Features

I initially suspected this was nothing more than taking software libraries like Cedar/Izotope into a chip, and processing the input on the fly. I can do similar by capturing a rip, open my raw rip file in Audirvana, enable AudioUnits to invoke the Izotope declick module, and listen in realtime while it declicks the output (never touching the source file).

Or, load my rip into Izotope directly, setput the declicker and let it auto-declick the whole side. It takes longer of course, and it is a static setting (how aggressive a declick setting to use).

It sounds like the SC has more intelligence in applying the algorithm, although I am speculating, seems as if it is not applying one blanket setting across then entire LP side? My two methods above both do, so this would be a big point in favor of the SC1/SC2 technology.

Further, much to their credit, I wrote the guys at SweetVinyl who make the SugarCube and asked if I could send my 24/192 wav capture and have them declick it through the SC2 for me, and they happily agreed!
Since the unit has no idea what is feeding the analog inputs, I figured this would be possible, and it was, they explained the only possible impact would be the file would get digitized twice. The results were very impressive to my ears, it gave me a glimpse of before/after, and a chance to compare my own manual declicking with Izotope versus theirs. I want one.

Since the SC2 would save me the time of manually de-clicking, which is typically 2x actual playback time, I definitely want one, I just have to convince the household minister of finance of the value proposition and ROI....

The Strength control on the chassis is a knob not a button.

This is the perfect toy for beloved yet flawed LPs.

Remember the SAE 5000A back in the day?

It would be big fun to compare and see where this new technology struts its stuff!

A member of our Hi Fi club got one and I will get to hear it in 3 weeks at his meeting.

I have a "minty" mono early pressing of Kind of Blue that has the noise profile of a old 78 rpm disc, so I'm taking that and we will see!!

Thank you for reviewing it, it is on my short list for shopping.

...for the files. It seems to do a pretty decent job. I'm sure you remember the SAE 5000A "Click and Pop Machine"? I had one, it worked, but it really degraded the sound.

A fun review, thanks. However, it seems inevitable that someone will mention an existing, much more cost-effective alternative to this device, so I'll be that guy.

Namely, if real-time digitization and de-clicking of records is something you need, it can be accomplished via Bryan Davies' ClickRepair RT software, which runs well even on an obsolete laptop -- total cost only a few hundred dollars if you already have a USB ADC and DAC. ClickRepair RT also appears to be more flexible than what SweetVinyl is offering, though I certainly wish them every success.

Personally, I've never found the need for real-time click reduction, though performing it on a rip is another story. But I can imagine that Click Repair RT (and maybe the SweetVinyl?) would be great for anyone with a large collection of 78s.

I actually enjoy ripping vinyl to the computer and fixing up the ticks & pops (manually in some cases). Yes, it's time-consuming, but if you use the right software and listen carefully to what you're doing, the results are very good.

The concern I've always had, is the extra wear and tear on the poor stylus, compared to playing really clean records. If I'm ripping an LP that I know is in questionable shape, I have a spare stylus on hand, saving the 'pristine' stylus some grief and wear and tear.

I've heard the PureVinyl folks at shows proclaim benefits of applying RIAA digitally, and this seems like another great potential feature for the Sugar Cubes since there is already ADC conversion going on. Is there currently a way to accomplish this with either of the existing Sugar Cubes (with or without help from something like PureVinyl software)?

I'm so glad you showed this to me at the LA Audio Show last year. I look forward to getting on of these in my system so I can feel more at ease by used vinyl.
Tape loop is going to get some use again!
Roey

Could you also check the real time performance using the laser turntable as vinyl source? Unless you haven’t build a dust free clean-room the LT’s laser will detect every tiny dust particle and produce more clicks and pops than any other needle based cartridge. A real challenge and a tough job for the Sugar Cube!?

Hey I have one of these in NM condition. Looks like it went up in value since I bought it 25 years ago!

Hi, I'm glad you finally answered my question on the fourth forum try. I thought there would be a slight change in character using a digital conversion; however, the overall benefit is superior, especially for damaged or poor quality surfaced records.

I plan to use the SugarCube SC-2 for mastering from 78s (I have 7,000 in my music room and 4,000 in storage) and noisy and damaged LPs (I have 25,000 LPs with similarly rare but worthy music to be savored). It is very convenient to use in the tape loop position, switching it in or out of the pre-amp.

This is something that archival university 78 rpm record collections should use instead of their "one size fits all" declicking, noise reduction technology and then converting to MP3s instead of higher resolution files. With the SC-2, they can download the corrected version to a harddrive immediately.

Those of us willing to transcode vinyl and remove clicks in a workflow are likely an extremely small niche group.

I get the impression the SC-1 will just make LPs more enjoyable without any effort.

I own an SC-2, and think that it is worth clarifying that it is still very much a beta product. Track tagging and splitting have not been implemented. they have been promised in "the second quarter."

Wondering what it would do to tracks that are supposed to have clicks and pops in them, like The Flaming Lips "She Don't Use Jelly", XTC "Respectable Street" and many others.

They originally announced these at $1500 list for the SC-1 and $2500 list for the SC-2. Now, they are each $500 higher, which prives them right out of my interest. They shot themselves in the foot back jacking up the price.
Here’s the original interview. (go to 6:35)
https://www.analogplanet.com/content/sweetvinyl-sc-1-and-sc-2-and-runnin...

Dan Eakins description of Sweet Vinyl's algorithms sounds in part like what I remember of the Dolby Digital feature on my old cassette deck. Specifically, zeroing in on the attack/decay differences between noise and music. I never liked DD much -- at least in my modestly priced deck, it seemed to kill the treble pretty well too. If you remember the sound of DD on cassette decks, how would you compare its effect to Sweet Vinyl?

Just thought we would jump in and provide a little feedback from the team here at SweetVinyl. First thanks to Michael for spending the time and putting the SC-1 through the paces on his amazing system and all the effort he has put into covering our project over the last several years.

On the pricing front, we were left in a dilemma as we believe the basic systems should be less than we are at right now for the SC-1 and SC-2, inline with our original pricing model.

However digitizing analog in the best systems with little to no perceptible difference comes at a price and the cost of the hardware in the system crept up as we refined the design forcing us to raise the list price. As a result our first products can sit in a system like Michael's and improve the experience.

We did offer very attractive pricing to anyone who came to visit us by adding them to our email list and inviting them to the Indiegogo campaign.

As there is still a need for a more affordable design point we started working on some stripped down models that will have less hardware features and a step down in the finish of the enclosures which will improve the list price to be at or better than our initial targets.

We have a lot of work to get the SC-2 out of Beta and into production with track splitting and meta-data tagging working on the units in the field - as well as other software updates to the systems as we make improvements and add features.

If you are at Axpona, stop by and say hi, we will be on the 6th floor and we have a special demo we will be showing of surface noise reduction on 78 vinyl running on a SugarCube!

Yours in SweetVinyl.

I gotta know, how does it [the Sweet Vinyl Sugar Cube] compare to the CEDAR DCX/CRX Digital Declicker/Decrackler combo? I have one of those, and I have not found anything else at any price to exceed its performance on the widest variety of phonographic material. the only place where it falls down, is on low brasses, it cuts the teeth out of them unless the levels are set very low, which allows some crackly grunge to slip in at those times. I am wondering if the Sugar Cube has any similar problem with low brasses or musical transients?

A regular, "old" classical music concert goer here in New York City, it seems to me that there are more younger
people at the concerts I attend than there were when I sat in the balcony in Carnegie Hall listening to Leopold Stokowski conduct the American Symphony Orchestra. Of course, my evidence is purely anecdotal as is yours, Michael, If your looking for a demographic to single out for a laugh, try the wives an girlfriends, young and old, who having been dragged to concerts kill time by flipping the pages of their programs collectively creating an amisical racket.

I purchased the SC-2 soon after seeing a demo at the 2016 New York Audio Show via Sweet Vinyl's indiegogo campaign, so glad I did. Since receiving mine a year after placing the order I've played loads of records through the SC-2 and find it to be an indispensable part of my system. It works as advertised and 95% of the time I cannot hear any difference in the sound with the SC-2 engaged or bypassed. I'd say that percentage was even higher using a solid state amp, but when I added a hybrid SS/tube power amp to my system I found that small difference more apparent on some records, but not most.

I haven't done much recording yet, but I look forward to the full implementation of the software before I'll really spend much time doing so. What recording I have done has left me impressed.

There have been a few bumps with the software, however recent updates seem to have really smoothed out the experience of using the phone app as a controller, and they kindly sent me a new wi-fi dongle as I was having trouble connecting with the original one, the new one has worked right every time.

Those interested in further discussion of the SC-2 can look for my thread over on the Steve Hoffman forum where I have several recorded samples posted throughout the thread.

After having the SC-1 for over 7 months now, let me tell you how indispensable this unit is! When Michael uses words like "miracle" in a write-up, you know he must be impressed; I have found him to be one who is not prone to exaggeration over the years.

It is truly a remarkable product. I have played many hundreds of lps now, testing everything from the new and the mildly clicky, the click and pop-ridden, to the "this looks too damaged to play" . The SugarCube not only makes them all listenable, but, unlike Michael and his trained ears, I cannot discern the slightest difference in sound dynamics when the unit is on or on bypass. All it does is remove clicks, leaving the exact sonic signature and decibel level behind.

A few weeks ago, I journeyed to my used record store that had a 5 buck copy of Friends, by The Beach Boys. Five bucks because 'loved up' is far too kind as a description of the scratchfest that is the vinyl surface. Bought it, cleaned it, played it without the SC-1...ouch. Turned on the SugarCube...perfection. I kid you not.

It has transformed my vinyl listening experiences. Yes, it's like I have a mint copy of everything.

Audiophiles, listen up! You won't regret it...get one.

The 2 best accessory items I heard at Axpona were the sugarcube and audio envy cables.

Not many of us are fortunate enough to own original Paramount 78s of Charlie Patton, Son House, or Skip James. So we rely on cds on Document, Yazoo, or Third Man. Many of these records, American treasures all, exist only in one or two copies collected by intrepid collectors in the 1960s. Yesterday at AXPONA I asked the designers if the algorithm would work with these cds, through a regular cd player, and make some of these nearly unlistenable recordings sound good again. They assured me that it would. My question is: has anybody tried this yet? If this works it would, I imagine, revolutionize the reissue business and, hopefully, bring new listeners to this wonderful music who's enjoyment has thus far been, shall we say, challenging.

Michael, curious why you say that. I am a beta tester and after sending a comment about bypassing the unit using the tape monitor button on my Nait 3R remote, Dan replied, "By going in out of tape monitor you may be hearing that path in the electronics of your system – if you want to further test transparency we encourage you to put it inline after a phono stage and use our bypass."

Tony

Hi Michael Can you comment on the audio signal play backed through the SC-1 compared to the playback directly through your preamp. In my setup I am using the tape loop in on an Aesthetix calypso. So basically your setup in the review and mine bypass the need to use the bypass on the SC-1 moreover can you compare the two individual playback signals from your record. The sound of my records when played without the the tape loop (SC-1) engaged is far superior in every aspect in playback compared to when the signal is passed through the tape loop tothe SC-1. This comparison in playback has yet to be written about and should be since such an unwelcoming difference exists between the two signal paths at least in my system. Lastly I will note that only the power cord to the power brick is stock and the tape loop interconnects are not to the same
caliber as others that are used in this signal path. I cannot believe at this point what I am experiencing in playback through the tape loop is caused by the level of interconnects and the power cord Please post a comment if you will on what you hear when comparing the two methods of signal playback on your setup.I sadly plan at this point on sending my unit back for a refund based on my experience.

Michael, does the USB support a digital output so that the SC-1 can be used with another DAC?

I use a software tool called "Click Repair" that is quite cheap and works like magic. I imagine it is very similar to what this unit does. You can listen to the original signal, the processed signal, or what it is removing so you can adjust the aggressiveness without removing music. If I get a rare LP that is too noisy for me to enjoy, I digitize it and use this tool. You could use it in real time with a good quality USB audio interface and a PC and it would probably work nearly as well but be a lot clunkier. Nice to see someone come out with a convenient box to do this. To the commenter above. If you like the unprocessed sound better, you don't really have a noisy record.

Does this also help lessen vinyl surface noise? I have some records that I love that really don't have many pops but have some distracting surface noise. Would love to be able to decrease that.

hello,
on the website of music direct sweetvinyl announces a software update for the sc-1 to eliminate vinyl surface noise. is this software update already available , if not when will it be ?
best regards,
frans callebaut

True story!

I use the Sweet Vinyl SugarCube SC-1 Mini to great effect while making compilation "mixtapes" for myself and all my tapehead friends and it is such a joy to be able to make a super clean transfer by removing all the pesky tics & pops!

Fact is the end product is FLAWLESS and the mere fact the music ends up on analog format a second time around, it automatically injects that extra touch of warmth or the small portion you imagined you lost during the digitalization process (except you really didn't - and if you did - it isn't noticeable to 99.9% of your audience I assure you)

Job well done Sweet Vinyl!

I'm interested in the new SC-2 MINI/PHONO with builtin phone stage but have not been able to find any reviews.

Has anyone had a good experience ordering from Sweetvinyl since the pandemic/lock down began?

I'd love to hear some feedback from buyers of the Sugarcube line before I plunked down $3,000.

...and it’s as good as ever. It’s still perfection. I still say, “Get one!”