VPI Record Cleaners
Posted by: Edot on 21 December 2001
My question is: Is the suction on the 16.5 sufficient (it is less than the 17)? Will I miss the extra power of the 17???
If a record sits in a paper sleeve, micro particles rub into the lp grooves.
This is the best fluid I've used. It's also the most difficult and time consuming, but, as I say, one canm listen whjile cleaning.
Buggtussel has an alternative fluid - better than VPI or Nitty Gritty, but it needs a suction cleaning machine. www.buggtussel.com.
My memory is that thge 17 has a more powerful suction than does the 16.5. A check into VPIIndustries.com confirms that the vacuum moter of the 17 is spec'ed at 7.7 amps, and the 16.5 is 6.5 amps.
Phil
You can buy the Nagaoka sleeves at www.diversevinyl.com priced £12.50 per 50.
quote:
My question is: Is the suction on the 16.5 sufficient (it is less than the 17)? Will I miss the extra power of the 17???
I have a 17F. As far as I am aware the differences between the 17F and 16.5 are the dual direction platter, the automated fluid application and the cooling fan. The automated fluid application is a mixed blessing, the button is incredibly sensitive and you can easily end up getting too much liquid on the record. The bi-directional platter is useful and the fan is apparently essential if cleaning a stack of records at one time, the 16.5 can overheat. Bottom line is that the 17 works, I can think of no higher recommendation.
[rant]The only problem is that in the UK we are expected to pay a pound for a dollar as usual. Buying anything imported in the UK is such a bloody rip-off, it really winds me up. Why do we have to spend a third more than anywhere else? Its not just US goods either, compare the prices of Japanese cameras bought in the States against here. Greedy UK Bastard importers. [/rant]
Tony.
Here are some more comparisons:
1) Lyra Helikon - UKP 1095, USD 1995
2) Naim anything....
It's not all one-sided, though I suspect the US is better off economically than GB overall.
Phil
[This message was edited by Phil Barry on TUESDAY 25 December 2001 at 15:18.]
quote:
1) Lyra Helikon - UKP 1095, USD 1995
2) Naim anything....
Local Naim pricing is largely to be expected, as is VPI. Both will have cheaper shipment costs in the country of manufacture, but the Lyra pricing really surprises me. The cartridges are made in Japan by Scantech, so both the US and UK are subject to similar shipping charges etc.
The most infuriating price differential I have recently seen is when shopping for a digital camera, certain US shops were listing the Minolta Dimage 7 at 625-700 USD and the best UK price I could find was 839 quid. That is nearly twice the price in the UK. I really wanted to buy locally as with something as finicky as a digital camera being able to take it back easily is a consideration. I ended up selecting a different model so the price difference was "only" pound to dollar.
I have no understanding about US taxation, but in the UK we are expected to pay 17.5% VAT (which is obviously some kind of extreme gullibility tax) on every thing we buy except food and books. This is on top of the extortionate tax deducted at source from wages etc. For this we get a crappy health service with waiting lists usually in excess of the patients life expectancy, and we get our bins emptied every month or so, oh sorry, the bins is covered by yet another tax paid directly to local council so they can set up eco-friendly one parent black lesbian paraplegic junkie group hug workshops...
Tony.