Analog Gear News

Space, the final frontier — or rather, it’s that sometimes frustrating frontier we all have to face whenever we’re considering adding any kind of new gear into our listening space. As we here at AP are proponents of both the value and necessity of using record cleaning machines (a.k.a. RCMs) to ensure optimal vinyl playback, we’re also mindful of how much space some of the bulkier RCM models out there can take up. Austrian manufacturer Pro-Ject understand this dilemma, so they’ve just added what they’ve deemed to be an “ultra-compact” model into their accessories lineup — a unit that has been duly dubbed the VC-E mini RCM. (The mini RCM must have a smaller footprint, since even its name is given in all-lowercase letters.)

Dissimilar to more conventional record cleaning machines that use a suction arm, the VC-E mini RCM (2.1kg) offers a bottom-mounted vacuum system that is said to simplify operation, reduce mechanical complexity, and ensure “effective” fluid removal from a record’s surface with less noise as compared to the company’s other, bigger RCMs, the VC-E2 (6.5kg) and VC-S3 (8.0kg). All three of these RCMs operate at a cleaning speed of 30rpm, and they’re all made in Europe.

At the core of the VC-E mini RCM system is a brushless DC vacuum motor. The vacuum system is intended to remove cleaning fluid thoroughly, leaving the record surface dry and residue-free after cleaning. The machine includes a built-in tank for collecting the cleaning fluid, and it can be easily emptied when needed.

The VC-E mini RCM uses Pro-Ject’s eco-friendly, non-alcoholic Wash it 2 cleaning fluid, which is said to “effectively” dissolve dust, grease, and other contaminants. (A 100ml Wash it 2 bottle is included.) The cleaning process is also said to help eliminate static charge and reduce dust attraction.

The magnetic record clamp allows for “quick and secure” mounting of the record to be cleaned. The clamp seals the label area to protect it from cleaning fluid, ensuring that only the grooves are treated during the cleaning process. (Footnote 1)

Other features of the VC-E mini RCM include a 4mm aluminium composite cabinet, 12V DC power supply (with power consumption given as 60W max), self-adhesive arm strip, and a cleaning brush.

The VC-E mini’s dimensions are 230 x 155 x 185mm (w/h/d), and its aforementioned weight is 2.1kg (sans power supply). In comparison, the dimensions of the VC-E2 are 310 x 266 x 210mm (w/h/d) and its aforementioned weight is 6.5kg, while the dimensions of the VC-S3 are 415 x 325 x 272mm (w/h/d), and its aforementioned weight is 8.0kg.

Finally, Pro-Ject’s VC-E mini record cleaning machine sports an SRP of €279 (including VAT). Its U.S. pricing has yet to be announced, as of this posting.

For more about Pro-Ject, go here for the U.S., and here for the EU.
To find an authorized Pro-Ject dealer internationally, go here.

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Footnote 1: For more on RCMs, go here to read sister site Stereophile editor Jim Austin’s take on the current state of record cleaning, in addition to his suggestions for cleaning records in an ultrasonic record machine, in a story that just posted earlier today on March 24, 2026.