REVIEW – SweetVinyl SugarCube SC-1
Janine Elliot takes a listen the SweetVinyl SugarCube SC-1, a device aimed at removing the clicks and pops from your vinyl collection and costs £1500.
“I first got interested in the idea of scratch removal equipment when a child playing some damaged records and not able to enjoy them to the full. I would record them onto reel-to reel-tape and manually remove them using a razor blade and splicing tape. In 1978 I was introduced to a very clever click reduction system under development by a major turntable manufacturer of the time, Garrard, their MRM101 Music Recovery Module (in 1979 priced at £130.78). Later employed at the BBC in the record library I was again introduced to this device, copying LPs, EPs and 78s onto reel to reel tape or cassette for use on air or for producers’ offices. However, the limited design technology of the day meant clicks and scratches were never totally removed, especially those below the peaks of the musical content, though it was a brave attempt. It even included a built-in MM phono-stage. This early digital design was being developed by the company at the same time as they were looking into designing players for Laser discs, both ideas sadly being dropped almost immediately. Later, digital models by SAE and Marantz bravely attempted to resolve a menacing characteristic that has existed since Edison’s first cylinder player. Today, with the use of improved digital technology for processing of sounds things are much easier, and filtering of clicks is common practice on computer based audio recording software. However, a standalone device for your Hifi has been absent for far too long and I was excited to find out about this American product and requested a review from UK distributors Henley Audio.”
