VPI HW-16.5 record cleaning machine.(Components)

Manufacturer: VPI Industries, 77 Cliffwood Ave. #3B, Cliffwood, NJ 07721; 732/583-6895; www.vpiindustries.com.

Price: $485

Source: Reviewer purchase

Reviewer: Kevin East

As I pondered the implications of archiving some treasured vinyl to CD--despite the notion that above average analog playback capability might render the question moot--TL's disparaging commentary on my LP cleaning ("Oh, so you grind it [the dust] in ... ") weighed heavily. This and TL's tips on vinyl care and feeding (No. 74, pp. 44-46) prompted the decision to obtain a record-cleaning machine. After poring over the Record Doctor, VPI, and Nitty Gritty specs in the Audio Advisor, as TL recommended, I decided on the VPI HW-16.5, simply because I didn't have to manually rotate the LP in order to clean it. Okay, I'm over 50. I'm entitled. Further, VPI also manufactures some excellent turntables--the entire company is dedicated to analog, at the very least a brave market position in the digital age.

Basics. The HW-16.5's operation, like that of all record cleaning machines, uses a vacuum to suck up a fluid and the dirt, dust, and grime (heaven forbid!) from an LP. It measures 15.5" x 9" x 14" and weighs about 20 pounds. A grounded power cord and vinyl waste tube protrude from the rear. The front has two toggle switches, one which rotates the platter on which the LP rests and one which starts the cleaning vacuum. Recessed from the hinged, Plexiglas cover is the platter and a vacuuming tube which rotates 90 degrees from its "at rest" position to the vacuuming position, roughly aligned on the LP's radius.

Operation. Using it is very simple: clamp the LP on to the platter, squirt some cleaning fluid, supplied, on to the LP, turn on the platter's rotating motor, spread the fluid around with the unit's brush, move the vacuum tube over the LP, and start the vacuum. After two rotations, if you've not overdone the fluid, the LP is completely dry and ready for playing. That's it.