I also sold my Nitty Gritty years ago for the 16.5 and am so ahppy that I did. I did get rid of the VPI plastic nut and bought a TW weights record clamp that works great. The 16.5 is a simple but extremely well built machine that should last for years. I recently did some mods that should help it last even longer.
Nitty Gritty 1.5Fi vs. VPI HW16.5vs. Okki Nokki
I've been back into analog for about 2 years. As I've resurrected a lot of old vinyl and purchased a lot of used vinyl (Half Price Books, lot sales on Audiogon and other sites, etc.), a record cleaning system better than my present Spin-Clean has become a necessity.
Spin-Clean does a decent job but, with some but by no means all of my records, there is a lot of surface noise that is left behind. I presume that this is due to residue that results from the surface tension of the droplets of fluid left behind after the record is dried (either by air or by using the supplied cloths), or, less likely, the attraction of microscopic particles to the [still slightly wet] record surface as it dries, and which cannot be removed by pre-play record cleaners (i.e., Audioquest brush, Discwasher, etc.).
Why surface noise is audible on some records more than others could be due to many things--the cut and modulations of the groove, mold release chemicals, etc., etc. Also, it can vary from one side to the other and from one track to the next in the same record.
I'll mention that I only use the Spin-Clean fluid, and mix it with distilled water in the proportion recommended by Spin-Clean.
All of which I mention because it speaks to the necessity for some form of vacuum cleaning.
I'd like to open up to the forum re any preferences in the above named field of machines (or any others which any forum contributor deigns to recommend).
Also, could there also be a cheap'n'cheerful alternative to any of the above, such as the KAB record cleaner and a canister vacuum, used in conjunction with the Spin-Clean? I know I'd have to spin the record manually and deal with an external vacuum source, but at a third of the price, it merits serious consideration.
In any event, I welcome the forum's esteemed opinions.
Thanks, John
Spin-Clean does a decent job but, with some but by no means all of my records, there is a lot of surface noise that is left behind. I presume that this is due to residue that results from the surface tension of the droplets of fluid left behind after the record is dried (either by air or by using the supplied cloths), or, less likely, the attraction of microscopic particles to the [still slightly wet] record surface as it dries, and which cannot be removed by pre-play record cleaners (i.e., Audioquest brush, Discwasher, etc.).
Why surface noise is audible on some records more than others could be due to many things--the cut and modulations of the groove, mold release chemicals, etc., etc. Also, it can vary from one side to the other and from one track to the next in the same record.
I'll mention that I only use the Spin-Clean fluid, and mix it with distilled water in the proportion recommended by Spin-Clean.
All of which I mention because it speaks to the necessity for some form of vacuum cleaning.
I'd like to open up to the forum re any preferences in the above named field of machines (or any others which any forum contributor deigns to recommend).
Also, could there also be a cheap'n'cheerful alternative to any of the above, such as the KAB record cleaner and a canister vacuum, used in conjunction with the Spin-Clean? I know I'd have to spin the record manually and deal with an external vacuum source, but at a third of the price, it merits serious consideration.
In any event, I welcome the forum's esteemed opinions.
Thanks, John