Music Hall WCS 2 Record Cleaning Machine Review
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- I finally gave in and bought a record cleaning machine, the Music Hall WCS-2. In this video, I do a demo and make some visual observations between it and the Okki Nokki and VPI 16.5. If you live in Canada and want to buy one, they can be found at Auido Oasis in Toronto. Punch up audiooasis.com to get there.
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Great record cleaning machine Mark loved that demonstration.
Thank for tuning in Lovell.
Good demo, Mark. Lots of good info; appreciate the cons as well as the pros. I do like the look of this machine. That big record clamp is awesome, too!
Both you and DrDdwx come down kinda hard on the VPI but I have to say, if I needed to buy another one today, the 16.5 would still be at the top of my list. This thing has been a dependable workhorse for at least a dozen years and is still going strong! Nevertheless, the Music Hall model seems like a good, solid machine that will definitely keep your records clean. I've had good luck with other Music Hall products. Congratulations and welcome to the rcm world. You're going to love it!
Thanks Rob. Sorry if it sounded like I was bashing the VPI. They have been the undisputed leaders in the field of record cleaning for many years. The way you feel about the 16.5 is similar to the way I feel about the Denon DL 103 MC Cartridge. Both are proven products that haven't changed in design or construction for 30 years. Many will say that the 103 is dated because of it's heavier tracking and conical stylus but I know just how good it sounds and I love it. So I know where you're coming from. It's great hearing your point of view. I actually re watched your demo vid, before I shot mine. You were using the VPI brush. Have you tried other brushes that gave better results or do you still use that one? I'm just asking because I'm not sure if I'm really liking the one I got with the machine.
Hi Mark. Great to see you posting again. I am still at the stage of really wanting to get a RCM but don't have space or money for it! I know Moth cleaning machines are quite popular in the UK. The one, actually two, points you made that were interestingly conflicting, were; You didn't like the enclosed or surrounded platter that some machines had, and preferred the open type. Then said you would have to change from your spray bottle to stop any overspray. Surely the enclosed cleaners are designed to catch the overspray. I'm not pointing out mistakes, just discussing. Really I'm a bit geleous. It's certainly better than my kitchen sink! Take care.
Very good review, I was looking at these recently and I don't think it's something I'll be spending a wad of money on. I've been using the $99 SpinClean system and it does a good job. I like how you are displaying your albums on the wall, I have many of those myself. I love that Donald Fagen "The Nightfly" album.
Hi Mark,
Great to see you again buddy.
I did not know that the VPI's were made out of particle board. I do like the Okki Nokki machine but after seeing that I really like that one better. I have always liked the Music Hall turntables and it looks like they can build cleaning machines just as well.
Wow, the Opera-Consonance almost looks identical to that one. But hey, the dynamics may be a little different. I think you did the right thing buying the Music Hall. Buying the O C may have been like settling for a bootleg copy of Pink Floyd's 'Division Bell' instead of waiting a little and finding an original. OK, bad comparison but you know what I mean. I think. {smile}
Nice review filled with record cleaning machine facts and info. Thanks a lot Mark. I hope to talk to you soon~
Rob/Boston
Hey Rob! Thanks for the comments Rob. Hopefully I can keep up with the videos, been a long time since I've done any kind of a vinyl update. Apparently the O.C. machine has been around for a long time so if any one is the bootleg, it would be the Music Hall. In any Case, I'm quite happy with it. Great hearing from you Rob!
Awesome Mark!! I may have to break down and get a machine myself but they are so costly!!!
Hi there SQDLVR. Thanks for watching. Yes they are costly and I debated about getting one for almost 2 years. When I finally made the move, it was probably not the best time financially for me to do so, so I have some guilt about it. But at the same time, I wouldn't send it back, having too much fun with it. To erase some of the guilt, I have put a couple of my turntables up for sale to help cover the cost of the machine. I have too many as it is but it's still hard to let go.
congrats Mark, I believe the Opera, MH, and some others all come from the same source. :)
Great demo, thanks
Glad you liked it Chris.
Instead of a squeeze bottle, you could always adjust the nozzle head on the spray bottle to straight stream and pull the trigger gently. Just a thought.
I just wanted to clarify something about the inset deck of the VPI. Not only does it have walls that go higher than the platter, but all surfaces therein are laminated to be waterproof and the joints are sealed with rubber cement. In other words, it's designed that way to catch any overspill and not let moisture get to the particle board underneath. You could pour a full glass of water in there and still be okay. Also, there is plenty of room to move around in there. One thing that kind of worries me about the Music Hall model is that there is nothing to catch overspill. I generally clean records without much overspill but, when it happens, it gets caught by that inset deck on the VPI.
Hi Rob. Thanks for that valuable info. I didn't know about the lamination and water tight seal. All I heard was that it was constructed of particle board and from experience I know that particle board and dampness don't mix. Like I said, I am the rookie here when it comes to these things where you are the 12 yr vet so
naturally I respect your opinion.
beninski707 I have seen VPI's on ebay that were crumbling from water damage. You are right, when it comes to water and particle board its going to finds its way in there somehow.
What made you choose this over the Okki-Noki, it sound like you liked the features of it more than this?
SupraWes Hey Wes, thanks for checking in. I liked the fact that the Okki Nokki had a reverse and I liked the acrylic cover. I'm missing both with the music Hall. But the Canadian distributor went bankrupt and the availabilty in the US is not very good. Also, a couple of youtube users made videos showing issues they were having with the Okki Nokki. So at this point, I'm not so sure about it. Then I came across some pics of the Music Hall and fell in love with it's cool looks. I also liked the massive clamp which covers and seals the entire label preventing any moisture from touching the label. As of 2 months ago, it became available in Toronto (3 hr drive from here) so I decided to make my move and I must say that I'm glad I did. So far it's been great.
beninski707 Who makes those thin LP shelves? They look great!
Now that you have had it for some time, do you still believe this was the way to go? I have looked into the Okii Nokii and one person has a video up and his makes a horrible sound when in reverse. Also, wouldn't scrubbing backwards achieve similar results. It looks like you are the only one with a review currently up. Have you spoken with others who own this unit? What's the consensus?
Mark, I was just about to say get a squeeze/ketchup bottle for your fluid, but you just said it. I already told you about the second mat on FB, but if you want, get two (make 'em out of cork and label 'em with a sharpie!) and you won't have to worry about dust on the mat. Some put away the wands for the dust reason - up to you. As for brushes, I'd try one of the paid pads I use, but the small handheld one and see if you like it - loads of bristles, very soft. If you want to experiment with fluids, I use "Nature's Miracle" as an enzyme cleaner on stubborn records.
Hi Kris, thanks for watching and the cool suggestions. May just give that "Nature's Miracle" a try. The cork mat idea is also something I'm gonna look into. Thanks for the feedback.
what's the song behind? trumpet...
I love the dog with the toy haha
You did great with your price. Audio Oasis is selling yours now for $999CDN plus 13% tax. Grand Fidelity is still $650US so $915CDN plus free shipping and they take care of duty and import charges. Still over $200 savings from Audio Oasis. In the end you still did way better. I like the look of yours better though.
Love the video. I think this is the first video review of the MH record cleaner. I purchased mine from Audio Oasis last month and I must say it works well, albeit ear plugs are a must. I do have one question that has been unanswered: where can one purchase extra suction wands once the original one wears out. This is essential for the RCM to function in the near future. To date, Roy Hall/MH and the Cdn distributor Plurison have no answer. This model has been out since last year (in the US) and there are still no spare parts such as the suction wand...and not a single reply from Roy Hall/Music Hall to my email requests. That is just plain rude IMO. I also have a MH 5.1SE turntable and I am now regretting my investment with this manufacturer. Sorry for the rant but I am quite disappointed. Btw, I believe the WCS-2 is a re-badged Hanss Acoustics RC-20 which has been out for several years. This manufacturer also does not sell the suction wand. Any help on locating spare parts is appreciated.
Hey there MrMcbru, I am having the same frustrations. I am positive that the MH is exactly the same as the Opera Conasance model on the Grant Fidelity website. I've emailed them and MH with no success. I suppose we should have researched this beforehand. I absolutely love the cleaner but you would think that replacement wands would be available somewhere. I agree that MH is plain rude for not answering emails especially since we invested $750 in their machine. If you find out where to purchase these, please let me know and I will do likewise. Thanks for watching and your comments. Looks like we are in the same boat. Hopefully, it will continue to float.
Mark Williams
Thanks for the quick reply Mark. Unfortunately it was not the feedback I had hoped. Wow, another customer getting the silent treatment from Roy Hall. Not a good sign at all, and an indication that he and his business Music Hall Audio do not care about their customers. I'll try calling MH instead...emails are just too easy to avoid. But it doesn't look good since the Canadian distributor for MH had no clue where to obtain parts when I spoke to them a few weeks ago. I'll let you know what they say.
MrMcbru Appreciate that. If I turn anything up, I'll let you know as well. thanks for all your input!!
Let me know if you get no results. If so, I will post a video talking about Music Hall`s lack of concern for their customers and send it to them as well as the rest of the You Tube Community. You can`t sell a product today with no customer support or recognition. They need to know this.
beninski707
Still no response to my emails or telephone calls. I am certainly regretting my decision to purchase Music Hall products.
I think overall the Okki Nokki is a better machine for less money, but they are having problems right now with warped turntables, they are made of plastic and I've been thru two of them so far from Amazon and both are seriously warped. A shame and I hope they can make me a happy customer, we'll see......
+SDPickups Hi there. Cost wise there's not much difference between the two. I would have went with the Okki Nokki had they been more readily available on making this video but I'm glad now that I didn't as I've heard of several people having issues with theirs including you. Wands for my machine are finally available (my only gripe in this video) and I have had zero problems with the machine itself. Not sure how you can say the Okki Nokki is better with all that going on. In ant case good luck!!
+beninski707 It turns out that the warp is easily fixed, in fact they designed the platter to be easily manipulated and flexible so they wouldn't shatter during shipping. Okki Nokki got back to me and told me to just put pressure on the high spots and I was easily able to make the platter flat, so it works great now.
So you were sent not one, but two, defective units and it's somehow a better machine? That makes no sense. You had to repair your own defective unit! That is the definition of a bad machine.
+cootaloot I could not agree more.
Just thought I'd share, I checked out Grant's site and that cleaner doesn't appear to be there anymore... maybe there was litigation? Dunno, but the price difference got my attention. Oh well. Musicdirect has a pretty nice bundle sale on the 16.5 right now and while, like you, I like the look of the MH better, the customer service aspect of that company, and i have heard about it for years, not just in the comments section for your video here, is a big turnoff. What if you had spent 5 large on one of their turntables and couldn't get a response, personally I'd be livid. Neither here nor there though as I have not made a purchase yet, but now that I have a very high table, i want a better way to clean my collection. Great video, it's food for thought.
Thanks Bif!! After having this machine for several months now, I am still very pleased with its performance but still no word on spare parts that I will eventually need. Poor, customer service for sure. Don't blame you for going the VPI route, probably would do the same if I could do it all over again. Thanks for the comments.
+beninski707 Music Hall has a direct number. When I called, I got the president! He was very helpful in helping me find the Canadian distributor (Plurison). They advertise some replacement parts on their site as well.
Looks like the message went through to Roy Hall. The Music Hall site musichallaudio.com/wcs2/ now lists three WCS accessories: the wand/felt pads, brush and clamp. They are not (yet) listed on the big audio sites but I can only assume it's just a matter of time. Btw, I never did receive a reply to my voice mails and emails. While I have some nice performing MH gear, this lack of response is more than enough to make me avoid any future MH products.
I'm with you on that. It's just plain shitty customer service and they don't deserve any repeat purchases. Thanks for the info and I'll keep an eye out for who's selling those parts. If I find out anything I'll let you know. Thanks again for keeping in touch and keeping me informed.
Oh BTW. I noticed you posted a review on Needle Doctor. I wrote one as well, gave three stars and talked about the poor customer service. In the end, they didn't post my review..after all, it could and probably would affect the sales of the RCM. If a website is going to accept reviews of the products they're selling, they should take the good with the bad.
beninski707 I must have written the review before I started to inquire about the spare parts. While the machine does work very well, the after-sales silent treatment leaves a sour taste. Appreciate you keeping in touch about the spare parts...let's hope the pricing/shipping is reasonable. Cheers,
MrMcbru A second thought: when the time comes to replace the felt pads on the wand, I think I will try ordering some other makes such as Nitty Gritty, Clear Audio, etc.... The felt pads can be removed with some heat and careful peeling. Why should I purchase the full wand just to get the felt pads. Another reason to avoid MH.
Sorry for all the comments, but here is the replacement wand from a Canadian distributor for only $30 plus tax and shipping. Fairly reasonable, considering you may only go through one every few years. Still probably worth investing in having a back-up ready to go: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1113372-REG/music_hall_wcs_2_wand_and_spring_vacuum_cleaning_arm_with.html/prm/alsVwDtl
Just peel the pads off the wand and use Disc Doctor ones. ;)
Thanks Mark. I will give that a try when the time comes.
A nice record cleaning machine like that one is something that I could really use. But when I see these, I think that they could be manufactured and sold for about $300 or less. There's a fortune to be made by the first person to do that, so long as it isn't K-Tel or Ronco (:->
Hi Craig. Can't argue with you there. Someone is making a killing on these things. And no, a plastic record machine from K-tel would not be good.
+beninski707 Cost on these to retailers is currently $631 CAN. I am very, very close to buying one. I just want to do my research as I tend to be fussy. I previously used a Nitty Gritty at work and had mostly good results. It was nice because it cleaned both sides at the same time!
+Travis Doucette (Retrobox) Hi Travis, If you can get it for that price, you should. I know the wands are now available on the Music Hall website but at the time I was looking, they were not. The only contact information listed was Roy Hall's E-Mail as well as the e-Mail of his main guy Leland Leard. I sent numerous e-mails to both persons regarding the spare wands with zero replies. IMO these guys aren't interested in customer service once they have your money. I soon found out that I could purchase these wands from Grant Fidelity as they sell an identical machine except for the colour and at the time was $150 less than the music hall. Wish I had dealt with them instead strictly because of the shitty customer service of Music Hall.
I Other than that I have no regrets for the purchase of the machine itself. It continues to work great. If you haven't checked out Grant Fidelity, here is a link. shop.grantfidelity.com/Analog-and-Record-Cleaning-Machine/Accessories-and-Record-Cleaning-Machine/
+beninski707 Maybe try calling the direct line opposed to email. I was able to get through right away.
I came across a useful discussion on Canuck Audio Mart:
www.canuckaudiomart.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=35836
Looks like the concerns about poor after-sales service and hard-to-find spare parts are common. But there is much praise for the WCS-2 design and performance.
Btw, I already purchased 2 spare wands from Grant Fidelity (thanks for the tip Beninski!). Great service and OK price, especially when compared to the MH experience told in the CAM thread.