Vinyl Accessories - Skip It or Buy It!

"https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/3a845718-89e8-411d-a8e7-dc34a1492785/downloads/SP-7000-8000%20Speci..."

This product had me scratching my head, trying to figure out what the heck it is?
So, when you're not playing the actual record, you put in on this thing.....okay.  Kudos to that company for designing something and creating a need for something....needless! Why not just put the record in its sleeve? Not bashing, just puzzled. 

From the website:
"Engineered with military precision, this object with a very cleaner design quickly becomes essential for any vinyl user."
ESSENTIAL? They're joking, right? LMAO

Whatever it costs, that could potentially be applied to a better record pressing.

If anyone is interested in a elegant record brush that is a far cry from cheap plastic ones sold everywhere, then ramar got a brush for you. I just took my delivery after waiting for two months (long wait caused by Covid-19).

The brush features six double rows of carbon fibres and two rows of goat hair assembled in a elaborate handwork. After dozen cleanups, the brush has excellent dust absorption and offers effective dissipation of electrostatic charge. There is more, you also get a stylus cleaning brush and special glove made of soft micropolyester and polyamide for cleaning the dirty record brush.

Each brush comes with a serial number registered to original owner. This allows lifetime support as well replacement / repair of fibers if needed.

https://ramar.berlin/en/

OP
please see my recent post re:Tru-Sweep

My opinion for record cleaning machines is that they are useful if you buy a lot of used dirty records. I try to keep mine pristine and only use a carbon fiber brush to remove dust. Most of my records are new, and if I get a used one it is NM or forget it. You can't clean scratches.

I actually was thinking about getting one and did a test of a 40 year old record that was not cleaned (other than the brush) and after cleaning it on a VPI record cleaning machine, I heard no difference. Tried it on a 2nd album, same result.

A great device that doesn't affect the sound (unless it is mounted on the plinth), is a Tru Lift from the same Integrity hifi people up in Canada. It simply lifts the arm at the end of a record so you don't have to worry about excess cartridge wear if you can't get right to the table when the record is done playing. You don't hear much about these, but I wish I had one 20 years ago when I realized how much better manual tables were than semi or fully automatic ones.

The price starts around $200 and varies by the table you are using it on because the height of the device varies that effects the amount of stainless steel they use. They're not cheap, but they are built very solid. Only sold through dealers, but I've spoken to them when I had a question setting it up and subsequently when it tilted over and didn't work because I needed to add damping fluid. They even had a video for how to do that! Great little company.

If you happen to have a Rega P8 or P10, these things are unbelievably great because they don't touch the plinth at all. They sit on the same platform that the table sits on and come through the brace that connects the arm to the platter. An absolute no brainer.

They also have an interesting tonearm that is totally separate from the plinth. It's a little out of my price range, but at $4K, it's worth a look if you're considering over $5-$6K for a rig.They claim it outperforms anything out there and makes reasonable priced cartridges sound fantastic. One again only through dealers who will help set it up.

Soko, do you really think your N=2 experiment with the vpi RCM proves anything at all?
even mint condition used LPs can have a lot of dirt and dust on them, which can be efficiently removed by a good RCM. If I ever doubt that fact, all I need to do is look at the effluent from my VPIHW 17 RCM. It’s filthy.