Advantages of upgrade from VPI 16.5 RCM


I wonder if any fellow A'goners have upgraded their RCMs from a VPI 16.5 to the higher end VPI models ie VPI 17 or the Typhoon 27 or any other brand eg Clearaudio, Hannl or Acoustictech and the perceived advantages, if any, of such upgrade in terms of superior cleaning etc etc. The mega bucks that some audiophiles lavish on their vinyl front end would presumably demand the best cleaning device available.Have been using a VPI 16.5 for over a year while I am satisfied that the RCM cleaning regimen(with AVIS one step and distilled water) coupled with steam cleaning does give decent results there are several lps, some fairly new , in which the pop and crackle is a constant feature,(despite anti static gun etc etc). A recent review of the VPI 27 in Soundstage, in which MM while preferring the VPI 27 over the VPI 17, did not find any distinct advantage on account of the superior cleaning power/ more powerful vaccuum motor of the VPI 27, set me thinking.
Would appreciate the advice/comments of A'goners who have done an upgrade or contemplated one.
Many thanks in anticipation.
128x128sunnyboy1956
I had the 16.5 and now have the 17. I think the only real difference is convenience, which was worth it to me. As for cleaning the records, I don't know that there is any difference.
"Higher" grade RCMs may have more powerful motors that allow more lps to be cleaned per session. Better ventilation or fan to facilitate cooling of said motor....

Ability of the platter to rotate in both directions. Speed variation (faster for fluid application and slower for vacuuming)

All these "should" help clean your lps better. How much better? VFM? Diminishing returns? Ahhhh... only you can decide that.

Is your collection still growing at a fast/alarming rate? What you buying? Flea store/Fleabay or new vinyl?
Most of the machines you mention work in essentially the same way as the 16.5 but have either additional power, features, or both. I doubt any of these would be a significant enough improvement to be worth the extra money. The Loricraft, Keith Monks, and Odyssey 5 machines all use a different mechanism that may or may not be a significant improvement but cost a lot more. For me, the 16.5 is a good place to stop.