Pro-ject debuts $399 vacuum RCM

I'm going to fit the next one in the shop. If it's stiff again I'll just get a refund.

 

Imagine that, something from Pro-Ject not working properly.

I'm amazed

 

Mine definitely had/has the same issue. Has greatly improved after a few days use but certainly still a bit stiff. Nothing that has really bothered me tho.

 

Apart from that, how doe sit perform, are you happy with it? If it's duff I'm thinking of putting the money towards a speaker upgrade

 

It greatly reduces surface noise which is all I ask. It does so better than a Spin Clean with less work and much faster. I dont have any experience with any other RCM to compare it to tho. I would say I'm more than pleased with it.

 

That was exactly why I wanted one, fingers crossed for the replacement. Thanks!

 

Have you tried cleaning a 7" single with it? The FAQ on Henley Designs website says it's not possible due to the size of the platter. Does the clamp reach the groove area on a 7"? I'm incredibly tempted given the price, but I think the lack of 7" cleaning kills it for me.

 

Got a call from the dealer to say that they can't get a replacement at the moment as it's on backorder with Pro-Ject for 3-4 weeks. So I'm getting a refund until I'm convinced it isn't going to be an issue. Sensibly(!?) I'm using it to take a pair of Monitor Audio Gold 50's home on demo as they sounded great in the shop and hopefully a nice step up from my BX2's. From record cleaner to speakers, not sure how I ended on that path

 

I've had an earlier version of this RCM for 10 years & have probably cleaned 3,000 lps on it without any issues whatsoever. I think it's outstanding bang for the buck.

 

I got to see and hear this in the flesh today, good points are that it looks pretty well designed and thought out, I can't see any issue with the clamp and lack of a platter, in fact that should be a benefit, the only real downside was how loud it is, louder than a VPI 16-5 and much louder than a MW1, I think you will need industrial ear protection for prolonged cleaning sessions. Interestingly they were talking about two new models at higher price points, if the sort the noise levels out that could be very interesting.

 

Mine arrived today after nearly a months wait for new stock. First impressions are good though won't set it up properly till the weekend. Never thought I'd justify a RCM to be honest when I started collecting vinyl again last year but having zapped barcodes galore on the new discogs app last weekend and discovered/remembered how much some of the stuff I've bought is worth - on my list most original 80s/90s stuff was all I had left from when I sold my collection years ago, all the reissues/new releases I've bought in last 9 months (david.hughes.969952 / Collection »)
And so I decided not to cancel the order and, yeah, it arrived today. Speaking to Henley this afternoon some things are different on this new batch. The wash it fluid is for normal AND shellac 78s it says on the label now plus there's a little pouch of grease included to grease the vacuum arm (seems like they've listened to criticisms or realised the issue described on here and other forums). Also the mixing levels have changed, it's not 1:5 anymore it states 1:10-1:20!!! According to Henley this is because Customs were treating them as hazardous so they've had to change the make up of the liquid.

 

Thanks for the update, I still intend to pick one up. It would be great if you could update on this once you've cleaned a few records. Glad they've included some grease, I was going to set the next one up in the shop and take my own!

 

An email from a friend on Twitter (English not his first language so excuse typos I haven't corrected them), copied and pasted below, as far as I can tell mines the same. The seal is now foam like and the screw nob instead of the original 'ball'

"What I quite do not like is the change regarding the clamp seal. I talk to distributor on Bristol Show and they had people complaining about ripping off the seals pretty easy. So I understand why they supply the clamp with this rubbery-foam instead.
Only problem is that it does not really protect the label. Reason being as it works as a sponge, kind off. It just sucks that liquid in and than you have it on the label.
It it even get stuck on it as its wet

so when you unscrew the top clamp, the record is coming of together

Not a big deal but I believe the old Oring seal was better, even there was a risk of getting damaged easily.
I will probably DIY upgrade my and I fit custom rubber Oring.
Another change which I do not really understand is the screwing knob instead of the original ball shaped, which I kind of liked. But this is only a cosmetic, so not really bothered"

 

So they've made changes that mess up the label clamp? Any pics?

 

That's a shame as the label cover is my favorite part of this design. Far more eloquent then the version I made out of cardboard for my Okki.

 

Pictures on this Twitter post here. I'm on my mobile at mo and uploading pics needs url on here by look of it. Look here

Richard on Twitter »

 

Just picked one up in the ebayUK 20% flash sales, so paid £250 delivered! See my post in the vouchers/offered section. Sale is on until 10pm tonight. UK PayPal accounts only.

 

I never did follow up on this but I case anyone searches in the future... I've been using this for a while now and it's been great. They supply some grease to apply to the arm and while it's s still a tight fit, it works well this time. My only issue is that the cleaning pads unstick themselves if it's in a hot room. When swap them I'll degrease the arm I case it's just got a film on it. It's been fine during operation though. For the money I'm very happy with it and have cleaned about 100 lps so far.

 

For the money (over there) it's hard to beat, but they want $500 plus for them in the US. With competition like the Okki, I don't know why they bothered. At $400 it's worth consideration.

 

I see the Pro-Ject is now available at Needle Doctor. I have purchased from them several times
before and they have always been good people to work with. Ive been looking to purchase a RCM
for quite some time, but havent yet due to the different issues associated with each of the usual suspects.
I want to purchase one to clean records, not modify or tweek to fix quality control or design issues,buy
additional mats, wands,ect. Sounds as if Pro-Ject has addressed some initial kinks with the wand.
Dont like whats been stated about label damage.
It will be interesting to see what else might come up, but they may have a winner here.
Comparisons to OK may be deciding factor.

 

I'm thinking of returning my Okki Nokki for a few reasons and grabbing this one.
--I like the speed--it looks to be at least 2x faster
--I like the platter less design--always getting dust on my freshly cleaned records when i flip them. Although I am worried what effect "leaning into" the cleaning for dirtier records will have with no platter--any thoughts? I seem to recall that Record Doctor owners had issues with this style of design but it seemed to have more to do with wobbly platter design on that one. Doesn't appear to be the case on videos I've seen.
--I'm thinking the fact that it can dry faster will reduce static buildup which often was a problem on my ON even at 2 revolutions.
--Not sure how this will fare, but the ON often leaves a rather substantial trail of wetness on the inner grooves and dead wax after cleaning more than say 3-5 records. It's annoying

 

How are users getting on with the Project's platter-less design? In my mind, the platter is a design flaw of the Okki Nokki. Then again, without a platter, what is supporting the record during vacuuming?

 

Fine, you're not really exerting any downward pressure even when applying the solution with the brush. The vacuum is powerful enough to draw the record up slightly to the nozzle. I cleaned sisters, vision thing the other week and that's a flimsy vinyl and it was fine. This ones been really good for the money I think, it does what I expected it too... although I've not used anything else prior.

 

Thanks. It does seem better VFM than the Okki!

 

I just watched a video of this RCM. All it does is spin the platter and vacuum the cleaning solution off. You have to manually drizzle the solution onto the record and then manually use a record brush to spread the solution around the record and then do the cleaning yourself. The brush is not connected to or in any way part of the machine, nor is the record solution. No thanks. I use a record brush on my turntable already.