Nrchy, I've seen the SOTA a number of times but never compared its performance directly, although the extra features look to be nice to have. I think if the price difference between them were, say $50, the choice would be obvious.
The VPI 17 is a step up from the 16.5 by virtue of its automated features and the ability to clean in both directions. Whether it's better than the SOTA could be debatable.
I mentioned the Loricraft mainly because it uses a completely different approach, with a nylon thread which comes in contact with the record instead of the 'velvet lips' approach that almost all other record cleaners employ. The machine's operation is QUIET, and the results speak for themselves. It does take a little more time per side to clean, about a minute, and a little more manual operation is involved. The performance and the lack of sounding like a loud vacuum cleaner were what sold me on it.
Brian
The VPI 17 is a step up from the 16.5 by virtue of its automated features and the ability to clean in both directions. Whether it's better than the SOTA could be debatable.
I mentioned the Loricraft mainly because it uses a completely different approach, with a nylon thread which comes in contact with the record instead of the 'velvet lips' approach that almost all other record cleaners employ. The machine's operation is QUIET, and the results speak for themselves. It does take a little more time per side to clean, about a minute, and a little more manual operation is involved. The performance and the lack of sounding like a loud vacuum cleaner were what sold me on it.
Brian