Best value record cleaner/cleaning system

jjss49,

You should consider shelling out $30.00 for the steam cleaner I mentioned if only to clean your cleaning tools/velvet lips. Small initial investment, for a large ultimate payoff in terms of replacement velvet strips and ability to clean off any contaminants between cleaning and rinsing cycles.

Happy listening.

Don't know what velvet strips the Okii uses, I've found the Disc Doctor strips to be the best I've used.

FWIW: When I was finally able to buy my VPI 16.5 years ago, after reading about it, after dreaming about it, I was so disappointed to learn that it did not work as I had read for years.

Upon first using mine, I found that the vacuum was so strong that the lp would adhere to the vacuum tube while the platter would continue to spin. I found out from my dealer that there was a screw that can be tightened once you poke through the cork platter mat and find the 3 screws that will allow you to remove the platter. Then you can barely access the allen screw (at an angle) that will allow you to tighten the assembly. If this wasn't enough..read on...

I then found out that the pick-up tube would not release as I've read for years, automatically. This, I later found out, on my own, is a very delicate melding of several factors.

(1) The position of the pick-up tube in relationship to the lp, in terms of how much it should be twisted, left or right of center.
(2) How much actual fluid one applies.
(3) How flat a particular lp is

None of the reviews I had ever read prior to this purchase ever talked about this. This purchase, became my first in a long line of events to come, that reminded me of how little one can rely upon the reviewers of products.

slaw, more than reviews (who knows what experience many online posters have?) it seems like both VPI and your dealer were to blame.

I've owned two VPI 16.5s and had none of your problems with either one.  First it is hard to imagine your platter was not secured properly but obviously that somehow slipped through.  Regarding the strong suction, that is simply a function of the angle of the slot in the tube relative to the record surface.  Viewed from the outside end, if the slot points straight down (180 on a 360 degree reference) then the vacuum will be too strong.  If set backwards (< 180 degrees) it will not pick up the fluid.  VPI specifies the slot should be at 185 degrees for efficient vacuuming.  It seems your dealer should have checked that.  The two I've owned have been and I get complete drying in two revolutions.

I purchased mine through Galen Carol Audio.

The main point is/should be, (The VPI (manual).).... to my knowledge (as usual), did not have any information on any of these situations. (When did you find out that VPI specifies the slot should point in any direction?)  When I bought mine, the (manual ?) did not have any of this. This goes to my main point... If this was true during the time frame I was (drooling) about a 16.5, and the reviewers NEVER wrote about this, I can only assume, that the VPI (manual) never included such.? (Also, I asked questions to my dealer at that time.  The response was, as I remember, "It's not a intricate/specialized device..(paraphrasing)

BTW, I get complete drying in 2 revolutions as well. This happened only after I figured everything out for myself.

Please, someone, post one link showing  (any) issues I've posted from any reviewer in as long as the 16.5 has been in production

Happy listening.