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Pro-Ject VC-E Record Cleaning Machine

Pro-Ject VC-E  Record Cleaning Machine

clean record not only sounds better, with less surface noise; a clean record also makes your cartridge last longer since there are fewer abrasive elements left in the grooves after a proper cleaning. So, it simply stands to reason that every vinyl enthusiast should own a record cleaning machine. Even audiophiles who only buy new records, which often contain remnants of the “release compound” used during the pressing process, can benefit from a cleaning device. And anyone who’s into used records and doesn’t clean them thoroughly is missing out on how good they could sound. A thorough cleaning can sonically transform an LP. Along with a turntable, tonearm, cartridge, and phono preamplifier, a record cleaning machine is an essential element in the analog signal chain.

I’ve seen audiophiles on extremely limited budgets using the kitchen sink (and everything in it) to clean their records. Even wood glue has been used by folks who obviously have an excess of both time and wood glue to waste. But if you have a lot of records, buy a lot of records, or just aren’t into extreme DIY, there are many excellent commercial record cleaning solutions available. Some are quite pricey, and some are priced well within the range of most audiophiles. The Pro-Ject VC-E Record Cleaning Machine, which costs $499, is one of the later. For under half a grand (as we Yanks would say) the Pro-Ject VC-E promises to deliver a sparkling clean record with a minimum of muss and fuss. That sounds swell, doesn’t it? Let’s find out if this is the machine to clean up all your dirty work.

Technical Details
The most immediately and potentially attractive feature of the VC-E is its physical size. Unlike my reference VPI 16.5, which is large enough to accommodate an entire LP within its confines, the Pro-Ject VC-E lets the records hang out in the space around its cabinet. Whether this is an advantage to you or not depends on whether space is at a premium in your world and how well your cleaning technique can be adapted to a lighter touch. More on cleaning technique later.

Pro-Ject VC-E  Record Cleaning Machine

Basically, the VC-E is a mini-vac. It sucks up cleaning fluid that has been applied with a brush via a slit on a wand that is placed over the record, while a motor slowly turns the record so it can make a complete revolution underneath the vacuum wand. The final result should be a clean record. As far as specifications go, there’s no published noise level, but Pro-Ject does list the motor as doing 30rpm. Vroom, vroom.

The VC-E is heavy enough so that it won’t shift around while in use, and the overall level of fit, finish, and design makes it very likely that it will remain serviceable for many years. But there are two small nits I will pick. 

First, the top plate and base plate of the VC-E are made of a layered material sandwiched between metal sheets, which I assume helps damp the motor’s noise. But the two plate’s edges are borderline abrasive. A bit more finishing and they would not be so rough. 

The second nit concerns the three bolt heads that form a triangle on the top surface of the VC-E. I suspect that at one time they were an almost mirror finish, but on my review sample their surfaces looked as if several households of fleas had been ice-skating on them, leaving little scratches back and forth. Little nits, I know. But fixable.

 

Ergonomics
Using the VC-E is simple, but good technique is essential to maximize the VC-E’s cleaning potential. The machine comes with a small bottle of concentrated cleaning fluid, along with a larger bottle for the mixed-with-water cleaning solution, as well as a cleaning brush. One useful item that is missing from the VC-E accessory kit is a small applicator bottle to apply the solution to your records. I had a spare spray bottle around that I used for that purpose. 

The entire record cleaning process goes like this: Remove the record from its sleeve, place it on the VC-E spindle, screw down the label plate which holds the record firmly on the spindle while protecting the label from any moisture damage, apply the record cleaning solution, use the brush to spread it evenly over the whole record, turn on the vacuum and motor, lift and place the vacuum wand over the record surface, let the VC-E suck all the fluid off the record, and you’re done. The most important aspect of technique when using the VC-E is your brush work. The brush should always follow the grooves of the record. It should never go vertically across the grooves. Ideally, the brush will loosen any debris that liquid alone could not unbind from your record’s surface. I had several brushes from other manufacturers’ record cleaning systems to compare with the Pro-Ject brush. The VC-E’s brush definitely has softer, more flexible bristles than the one I use with my VPI machine. You are less likely to scratch a record’s surface with the VC-E brush, but it also may not loosen all the dirt from an especially recalcitrant disc. I would recommend getting a second brush with stiffer bristles for those difficult-to-clean records.

The only tricky part of using the VC-E record cleaning machine is the fact that since it does not have a platter under the entire disc, you must be careful how much downward pressure you use with the record cleaning brush. While you would have to exexecute a karate chop to break a record while it is mounted on the VC-E machine, it’s fairly easy to put a bit too much downward pressure on the brush and bend the record downward slightly. I found I had to “lighten up” compared to the pressure I routinely apply to a brush when using the VPI 16.5 record cleaning machine. 

Sound
If there is one incontrovertible fact in audio, it’s that a properly cleaned record will always sound better than an uncleaned one. That being said, I have summed up the primary sonic advantage of a record cleaning machine. Don’t like pops, clicks, and low-level rubbing sounds emanating from your LP? Cleaning is a better connection to sonic bliss. Since I know that, I clean every record that I purchase before I play it—especially used records. Perhaps that’s why my phono carts tend to last for many years.And while cleaning will not remove the deepest scratches, it will get you much closer to those deep black backgrounds that we audiophiles all favor.

Summary
While acquiring a record cleaning machine does require an outlay of cash, if you are an avid LP listener it will soon repay you with better sound and cleaner discs. In the end you might actually save money since clean records will cause less wear on your cartridge, so it may well last longer than if it had been fed a steady diet of uncleaned LPs. 

After a bit of practice to refine your technique, the VC-E cleaning machine is capable of transforming your average semi-clean record into a shiny thing of beauty. I’ve found during many years of cleaning records, that whether one manufacturer’s cleaning machine can produce a better final result than another depends more on the user’s technique than the machine itself. Practicing and perfecting your brushwork can make a huge difference in the level of clean you can obtain.

The Pro-Ject VC-E supplies the basic tool necessary to clean records efficiently and easily. For any LP lover who wants to hear every bit of potential sonic goodness from his LPs, the VC-E would be an excellent way to boost your record collection up to a cleaner state of being. 

Specs & Pricing

Rotational speed: 30rpm
Included accessories: Brush, vacuum arm, extra self-adhesive arm strips, plastic clamp, Wash-it bottle, mixed-solution bottle, power cable
Power connection: 110/120, 230/240 50/60 cycles
Dimensions: 310 x 266 x 210mm
Weight: 6.5 kg
Price: $499 

Sumiko (US Distributor)
2431 Fifth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 843-4500
sumikoaudio.net
project-audio.com

Tags: RECORD CLEANING VINYL

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