge
JMW-Classic 3 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 3
The Classic 3 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
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.

Carefully remove the platter from the smaller box and remove the tape covering the bearing
hole. The platter bearing is lubricated; no additional lubrication is needed for at least one
year. Slide the platter down on the shaft and spin it to make sure it spins freely.
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. The fuse is 1 amp if
you ever have to change it.
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 Classic 3 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 3 by
pushing the power button and allowing 3 seconds for the platter to get up to speed.
If you bought the Classic 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 Valhalla 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 JMW Memorial Tone 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

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 3 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.
B. 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.

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 or the new lighted +
1.5 glasses 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.
Place the arm back in its rest.
FIG. #1: THE PROPER WAY TO USE THE ALIGNMENT JIG.

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.
C. 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!

The Classic 3 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.

D. 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.

E. ARM HEIGHT:
Unlike many tone arms, the Classic 3 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.
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 those 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 JMW-Classic 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