VPI introduces new all-in-one turntable with headphone amp

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No speakers required to play your records on this 'affordable high-end' turntable.

The Player is the latest turntable to be produced by New Jersey-based brand VPI. Featuring a built-in phono stage, and a headphone amplifier with its own volume control, it is being labelled a truly plug ’n’ play deck, similar to the VPI Nomad.

There’s a headphone output onboard, in this instance a 3.5mm jack, but the Player can also be hooked up to your hi-fi system like any other turntable, and the integrated phono stage bypassed in favour of an external one.

The Player comes complete with an Ortofon 2M Red phono cartridge on a 9in metal gimballed tonearm, mounted on an aluminum platter which, along with the arm and feet, is upgradeable.

While VPI’s catalogue isn’t short of high-end decks, including the Award-winning VPI Prime, we weren’t bowled over by the build quality of its 'high-end entry-level' Nomad (£795).

At £1500, the VPI Player should hopefully offer a step up in build quality, and also open up the VPI brand to those on a more restricted budget. We look forward to finding out...

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Becky Roberts
Becky Roberts

Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of the brand's sister magazines Down Under – Australian Hi-Fi and Audio Esoterica. During her 11+ years in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices. In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.