Audiophilepure

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Setup was easy-peasy, but there’s an oddity in the VC-E’s design: the vacuum pump’s exhaust is blown up into the underside of the record being cleaned through a vent a few inches to one side of the spindle. I thought this a weird place for the vent, and wondered if there was a downside to having it there — such as blowing dust particles into the underside’s groove. Pro-Ject does include a clear protective plate, about the size of a 12” LP, to place over the vent. From the manual: “In regular cleaning scenarios, it is not necessary to use the protective plate. However, when cleaning many records . . . (8-10 in a row), and under certain air conditions (warm temperature and/or high humidity) steam from the ventilator outlet can become an issue. If this is the case, place the protective plate on top of the base plate of the clamp.”

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“Running through the same cleaning process with second-hand albums also results in improved clarity and does a remarkable job of cleaning up some of my recent crate-digging purchases. Of course once cleaned, records should then be placed in a new polyethylene inner bag to avoid recontamination from any remaining dirt that is still in the old original sleeve.

The Clearaudio Smart Matrix Silent cleaning process is very easy to use and while not entirely silent, is certainly one of the quietest I have used. At £1,375 plus £125 for the optional dust cover, it’s more expensive than some record cleaning machines we’ve seen, but its build quality and ease of use make it a worthwhile investment for any serious vinyl collector. ”

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“I found that the transients became considerably sharper and the sound was a lot more vivid and direct but at the same time I felt that the natural flow and the organic quality were much diminished. Passive filtering would seem to be less intrusive and in some ways, it is. However, the main issue with series passive filters is that the filter component is in line with the power and thus the current flow can be impeded which usually results in diminished dynamic behavior or indeed a “filtered” effect. While this can be beneficial in situations where the sound is otherwise a little hard or edgy, systems that are already well-balanced can be thrown off, and in my case that always happened. Parallel passive filters, finally, have no components placed in series with the power and thus should theoretically not impede the current flow and not inhibit (the sense of) dynamics. However, I still found that the transients softened and the propulsion diminished and after having heard the same issues with every brand and model that I tried, at last, I lost interest in the subject.:”

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“Cleaning your records regularly with the Nitty Gritty is an absolute must to reach the full potential of your record playing enjoyment. Most of my records are well over 30 years old and the sound is very often better than a newer but dirty record. The only thing the Nitty Gritty system will not do is remove skips and scratches.

The Nitty Gritty company sells a wide assortment of record cleaners ranging in price from $529 to the Mini-Pro 2 at $1,579. The Mini-Pro automatically wets, rotates, scrubs, and vacuums both sides of the record simultaneously. They also sell a special solution for 78 RPM records that I have not tried. Their products are widely available in just about every high-end stereo shop along with a number of record stores. Just about every online high-end retailer also sells the Nitty Gritty line. Coincidentally I purchased my Nitty Gritty from the same place I purchased my Hana EH phono cartridge: Reference Audio Video in Gardena, CA.”

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“I’ve been a huge fan of power conditioners since a salesman plugged in an early MIT (I forget the model, but is was 5K in the early ‘90s) and it transformed the system I was auditioning in a Queen St, Toronto store—an area known for crap power. Night and day. Of course, some conditioners I’ve heard, especially those not considering an amplifier’s high current needs, choked the life out of the sound. Happily, the AudioQuest Niagara Series has a wonderful consistency. Source or amplification, your gear is going to be treated with kid gloves.

If you have the cash, getting the new 3000 or the superb 5000 would elevate your system even further, but if not, the 1200 at $995 is a bargain. It’ll give you a serious taste of how Powell’s wonderful designs improve a system. Very highly recommended.