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I would place the phono stage at the top of your list. This can make a huge improvement in your vinyl playback. The Dyna is pretty good, so it would be the last thing I would replace. Afte the phono stage I would go with the Neuance shelf, then the RCM. Until then, you can always hand clean your records and let them air dry in a rubber dish drainer. Not as good as vacuuming them, but it will get you by.

Oz

Ozzy62 and I part ways on this one. A RCM is mandatory. No phono stage, however bad, will damage your records. Playing them uncleaned will. This is one of the few 100% guarantees in audio.

A better phono stage will certainly be a worthwhile investment, but for the sake of your vinyl a RCM must come first. In fact it must come immediately. Do not play any record you value until it has been properly cleaned.

Doug,

I did not discount the importance of cleaning records. I have a Nitty Gritty myself which sees lots of action. But I have friends who have lots of records who don't own a RCM, but still clean their records in the sink. Not the preferred method, but as I said before, it will get you by. Maybe a better alternative would be the Audio Advisor Record Doctor, which is pretty cheap, then sink the rest of the cash into the upgraded phono stage.

Oz

Oz,

Excellent suggestion. I wonder how much difference there really is between an inexpensive NG, Record Doctor or KAB vs. a VPI. They all share the same operating principle (felt-covered vacuum slot), so one wonders if the 2-4 times more costly VPI really cleans that much better.

Washing in the sink, if that implies using tap water, proved unsatisfactory for us. Tap water contains impurities that can be difficult or impossible to remove from a record. When I was young and innocent I tried it. The records got cleaner in general of course, but quite a few picked up noises that weren't there before. Neither my old DIY RCM nor my Loricraft can remove those impurities. I had to re-purchase several fairly expensive records after tap-water cleaning ruined them. :-(

Call me a purist, but the better one's gear the cleaner the vinyl needs to be. Nicksgem10s is already well up the equipment ladder and seems prepared to move higher still.