High-End Manual Belt-Drive Turntable With Prime Gimbal 10-3d Tonearm
The VPI Dragon is a high-end analogue turntable engineered around mechanical isolation, precision drive and substantial construction. Its motor is housed in a mechanically separate enclosure, while integrated motor-drive electronics and a unique triple-belt system are designed to keep motor vibration away from the playback platform.
The Dragon combines a highly damped vinyl-wrapped MDF and aluminum sandwich chassis with a solid aluminum platter, inverted bearing design, vibration-damping feet and VPI's Prime Gimbal 10-3D tonearm.
Key Features
-
VPI Prime Gimbal 10-3D tonearm
-
Full Gimbal Bearing design
-
VPI Copper Weave internal tonearm wiring
-
Mechanically isolated motor enclosure
-
High-torque AC synchronous motor
-
Integrated motor-drive electronics
-
Two low-distortion oscillators
-
Class-AB motor-drive electronics
-
Precision-machined pulley
-
Triple-belt drive system
-
12-inch, 20 lb aluminum platter
-
MDF damping layer integrated into the platter
-
Inverted phosphor-bronze bearing system
-
Vinyl-wrapped MDF and aluminum sandwich chassis
-
Machined Delrin and aluminum feet
-
Vibration-damping polymer foot cores
-
Adjustable counterweight
-
Azimuth adjustment
-
VTA adjustment
-
Lemo connection
Prime Gimbal 10-3d Tonearm
The Dragon is equipped with VPI's Prime Gimbal 10-3D tonearm, using a full gimbal bearing arrangement and VPI Copper Weave internal wiring.
The arm incorporates VPI's 3D construction technology using materials including epoxy resin and Delrin, together with copper, aluminum and steel. Its adjustment system provides cartridge setup flexibility through the counterweight, azimuth and VTA adjustments.
Tonearm Specifications
-
Tonearm: Prime Gimbal 10-3D
-
Bearing Type: Full Gimbal Bearing
-
Internal Wire: VPI Copper Weave
-
Pivot to Spindle: 258 mm
-
Effective Length: 273.4 mm
-
Effective Mass: 10.2 g
-
Overhang: 15.4 mm
-
Offset Angle: 19.98°
-
Average RMS Distortion: 0.31%
-
Construction: 3D technology using epoxy resin, Delrin, copper, aluminum and steel
Mechanically Isolated Motor System
A defining feature of the Dragon is its mechanically separate motor enclosure. The high-torque AC synchronous motor is isolated from the main playback chassis, while integrated electronics provide motor-drive control.
VPI specifies a drive system incorporating two low-distortion oscillators and Class-AB electronics, combined with a precision-machined pulley and triple-belt drive. The architecture is intended to minimize the transfer of motor vibration into the playback system.
Triple-Belt Drive
The Dragon uses a triple-belt drive system connecting the motor to the platter.
The precision-machined pulley and three-belt arrangement are designed to provide stable platter rotation while the mechanically isolated motor enclosure separates the motor from the main chassis.
20-Lb Aluminum Platter
The Dragon features a 12-inch aluminum platter weighing 20 lbs.
The platter is machined from solid aluminum and incorporates an MDF damping layer. It rotates on an inverted bearing using a stainless-steel shaft and phosphor-bronze bushing, creating a substantial rotational platform for high-resolution analogue playback.
Damped Chassis & Vibration Control
The main chassis uses a vinyl-wrapped MDF and aluminum sandwich construction, providing a substantial and highly damped foundation for the platter and tonearm.
The Dragon also uses machined Delrin and aluminum feet with vibration-damping polymer cores, providing mechanical isolation between the turntable and its supporting surface.
Precision Analogue Playback Platform
The combination of the isolated motor, triple-belt drive, high-mass platter, inverted bearing and damped chassis is designed around a single objective: maintaining a stable mechanical environment between the record, cartridge and tonearm.
VPI specifies wow and flutter below 0.1%, speed accuracy of 0.05% and rumble of 80 dB down for the Dragon.
Features
-
Manual belt-drive operation
-
Mechanically isolated motor enclosure
-
High-torque AC synchronous motor
-
Integrated motor-drive electronics
-
Triple-belt drive
-
Precision-machined pulley
-
12-inch / 20 lb aluminum platter
-
MDF platter damping layer
-
Inverted phosphor-bronze bearing
-
Vinyl-wrapped MDF and aluminum sandwich chassis
-
Delrin and aluminum isolation feet
-
Polymer vibration-damping foot cores
-
Prime Gimbal 10-3D tonearm
-
Full gimbal bearing
-
VPI Copper Weave internal wiring
-
Adjustable counterweight
-
Azimuth adjustment
-
VTA adjustment
-
Lemo connection
Specifications
-
Chassis Composition: Vinyl Wrapped MDF and Steel
-
Platter Type & Size: 12" Aluminum, 20 lbs
-
Tonearm Included: JMW-10-3D Tonearm
-
Motor: 300 RPM
-
Motor Pulley Accuracy: ±0.0005"
-
Wow & Flutter: <0.1%
-
Speed Accuracy: 0.05%
-
Rumble: 80 dB Down
-
Footprint: 7.9" × 21.0" × 15.9"
-
Overall Size: 21 ⅜" × 15 ¾"
-
Total Weight: 58 lbs
-
Power Requirements: 100–120 VAC or 220–240 VAC, 50–60 Hz
Why Buy From Soundtrails
At SoundTrails, we focus on carefully selected high-performance audio equipment for serious music listening and long-term system building.
The VPI Dragon brings together a mechanically isolated motor system, triple-belt drive, high-mass aluminum platter, damped chassis and adjustable gimbal tonearm in a sophisticated analogue platform designed for demanding vinyl playback.
