In the latest The Absolute Sound

I'm not reviewing the Transrotor turntable but I am reviewing the new record cleaning machine from Germany that's also distributed by Axiss.

I'm confident this new record cleaning machine is the best currently available.

So far Lloyd Walker and I have (I think) the only two in the USA of this version. It clearly beats anything I've heard but it's very expensive.

Maybe after the record cleaning review Arturo will want me to audition the Transrotor. I bought the record cleaning machine, so it's not on loan.

I am assuming it is either a Clearaudio, Acoustech or Hanni. I have the Clearaudio Matrix and it is performs great, my albums look like brand new and sound very quiet when I clean with the Matrix.

I don't doubt your Matrix is excellent, I have not had the pleasure of trying that brand. My choice was inspired by Lloyd Walker who has tested most of record cleaning machines available, including two versions of the Loricraft (his previously highest rated machine for cleaning).

The new machine is called Odyssey RCM MKV and it is basically a German engineered version of the Keith Monks with extra motors and precision driven cleaning arm.

Regarding Thomasheisig post.

The cleaning machine from AP is based on the Keith Monks. Made from the former Importer of Keith Monks.

The KM is absolutely the best machine ever made and this one is Version based on it. Different name.

I agree, the problem with Keith Monks and the Loricraft is the arm is left to gravity follow the LP (groove). If you have liquid near the label it gets caught in the run out groove and does not get picked up. Plus, the string that serves as protective boundary between the high suction and the LP's surface must be moved by hand with both Keith Monks and Loricraft.

The German RCM uses a tiny servo motor to feed the correct amount of thread each time the arm traverses the LP in "reverse" (from run out groove to front of LP). This process insures clean thread during vacuuming, even when excessively applied during cleaning and subsequently flung across the LP by centrifugal force.

The retail of the German RCM is $6500.00. When Keith Monks was alive and working on a much more favorable exchange rate between Pounds, Euro's and US dollar, the Monks was about $4000.00 US dollars plus shipping from the UK.

The Monks has no motor for the string, no motor for the arm and no motor to deliver the cleaning fluid. The German machine has push buttons to accurately distribute fluid and may be ordered with twin pumps and brushes so you can use two fluids or fluid and distilled water.

So far it's no contest, I'm getting resolution I never thought possible. It does a superior job and the added cost is due to superior construction and additional features and parts not found on other record cleaning machines.

Pcosta,

Arturo at Axiss mentioned his Canada dealer on a couple of occasions and that they had purchased two of the latest versions, perhaps the store you mention is the recipient.

The RCM from three years ago is a different model. I have no experience with that version, although it may clean just as well ?

I'm not certain what every change is, but I think the analog gauge mounted into the stainless steel top deck is one of the improvements. This displays the actual vacuum applied to the LP in the finish stage.

Mine is obviously very new, so new that the instructions are printed in German only, even though its the 120V USA version :^).

Fortunately my son speaks and reads some German, so between he and I we managed to get it unpacked, hooked up and running.

Thomas, I agree about static. My VPI 17F gets the LP completely dry at around 6 revolutions of vacuum. At that point, the LP is so charged with static that debris is drawn onto the surface before I can counteract with my Zerostat.

Great responses here, looks like Keith Monks did build later versions with motor for the thread.

The machine I knew and used locally did not have this feature and I (wrongly) assumed all designs continued in this same way.

I also did not know the Loricraft had a motor powered arm. That motor is the force that keeps the arm from "sticking" in the run out groove and failing to pick up all the liquid. The Loricraft I played with in England while covering the audio show there was leaving fluid in the run out grooves and the arm offered no resistance to being moved by hand, unlike the Monks or my Odyssey RCM.

So perhaps the biggest difference between these later versions is fluid pump for the new RCM and the vacuum gauge. Perhaps when I get the English language version of the owners manual I will understand it's features better.

Meanwhile, it is by far the best LP cleaning machine I have ever used. The Keith Monks here locally may have done an equal quality job but my friend that owned it moved away, so I can't make a direct comparison. His machine had a hand pump (no motor). His also required moving the thread by hand. Perhaps this earlier models lacked this feature or perhaps this one was so old the motor was not functioning.

Downunder:

There is something wrong with the cleaning fluid or the VPI RCM??

ABSOLUTELY NOT, I used my VPI 17F for many, many years and my record library was improved both sonically and with superior signal to noise. Perhaps my dedication to the 17F is what caused me to go so crazy for the German RCM. The RCM is indeed better than my VPI and by a good margin.

My nitty gritty used with the pure 2 I think actually removes all static and debris from my records.

Are you using the Nitty Gritty machine or the VPI? I can't tell from your question.

On the topic of fluids, I no longer use Nitty Gritty, or the Disc Doctor because I tested and preferred the sonic character (or lack thereof) of the Record Research fluids.

Unfortunately, Record Research is much more prone to static build up when used with the VPI 17F (due to it's pick up tube) and I think that's because Record Research leaves nothing behind to "treat" the LP. That's good from a sonic standpoint and bad from the static standpoint.

Fortunately, the system used by Keith Monks, Loricraft and Odyssey RCM all avoid the static problem, providing superior cleaning over the Nitty Gritty and all VPI machines while avoiding the static issue.

I just did some research on the Loricraft and found this German review and images (PDF file)

http://www.housetune.de/loricraft.pdf

It appears from the image of the arm that it does not have a motor powering it. This is in line with my experience in England at the audio show there.

Are there two versions of the Loricraft, one with a motor powered arm and one without?

Jtimothya

Albert - I don't believe there is a non-motor-powered arm version of the Loricraft. Perhaps the pictures on your linked pdf for the Loricraft are "deceiving" as they show the pickup arm not attached to a motor. Actually, the bottom of the pickup arm shaft contains a magnet that couples to another magnet on the arm motor. The coupling occurs with the arm in place, so the pictures don't hint at this

That makes sense, it's impossible to know from the photo's. Good information I needed before I write a review on the RCM.

Doug

- best practice, as explained in the instructions, is to start the arm at the label and have it sweep outwards; you can use it the other way if you like variety ;-)

- I've never experienced liquid left behind in the run out groove, the lead-in groove or anywhere else

It appears the operation of the arm is identical for Keith Monks, RCM and the Loricraft, so the run out groove would not present any obstacle to cleaning where the grooves stubbornly direct the cleaning arm toward the center hole.

This WAS an issue with the LP being cleaned in England when I was covering the show there and photographing the Loricraft. Perhaps the demo was being done sloppily or perhaps that ONE LP had been cleaned tens of dozens of times for illustration and wound up being damaged or holding residual fluid.

Anyway, the issue is settled thanks to everyone adding to the pile of information.

As for Downunder finding the RCM at Ebay, I saw that too. In fact, if I had not included the term "Odyssey" in my text here at Audiogon to enable the search, the results are all but impossible to find.

Converting that Ebay price to US dollars is about $3600.00 and that unit is 240 volt. I'm not certain, but that fellow may be the manufacturer. I don't know what it would cost to ship from Europe and then convert it to 120 V, but it would not surprise me if it amounted to several hundred dollars. Add to this new total the import duty, profit for the importer and dealer margin for the end retailer (usually 40 or 50%) and the numbers are about right.

So, is the vacuum gauge, build quality, thread motor, possible vac adjustment or other features worth this additional money? That will be determined over the long haul.

The Loricraft has no dealer network and therefore costs less. I don't sell either machine, nor do I have plans to.

Last, is the Odyssey RCM better than the Loricraft? I can't imagine why, but according to Lloyd Walker (who owns two Loricraft machines) it is and that's the main reason I bought it. I moved from the excellent VPI 17F and wanted to make one last purchase of a LP cleaning machine, a machine that would last me the rest of my life. I think I made the right decision as I'm certain those that own a VPI or Loricraft are comfortable with their choices.