VPI or Nitty gritty TOTL's which one is better?

jdwk

jdwk

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
A question for any of you who have had experience with both machines, is one better than the other? does one have any advantage over the other? or are they just two different ways to clean records? I know the nitty gritty top machine does both sides at once, but are there any reasons why I should consider one over the other?
 
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Having pondered this question myself I've come to the conclusion that there is something wrong with a RCM that comes in full contact with the the clean surface of the record as you clean the other side.

So Nitty Gritty would be my vote. The only parts of the machine that touch the record grove area is the leading brush and the trailing brush on either side of the vacuum slot.

You just know that the record is not getting contaminated with dirt particle sitting on the RCM platter (like on the VPI)
 
VPi Hands down. You cannot scrub a record on nitty grittys. Not to mention the rubber wheel on them rides on the lead in so that never gets clean.
 
I love my VPI, as for the touching the clean side, what I do is put a slipmat on the platter and clean side 1, then take the slipmat off and put the clean side down on the clean cork platter of the VPI (did I mention I blow any dust off before I begin the cleaning session). I then put the record in a Mofi sleeve and before I play any of my records I use a carbon fiber brush to get rid of any "new" dust.
 
grumpy said:
VPi Hands down. You cannot scrub a record on nitty grittys.
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+1. If you only buy and clean new vinyl, then this shouldn't be much of a worry. But if you buy garage sale/thrift store records, the Gritty Kitty falls short in the manual scrubbing department.

And as for the clean-side-touching-the-platter deal, I pre-clean one side of each record with an old Discwasher felt brush and a spritz or two of cleaning solution to remove loose dirt/dust, then put that side down first. That way, there's no surface dirt to transfer to the platter.
 
I've never used the VPI but have had great results with the Nitty Gritty Mini-Pro. As far as the leading edge getting cleaned - that has never been a problem - any part of the LP that has music on it or touches the stylus gets cleaned. Does the VPI clean both sides at the same time like the mini-pro?
 
VPI for ease of use and the final results. I have NEVER experienced any contamination from the platter. I have cleaned thousands of records with it and it has never failed me. Highly recommended. If you are going to get great results from you discs this is the way to go. The best 350.00 I have ever spent on my analog rig hands down.
 
Whats some people do is cut a new cork mat and use it for clean sides only. I just brush the mat off when flipping the record over.

Nope the VPI does not clean both sides at the same time. Then again I don't want it too since each can require a different amount of cleaning.
 
There's fans of both machines, and I reckon the bottom line will be, what machine you feel will do the best job for "you".

Best to research both, what they do-don't do. One consideration, is the unexpected possibility of failure down the road. Can the machines be repaired? By the end user, or?

I'm not completely sure of this, (so any of you Nitty Gritty gurus, please feel free to chime in), but I understand that many, if not all of the NG machines have permanently sealed cases, meaning to get inside, one resorts to a Dremel Tool, and Plastic Glue for re-assembly. Once inside, can the the needed repair parts-components be gotten from NG?

There is not a problem getting any of the needed repair parts from VPI, or a VPI Dealer, for any of thier machines. And some of the main components (Platter Motor-Vacuum Motor) can be gotten from places like WW Grainger for a lesser cost.

Many of the most expensive RCMs on the market (Clearaudio, Hannl, Loricraft, K Monks) use a somewhat similar method to VPI in one respect, being that the LP is supported on a Platter. But I believe some of these use a different material, rather than Cork as a Platter Mat. I feel other materials could be used to better this IMO shortcoming, such as neoprene, or perhaps as some others have done, the addition of another, seperate Mat to lessen any chance of cross-contamination.

As I said, research the features, and then one can hopefully make the best choice for his/her needs. Mark
 
I auditioned a NG from my local dealer, before I ordered a VPI. I like that I control the amount of cleaning effort, and it didn't take much practice before I fine-tuned my method for speed on light cleanings, and thoroughness on heavy-duty ones.
 
I purchased a used NG 2.5Fi for $125 from a co-worker, sent it to Gayle w/NG and had it refurbished for an additional $90. For $215 I had a 'new' 2.5Fi. Pre-scrubbing is not a problem for me. I lay down two MF towels, on the first towel I lay down Side 2 & scrub side 1 with a MoFi brush and deep cleaner; move to towel 2 and clean side 2. Take scrubbed LP and then use the NG to post-scrub and vacuum. Pristine success.
 
Klownschool said:
VPI for ease of use and the final results. I have NEVER experienced any contamination from the platter. I have cleaned thousands of records with it and it has never failed me. Highly recommended. If you are going to get great results from you discs this is the way to go. The best 350.00 I have ever spent on my analog rig hands down.
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$350? Who's selling them at that price? Most sites are sell the VPI at $540
 
Well in terms of service I am pretty sure you can't beat Gayle and the folks over at Nitty Gritty - they are first rate. I phone in my order for cleaner and I swear she ships it out that day. I ordered a gallon of Pure 2 on Monday and it was at my door Tuesday! In terms of being able to open up the NG RCM for repairs I can't answer although on my machine the bottom plate is removable. My NG has probably cleaned 2,000+ records and only required replacement of the VAC Sweeps which is pretty easy (which NG sells in sets of four). These units are very well built. One last thing - I really like being able to deal directly with the company that makes the equipment.
 
VPI is a good cleaning machine for light to moderate duty home use. If you clean many records at one time, the motor overheats and can burn out. Went through 2 motors in a year. Same thing with Ingjerd's VPI. We repaired them the third time, sold them to other audiophiles and purchased his and hers Lorricrafts and never looked back. VPI and Nitty Gritty top of the line are a close horse race. If we cleaned fewer records at a time, we'd have kept our VPI machines.
 
well I think the loricraft is better, but those are $4000, I have seen a demo vid, but those are out of my price range. they really look nice. thanks for the help. I do buy Thrift and garage sale records...often. I think Id need a machine that I could clean as many records as I want. I realy wish the RCM companies would make all the machines for pretty much unlimited use. I mean what if there was a turntable manufacturer that made a turntable that you couldnt listen to more than 10 records a day......why would you pay almost $1000 for that?
 
Lastplace said:
$350? Who's selling them at that price? Most sites are sell the VPI at $540
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HW-16.5's pop up on Audiogon all the time in like new or very lightly used condition for around this price. That's how I got mine.

KentTeffeteller said:
VPI is a good cleaning machine for light to moderate duty home use. If you clean many records at one time, the motor overheats and can burn out. Went through 2 motors in a year. Same thing with Ingjerd's VPI. We repaired them the third time, sold them to other audiophiles and purchased his and hers Lorricrafts and never looked back. VPI and Nitty Gritty top of the line are a close horse race. If we cleaned fewer records at a time, we'd have kept our VPI machines.
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The issue of the overheating motor in the HW-16.5 has been discussed ad nauseum on AK, and is easily addressed by installing a small pancake fan on the rear of the machine to vent the heat. With the fan mod, you can clean records continuously with no worries about heat build-up or motor failure.
 
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Lastplace said:
$350? Who's selling them at that price? Most sites are sell the VPI at $540
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Mine is VERY old. Bought from a dealer in Seattle that knows me and set me up with a really nice deal. It was new and came with an extra cleaning tube. I hear you but even at 600 it's the best value for lp's out there.
 
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