Vpi Record Cleaning Machine

November 2014

VPI MW-1 Cyclone Record Cleaning Machine
Marking the passing of the torch of father to son, as Mat Weisfeld puts his imprint on VPI Industries.
Review By Anthony Nicosia

Myinterest with the new VPI MW-1 Cyclone Record Cleaning Machine stems from bothowning and having positive experiences with previous VPI products. Every timeeither a record cleaning machine or turntable from this company finds its wayinto my house it has always been a very pleasurable experience. After reviewing,their at that time, new Scout II record player it was quite tempting to reachinto my wallet and make a purchase. That decision was held off only to save upand purchase one of their more expensive turntable designs. When the Classic 3turntable hit the marketplace no longer was there a need to wait and now it canbe found residing as a proud possession in my main audio system. Most recently,another gem, the Traveler was also purchased for use in my second system. As fortheir record cleaning machines, I previously owned the HW 16 and then later theHW 16.5. Diablo 2 - patch 2019. So when the news hit me concerning the new MW-1 Cyclone it felt onlynatural to follow up by doing a review to pay witness to the evolution of the16series in this its third form. Mat Weisfeld has now taken over his father'splace as head of VPI Industries. The Cyclone being Mats first statement on thecompany's lineup makes this review even that much more interesting. After alla first only happens once, so it is kind of a special rite of passage. As theworld waits to see what the son can add to an already well-established legacy,it was time for me to purchase some extra dusty records especially for thisreview.

Now there are some people who might think, it isjust a device to clean records, so what. Why spend $1000 on a machine when I canjust hand wash each and every record in an effort to save my money for use inother places. Well having tried the later it was my preference to lay out thecash and buy those earlier machines from VPI. Not only was it more convenientbut they did a much better job consistently with its combination of washing andvacuuming my collection of one thousand plus vinyl albums. For this reviewVPI's own cleaning solution was used rather than dive into other products orpersonal homemade concoctions. Never looking back on my decision to purchaseeither of the two previous models it is with great anticipation that I lookedforward to reviewing the new MW-1 Cyclone.

If you want to step up in your vinyl care and cleaning, there are two deals on the highly-regarded VPI 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine. Music Direct has a demo available at $100 off the $650 price, which brings the cost down to $550. Since it’s a demo, it has a full warranty. Music Direct is also offering bundle discounts on the VPI 16.5. Page 1 THE HW-16.5 RECORD CLEANING MACHINE SETUP AND INSTRUCTION MANUAL VPI INDUSTRIES INC., 77 CLIFFWOOD AVE #3B CLIFFWOOD, N.J. 07721 PHONE: 732-583-6895, FAX: 732-946-8578. Page 2  Claims for shipping damage can only be filed by the recipient. If damage has occurred, save the carton for inspection by the carrier.

Difference Between The OlderModel 16.5 And New MW-1 Cyclone
Like the 16.5 the Cyclone comes with an 18 rpm hightorque turntable motor and a 2' Delrin record clamp. They also both have dustcovers on top and drainage tubes on the back with which to empty the water tankswithin. The differences being that the dust cover for the Cyclone is removableby just lifting it up rather than being attached with hinges like with the 16.5model. This may not seem like much of a difference to you but my 16.5 stays onthe floor and under an end table. When needed the machine is pulled out fromunder the table as there is not enough room to fully lift up the top cover. Withthe new machine all that is needed is to slide the cover just slightly up andoff to the side to then place the record on the platter. This saves me a stepwhile giving a less exposed clutter look to my listening area. The Cyclone ishoused in an aluminum water proof case rather than within the 16.5's MDF(medium density fiberboard) construction. The former being more durable for sureand less prone to liquid damages in case you are too or lazy or simply forget toclean up afterwards. Even though I tried being careful there was usually somecleaning fluid that managed to spill from the record surface onto theCyclone's deck. The new platter and bearing are stronger to allow for a morevigorous cleaning session plus the Cyclone can clean and vacuum in bothdirections, unlike the 16.5 which spins clockwise only. The newer model is saidto be twice as powerful and quieter as well. Listening while it cleaned recordsthe Cyclone did sound a bit quieter and an informal test with my Radio Shack SPLmeter confirmed that it indeed was. While none of the previous models proved tobe silent during the vacuuming stage, the Cyclone took the noise level downenough to make it noticeable. It was after all vacuuming the record surface andas such will make noise. Now though it was less intrusive to those in nearbyrooms, like when my wife is watching TV. For that she would like me to thank youMat.

The Cyclone Cleaning Process
The steps to cleaning a record are really quite simpleand relatively quick. Place the record on the Cyclone; secure the delrin recordclamp being careful as not to over tighten. Pour the VPI cleaning solution ontothe center of the record, being careful to not get the record label wet. Turn onthe motor to allow the record to spin in either direction you prefer to startwith and after the supplied dry brush gets moist press hard to clean the recordas you spread the fluid around. After it is brushed in one direction flip theswitch to brush in the opposite direction. Once accomplished, remove the brushand then place the arm over the record to point directly at the spindle and thenturn on the vacuum switch. After two revolutions of the record spinning one waypress the vacuum switch to reverse the direction allowing for it to clean in theopposite direction for two additional revolutions. When this is done you mustfirst stop the vacuuming process, then the spinning of the record and place thearm back to its original position off to the side. It is important to turn offthe vacuuming first and the spinning second. For complete details please referto the 'Setup and Instruction Manual' that comes with the Cyclone. Once doneloosen and remove the delrin record clamp to turn the record over to the otherside. Repeat the whole process once again. This process is quite simple andrather quick really. For those of you with seven inch 45-rpm and ten inch 78-rpmrecords a special adaptor can be purchased from VPI. Do not forget to empty theused cleaning fluid from the machines catch basin after ever six records.

So How Does An MW-1 Cyclone AffectA Record's Sound?
Recentlya copy of Joan Baez [Vanguard VSD2077] came into my possession which included one of my favorite songs, 'Houseof the Rising Sun'. Unfortunately it was unplayable. Having a lot of pops andclicks due to it being a bit dusty did not bother me as much as it staying inone grove indefinitely, never allowing the song to play through to the end.Thanks to the Cyclone the song was now rendered playable as the obvious grimehad been cleaned away. Still there was some noise that would have nice to havebeen made to disappear. A vigorous second cleaning took care of most of that,allowing me to now enjoy my music without being distracted by any loudnonmusical sounds. After a careful listen the album was deemed by me to play atan acceptable level, free from any obvious distractions. While still being ableto hear pops and clicks on silent tracks all was fairly quiet during musical orvocal passages. Remember this was a very filthy copy of a record that looked notto have been cleaned since its release date back in 1960. When purchasing thisalbum for fewer than fifty cents, expectations as to the quality of life left onthe record was exceedingly low. Thanks to the Cyclone I am again enjoying JoanBaez with a smile on my face and reliving memories from my distant youth.

Browsingonce again through the under one dollar bin at my favorite record store uppopped a copy of, A Romantic Mood With Sarah Vaughan [Viking VK003]. After listeningto side A it was apparent why one would pay less than one dollar in its presentcondition. Again thanks to a thorough cleaning, another double dose, therecording was not only very quiet but sounding as if a heavy veil had beenremoved between me and the performance. The cleaning allowed me to now enjoySarah Vaughan without distraction and in a clearer light with regard to lesssurface grime being amplified along with her vocal talent.

Onthat same day and from that same discount bin came a copy of TheBeatles [Capitol SWBO 101], known too many as the double White album, what alucky find. Not expecting much as surface scratches could be visibly seen andquite long, on it went to my VPI Classic 3 turntable. To my surprise it playedwithout a glitch as the scratches were not deep at all, although it was stillplenty dirty and played with so many very annoying pops and clicks. In steppedMat's MW-1 Cyclone to the rescue and a few cleanings later, viola a verylistenable record was had for such a ridiculous low price. Adding to the findwas that the album even came with the original color pictures of each of thefour Beatles and in immaculate condition to boot. The poster though was gone,but an original was found in one of my three copies of that album. It is notuncommon to find that those pictures and poster had been removed and placed onsomeone's wall. This double album cost me one dollar and after cleaning playedjust beautifully. Windows xp sp2 sata drivers. If you are into vinyl and like searching for bargains like me,then having a record cleaning machine is a must. If you do not enjoy the searchin bargain bins or garage sales that is fine also as the Cyclone works well tokeep your pristine records, well pristine.

Nowit was time to see what the Cyclone would do with a newer album. Having playedthe Mozart Violin Concertos [2L 038-LP] album only maybe five times and neverhaving cleaned it, this would look to be a good test. Even though it was 'new' there was some surface noise, perhaps left over vinyl pressed into thegrooves during its initial pressing or just dust that might have collected on itafter being exposed to the environment. One cleaning session from the Cyclonewas all it took and now the LP sounded as it should, clear and clean and rightoff its fresh pressing, impressive indeed. It should be noted that not all brandnew records seemed to improve with a cleaning and vacuuming. But since keepingthem clean is important then whether or not an initial cleaning is necessary isof little consequence. Eventually a thorough wash and vacuum will be needed, soyes even brand new records will soon need the benefit of the Cyclone.

Conclusion
TheMW-1 Cyclone is an impressive machine that at $1000 seems wellworth the price considering all that it does. No it will not make forty plusyear old recordings new again. Damage done by placing a hard diamond stylus tipinto soft vinyl groves for all those year can never be repaired. If though youseek getting the most possible out of your old records so as to hear them asbest you can this certainly is a way to go. Why it even helped out some of mynew records by cleaning the grooves and getting them to sound as I thought theyshould. While not all new albums improved because of a cleaning it is certainlysomething you would want to do for preventive maintenance in order to keep themin top condition throughout the years. Cleaning in both directions makes senseto me and given a choice between the one directional 16.5 and the new Cyclone,my choice would be to go with the later. Either way it would not be a baddecision as my 16.5 has always done such a good job of cleaning my dusty oldLPs. For me though all the positives of this new machine were just too muchto pass on and so I purchased the WM-1 Cyclone review sample. So today I amhappily cleaning and vacuuming in both directions while my wife is content thatthis is done just a bit more quietly. As always, when reviewing gear from HarryWeisfeld and now his son Mat, all that can be said is, 'What is not tolike?' The MW-1 Cyclone is highly recommended for anyone serious about theirvinyl, which hopefully is everyone who is into music. With this 'first' outof the way it will be interested to see what other new creations Mat mighteventually add to VPI Industries product line.

TheListening Environment
Thereview room is eighteen feet eight inches long by thirteen feet wide withloudspeakers and equipment kept on the short wall. The cathedral ceiling startsat eight feet on the short wall slopping upwards to reach a height of thirteenfeet in the middle than returning to eight feet at the opposite end. Thehardwood floor is partially covered by a nine by six foot oriental rug lyingdown the long ways facing toward the loudspeakers, placed dead center betweenbut not under the listener or the audio rack. The room has no doors but thereare two openings. One opening is in front of the right loudspeaker on the longwall giving access to the hallway the other behind the listening position to aformal dining area. There are two large floor standing GIF Tri-trap acousticalpanels one in each corner of the short wall in front of the listener and twopanels from Acoustic Revive (AR) located on the wall directly behind eachloudspeaker. A third AR panel is placed flat against the right side wall nearthat walls loudspeaker. The fourth and final AR panel is located behind thelistener and to its left blocking a partial portion of the opening to the diningroom located behind. Numerous Auralex Studio foam squares are placed along wallsand high up in each of the four corners of the room. All the audio equipment islocated in a Synergy Twin S30 Salamander audio rack placed about a foot awayfrom and in the middle of the short wall opposite the listening position.

ReviewEquipment
Magnepan 3.6R Loudspeakers placed on special custom made three wooden layer platforms
Two Magnepan DWM Bass Panels
Aesthetix Saturn Calypso Line Stage Tube/Hybrid Preamplifier
Parasound A21 Solid State Power Amplifier
McIntosh 2102 Tube Power Amplifier
OPPO Digital BDP-95 Universal player
VPI Classic 3 Turntable
Lyra Delos Moving Coil Cartridge
Musical Surroundings Nova Phonomena Phono Stage
VPI MW-1 Cyclone Record Cleaning Machine
VPI 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Audience aR2p-TO Power Conditioner
Acoustic Revive RPT-4 Ultimate Power Supply Box
Cherry Synergy Twin S30 Salamander audio rack
Various Acoustical Room Treatments

Specifications
Type: Vinyl LP record cleaner
MW-1 Cyclone Features:
35 second cleaning cycle (wash/dry) per side
18 rpm high torque bidirectional turntable motor operational in forward and reverse
Fully enclosed: no splashing, no mess
Powerful suction (vacuum) ensures quick deep cleaning
Removes old residue, prevents new build-up
Fail safe design
All components extra heavy-duty professional grade
Professional quality toggle switches have a 100 thousand cycle life
Safety coated record contacts; easily user replaceable
Leaves a pristine, dry, static-free record
The MW-1 is housed in an aluminum water proof case with a welded stainless steel water tank which drains out the back.
New vacuum tube assembly with auto adjustment
Removes solution from record's surface all at once

Included with the MW-1 Cyclone:
2' Delrin record clamp
Easily removable dust cover
8oz bottle of VPI cleaning fluid & cleaning brush
Replacement brushes, fluid and suction tubes may be purchased as needed (extra charge).
1 year manufacturer warranty on motor.
2 year manufacturer warranty on machine.
Price: $1000

Company Information
VPI Industries, Inc.
77 Cliffwood Ave. #3B
Cliffwood, NJ 07721

Voice: (732) 583-6895
E-mail: vpiindustries@yahoo.com
Website: www.VPIIndustries.com