Well Keith, you have curated a great and lively thread, for sure. Music reproduction by electrical and mechanical engineering is such a complex blend of art, science, and aesthetics that definitive answers will never be universal and.... that's ok by me. At the risk of being too saccharine, it's the journey that's compelling. And thanks for taking a peek at my virtual systems.
Before I bought an Audio Desk Systeme, I used one of those $79.00 Spin-Cleans. I have to say that those work pretty darn good, exquisitely so for the money. The Audio Desk works better by every measure. I haven't noticed any static charge build-up on the records which come out dry. This RCM may not be the best, but at least in this case, it's the one component I own which IS in the highest realm. So one has the added psychological assurance that if a record sounds bad after getting a good cleaning by the Audio Desk, it will in all likely-hood never sound that great. I traded my original one (when upgrading to the PRO model) to a local NPR classical and jazz station for credit towards underwriting for my business. The overnight jazz guy (who is one of the country's best jazz DJ's) LOVES it and will never play a record on-air again which first hasn't had a cycle in the machine. Many of his records which he hasn't been able to play for years have found new life on his show. I have never had a record compromised by the RCM. The labels never get a drop on them.
Lastly, In an effort to get better performance out of my analog front-end I downgraded my phono preamp! I sold my Parasound Halo JC3+ and replaced it with the new Accuphase AD-50 phono option board for my E-470 integrated. This card was less than a third the cost of the Parasound (bought direct from Japan) but eliminated an interconnect and a power-cord. I haven't tried to interpret every aspect of the new sound as far as frequency response, dynamic range, comparative neutrality or warmth, etc., becuase the noise floor has dropped so much that I don't even think about comparisons. The sheer silence of the Accuphase board compared to the very nicely engineered JC3+ trumps all other variables; at least for me in my system. So I guess the tangential relevance of that is that the break-in period for the interconnects and power-cord that I was using are now moot. Sometimes less IS more.
Regards,
Oran
Before I bought an Audio Desk Systeme, I used one of those $79.00 Spin-Cleans. I have to say that those work pretty darn good, exquisitely so for the money. The Audio Desk works better by every measure. I haven't noticed any static charge build-up on the records which come out dry. This RCM may not be the best, but at least in this case, it's the one component I own which IS in the highest realm. So one has the added psychological assurance that if a record sounds bad after getting a good cleaning by the Audio Desk, it will in all likely-hood never sound that great. I traded my original one (when upgrading to the PRO model) to a local NPR classical and jazz station for credit towards underwriting for my business. The overnight jazz guy (who is one of the country's best jazz DJ's) LOVES it and will never play a record on-air again which first hasn't had a cycle in the machine. Many of his records which he hasn't been able to play for years have found new life on his show. I have never had a record compromised by the RCM. The labels never get a drop on them.
Lastly, In an effort to get better performance out of my analog front-end I downgraded my phono preamp! I sold my Parasound Halo JC3+ and replaced it with the new Accuphase AD-50 phono option board for my E-470 integrated. This card was less than a third the cost of the Parasound (bought direct from Japan) but eliminated an interconnect and a power-cord. I haven't tried to interpret every aspect of the new sound as far as frequency response, dynamic range, comparative neutrality or warmth, etc., becuase the noise floor has dropped so much that I don't even think about comparisons. The sheer silence of the Accuphase board compared to the very nicely engineered JC3+ trumps all other variables; at least for me in my system. So I guess the tangential relevance of that is that the break-in period for the interconnects and power-cord that I was using are now moot. Sometimes less IS more.
Regards,
Oran