Good record care should feel unhurried, almost automatic, so the attention can stay on the music.
The Nitty Gritty Model 2.5 is an automatic-rotation vacuum record cleaning machine in a solid oak or classic cherry cabinet. Nitty Gritty Record Care Products, an American company working since 1981 and now in Kennesaw, Georgia, builds it.
Heritage
Nitty Gritty's owner's manual counts the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian and the Kennedy Library among the institutions that have used its machines. The 2.5 brings the company's Capstan Record Drive to a wood cabinet, so the record turns on its own through the scrub and the vacuum.
Nitty Gritty calls its machines hand-built, and the catalog that lists the 2.5 says they are made in the USA.
Design and build
The record sits on a platform designed to avoid contact with its grooves and is vacuumed from below through a slot lined with VAC-SWEEP fibers. Nitty Gritty explains that the shape of these lips uses the venturi effect, keeping contact light while raising the speed of the air. Spent fluid slides out in a tray underneath.
Living with it
With the 2.5, you wet the VAC-SWEEP, seat the record under the lip of the capstan and let it turn while the fibers scrub. A press of the switch brings in the vacuum while rotation continues.
Nitty Gritty argues that many cleaning methods leave film, grease, residue and micro dust in the grooves, and it describes the improvement in sound after one of its cleanings as dramatic.
Choosing your Nitty Gritty
The 2.5 is the wood-cabinet counterpart to the black vinyl Model 1.5. For pump-fed fluid, look at the 2.5Fi, and for two fluids on one machine, the 2.5Fi-XP. We're happy to talk it through, and every model is listed in our Nitty Gritty collection.
Specifications
| Type |
Automatic-rotation vacuum record cleaning machine |
| Cleaning |
Wet scrub by the VAC-SWEEP fibers while the record turns, then vacuum extraction |
| Sides per pass |
One side per pass, vacuumed from underneath |
| Rotation |
Automatic (Capstan Record Drive, spring-loaded) |
| Fluid application |
Manual (apply PURE 2 to the VAC-SWEEP before loading the record) |
| Vacuum |
Industrial-grade flow-through vacuum motor coupled directly to a venturi-shaped vacuum slot lined with VAC-SWEEP fibers |
| Record sizes |
12-inch LPs; 7-inch records with the optional 45RPM Disc Adapter; 7-, 10- and 12-inch with the optional 3-Way Adapter Kit (permanent modification) |
| Waste fluid |
Slide-out waste fluid tray on the underside |
| Finish |
Solid Oak, Classic Cherry |
| Construction |
Wood and plastic cabinet; Lexan suction head |
| Cabinet |
15-inch cabinet (fits DC-1 vinyl and DC-2 acrylic covers) |
| Recommended fluids |
PURE 2 (all-purpose, for vinyl LPs and 45s); PURE 1 (alcohol-free, for 78s and lacquers); PUREnzyme+ (enzyme cleaner for heavily soiled records) |
| Session use |
Up to 10 records per session, then 15–20 minutes to cool |
| Warranty |
1-year Nitty Gritty limited warranty (VAC-SWEEP liners and capstan 90 days; commercial use 90 days) |
In the box with the Model 2.5, per Nitty Gritty's owner's manual:
- Nitty Gritty record cleaning machine
- 1 four-ounce bottle of PURE 2 cleaning fluid
- 1 waste fluid tray
- 1 small whisk for cleaning the VAC-SWEEP
Questions
What is the difference between the Nitty Gritty Model 2.5 and the Model 2.0?
The Model 2.0 is fully manual, while the Model 2.5 uses Nitty Gritty's Capstan Record Drive to rotate the record automatically during the scrub and vacuum cycles, and it collects waste fluid in a slide-out tray instead of an internal tank.
How does the Model 2.5 compare with the 2.5Fi?
Fluid is applied by hand on the Model 2.5. The 2.5Fi adds Nitty Gritty's fluid injection system: you press a pump and the machine applies fluid across the record surface from its own reservoir.
Which dust cover fits the Model 2.5?
The Model 2.5 has a 15-inch cabinet, the same size as Nitty Gritty's manual machines. Its DC-1 soft vinyl cover and DC-2 smoked acrylic cover fit it and are sold separately.
Which finishes is the Model 2.5 offered in?
The Model 2.5 is offered in Solid Oak and Classic Cherry, both wood cabinets at the same price. If you prefer black vinyl, the Model 1.5 is the same automatic-rotation design in that finish.
What does the Model 2.5 cost at HiFi Boutique?
At HiFi Boutique the Nitty Gritty Model 2.5 is $1,010.99 in either wood finish, with sales tax included and free delivery in the USA. A four-ounce bottle of PURE 2 and a waste fluid tray come with it.
From our boutique to your listening room
HiFi Boutique is an authorized Nitty Gritty dealer. Delivery is free anywhere in the USA, and sales tax is included in the price.
