Pro-Ject VC-S vs Okki Nokki. Which is better?

They appear to be at the same price. The VPI 16.5 is too expensive so I'm looking at these 2 cheaper solutions.

Has anybody bought or tried either one? How about in comparison to other RCMs?

 

Nobody has opinions on these?

 

A friend of mine have the Pro-Ject VC-S and he is very happy with it. It does the job very well, as expected. I cannot comment about the Okki Nokki, but from what I can see online, it looks quite the same... so may be your choice have to be based on the both companies guarantees/maintenance service, spare parts availability etc.

 

Check this out Vinyl Vac - Vinyl Record Vacuum Wand »

 

I don't have the Okki Nokki (I have a Moth) but I know several people who use them and I'm told they are very good. I'd buy one myself if the Moth ever hits the flame..!

 

I am in the market for a RCM and I am leaning towards a Okki Nokki. They have been around for a while no known issues, or issues with the different generations is known by now. My dealer recommended the Okki Nokki for the same reasons. He sells both the Pro Ject and Okki Nooki RCMs.

 

I hemmed and hawed over this decision too but ultimately chose the ON for a few reasons:

• Been around longer and the current iteration is a 2.0 evolution
• Support was rumored to be good here in US and indeed that is true as they were VERY responsive to an issue I had that is resolved

I was seriously considering the Project but at the time it was too new and there was basically nothing out about it plus no longevity data. I would say the two things that really had me wanting this one were the faster platter rotation which I think is a big deal--the ON is sufficient but of course I wish it was faster. Also, another big one for me was the smaller platter. I'm not a fan of putting my newly cleaned side on the platter that previously just had the dirty side on it. Is it a huge deal in reality, probably not, but all things equal I think the Project approach is preferred. The one potential downside of this which I was never able to test was the record flex without the platter support when "scrubbing" the record.

Let us know what you decide. I'm overall very happy with the ON machine and the company representing them.

 

I see you're in Toronto and Okki Nokki has finally sorted out their distributor issues in Canada and it's not distributed by Home Page » who also distribute many other reputable brands.

I've not used the Pro-Ject VC-S but I have used the Okki Nokki. I think both machines will clean equally as well so I don't think you'll have an issue in that regard.

But you are not alone in your plight. Here are two other threads asking the same thing from other forums

Okki Nokki or Project VC-S RCM - Vinyl Engine »

Okki Nokki vs Pro-Ject VC-S »

BTW, many people mention the small platter of the Pro-ject being better in terms of cross contamination. I've never had an issue with that ever and I've had three different RCMs with the larger platter. It you're worried fair enough, but I wouldn't if your wondering. Your record has to be pretty dirty to cause an issue and it's also pretty easy to clean the mat before hand.

One thing I do like about the Pro-Ject though is that it appears to come with a full size label protector. That is actually quite useful especially if you aren't the most careful or neatest person. No matter how careful I am I always get a drop or more of fluid/water on my label and it's always a label that doesn't do well with drops of water

 

As an Okki owner, this is almost enough of a reason to buy the Pro-Ject instead. Instead I just kind of fashioned my own out of a plastic coaster but it still leaves a few mm of wet label.

(As others have said, I'd still buy the ON as it seems to take a few hardware iterations to get an RCM right and the first-gen Pro-Ject might have some issues. Note this is obviously pure speculation of course).

 

I've been using an Okki Nokki for around three and half years and love it.

 

I've never had any issues with this. I suspect you use to much fluid than needed if this happens. I have used my Okki for 2 years now and many 100s of records. No problems at all.

 

I've never had any issues with this. I suspect you use to much fluid than needed if this happens. I have used my Okki for 2 years now and many 100s of records. No problems at all.

 

I've never had any issues with this. I suspect you use to much fluid than needed if this happens. I have used my Okki for 2 years now and many 100s of rec

 

I've never had an issue with the label either--occasionally a drop spills on it. I use a syringe to draw out 4cc of fluid. I use Le Art du Son and can't recommend it enough. It's night and day over the ON fluid it comes with (plus smells waaaay better) and I think it's audibly noticeable too.

I use one of these to mix and house all my fluids:
https://www.amazon.com/Glass-Growle...ywords=Glass+Growler+Bottle+32+Ounces+1+Amber

 

The chance to get the label wet comes more on the rinse, not applying cleaners with surfactant. And for sure, its possible to be more precise, but that doesn't mean that including a label protector isn't a good idea. The process is much faster when you can be a little sloppy without worrying about it.

 

Looks as if the Pro-Ject now available in US so hopefully some reviews will follow.
Be nice to see if initial kinks resolved, and how it now compares to Okki.
Im probably gonna purchase one or the other soon if they really are an improvement over spin-clean, ect.

 

using my Pro-Ject VC S for a little over a week now left me with mixed feelings.
it sure works better than a Knosti style RCM, but in my opinion wood glue is still the most thorough cleaning method.
( i still might need some more practice with the VC-S though)

 

Okki used to be made in europe & friend had one for years with no problems
bought a new one recently ( made in china ) & it broke down on the first day & replaced with a Project ( made in europe ) project also makes less noise & cleans faster

 

I have a friend that just bought the Pro-ject and that thing is huge. It might make a difference if space is a issue. It seems really well built though.

 

While I don't have a rcm yet I've been researching them and there's 2 cheaper options that may be worth considering.
Kab ev1 - which got permission to use some of the nitty gritty design
Squeekyclean From Canada made using 3D printing

Both are manual and need a vacuum attached but come much cheaper

 

I've had the KAB EV-1 for years and recommend it highly. I still use it for a first cleaning of any album. My VPI is used for pre play cleaning.

Also I have a source for the 16.5 at a discount. Shoot a PM if you are interested.

 

I have the ProJect and am very happy with it. But the brush it came with isn't very good. After about 20 records or so mine started to lose its hair. I use the brush from Mobile Fidelity and I also use a different fluid than ProJect's. This seems to give me the best results.
I know someone who has the Okki Nokki, and I've seen (and heard) the results. In my opinion there's not much difference between them.

 

I'm looking at picking up an Okki Nokki in the next few weeks. They seem to get great reviews, and they sell it at a very reasonable price. ($499 shipped via Crutchfield, anyone see it at a better price?)
Is there anything I should be aware of? I've seen the video with the noisy motor, but have never seen any other review where anyone mentions the problem he has/had with the motor in reverse.

Can anyone tell me the dimensions of the current model? Ive seen 2 different sizes listed online, for the same unit. I've seen 335x335mm and I've also seen 390x390mm. I'd like to know if it will fit in a Kallax cubbie. If the 335mm dimensions are correct, it will barely fit.


As far as worrying about the label getting wet, I will be stopping by Home Depot and grabbing one of these. It has weather stripping on the opposite side. Just need to drill a hole in the center.

4 in. Round Weatherproof Blank Cover 5374-0B at The Home Depot - Mobile

 

I have the Pro-ject VC-S and I'm really happy with it. I haven't tried the Nokki, but there are videos showing each on YouTube. I purchased the optional cover for the VC-S and I really like having that. I was pleasantly surprised at the sound level. It isn't nearly as loud as I thought it would be. I had heard a friends RCM (VPI) and it sounded as loud as the shop vac I use in the garage. The VC-S isn't nearly that loud. Don't get me wrong, it is not quiet, but not so loud that I would describe it as obnoxious. I like the brush that came with it. Yes, a few hairs came out of it at first, but once I got rid of those few loose ones, it has been good. It seems to do a good job of spreading the fluid into the grooves without being so stiff that it might harm the record. I also like the fluid. Especially if you do as the instructions on the web say and warm it up. It seems to clean well and leaves no residue that I can see, even if I put a puddle on a record and let it evaporate. So I have no qualms about residue when it is vacuumed off. For this reason, I don't rinse. It all seems to come off perfectly clean. The instructions don't talk about rinsing. Of course there are those that are in a panic reading these words, so I apologize.
The vacuum is plenty strong. It sucks up the fluid in a single revolution. I don't have an issue with the record only being supported in the middle. I was also worried about how that would work, but it seems fine.
The wand is not spring loaded like most seem to be. I kind of wished it was, but now that I've used it for a while it doesn't bother me. It is aluminum (which I prefer over plastic), but that made it a little sticky to move at first. It comes with grease to put on the part that pivots, but even so it didn't move freely enough for me at first. But again, as I have used it a bit, it seems to have gotten smoother.
To empty it, you have to lift it up and pour it into a bucket. It comes with a little spout to put on it to do that. I didn't think I'd like that, but again, it doesn't seem to be much of an issue. It holds so much used fluid, you wouldn't have to empty it very often.
The motor that turns the record is pretty quiet in one direction, but makes a rumbling noise in the other. Again, not as loud as some I've heard.
The one thing I'd wish they had done differently is the optional dust cover. It is just a hair too small to allow you to close it with a record in place. I thought it might be a good idea to spread the cleaning fluid on a record and then let it sit with the cover closed for a few minutes to soak in and loosen the gunk, but the cover is just a hair too small to allow that. It would have been pretty easy for them to have made it a tad bigger.
It seems like a well made unit. I don't have any issues with the build quality. The hinges on the optional cover are probably the 'cheapest' looking part, and they are acceptable if not awe inspiring.
The clamp that you screw down to hold the record has gone through a couple of design iterations. I have what I think is the newest version and it works well. The knob that you screw down is attached to the label protector disk. The earlier version was separate.
Bottom line is I'm more than happy with it.

Terry

 

I just had the Okki Nokki out yesterday cleaning a delivery of new records and a few used ones. I've owned it now for a few years and enjoy using it every time.