I finally got a record cleaning machine. First thoughts.


As I previously mentioned, I was given a load of 78 RPM records which are filthy mandating a cleaning device if I want to play them. After months studying the situation I opted to get a Clearaudio Double Matrix Pro Sonic. A lightly used one came up so I jumped on it. Why this machine and not an ultrasonic cleaner? Several reasons. It uses fresh fluid for each cleaning and discards the waste. It sucks everything off the record. Even distilled water will leave a residue if it is dried by an evaporative method. It uses mechanical scrubbing which my instinct prefers over ultrasound. There is an ongoing argument over what ultrasound will do to shellac. The Clearaudio has a reputation for being very well made and it is.

As for it's performance the Double Matrix is fast, quiet and very effective. The fact that it does not drip fluid all over the place is amazing. Records come off spotless and bone dry. You can play them right off the machine. You can tell that each and every function of the machine was carefully thought out. 

After cleaning  new records that were played once before cleaning, there is no change in noise levels and there is no difference in sound quality. However, there is a noticeable improvement in turntable hygiene! There is always dust on new and old records. I see it when I clean my sweep arm between sides on black felt. Now there is all but zero and everything under the dust cover stays cleaner. THERE IS A MARKED REDUCTION IN STATIC! Vacuum platters will create huge amounts of static under dry conditions but every single record I washed develops none that I can notice. I am not sure why this should be the case but it is. Play a record not washed then static. Play a washed record then no static. The fluid I am using for vinyl records is a proprietary formula of distilled water, Triton X-100, Isopropyl alcohol and benzalkonium chloride. Obviously, this is not the formula to clean shellac, you'd melt it. In one week I am going to replay some of these records to see if the anti static effect is durable or not. My guess is it won't be. You might ask, why benzalkonium chloride? Fungus can live on vinyl. BAK is antiseptic. It also has surfactant properties. 

Lastly, after playing 10 records that had just been wash I inspected my stylus under magnification and there was no residue on it meaning that the fluid and cleaning process left nothing in the groove the stylus could pick up. 

Next I am going to clean some old really filthy LPs I got with the 78s and see how much I can bring them back. 

I have never cleaned new records. My sweep arm collected any dust removing it from the path of the stylus and for decade this worked well. But, I am a clean freak and I like not having to clean the turntable after a listening session. After playing a record, once the vacuum released on removing the record I would frequently get a loud pop or two when the static on the bottom of the record arced to ground. The sweep arm discharged the top of the record during play so none of this affected the sound quality. Static does not turn 180 degree corners. However, it is nice not to have any static at all. So, there are positive attributes to cleaning records that go beyond reducing noise and improving sound quality. It is also fun to watch the Double Matrix do its thing. Worth $6500 for a new one? Only if you have extra money lying around or like buying used records. 

OK, now you can beat me up:-)
 

128x128mijostyn

@no_regrets , no problem. It is always good to do your research first instead of after. Just make sure whatever you get has a warranty covered specifically by Musical Surroundings. They are the importer. I got the Double Matrix because I was given a collection of 78s and needed something to clean them. I researched the situation for almost a year before I jumped in. The Double Matrix is my first machine. It does both sides at the same time, it uses fresh fluid for each cleaning and rinses the record 3 times during each cycle, scrubbing the record at something like 1000 Hz in between then vacuums the record dry, putting the waste fluid in a separate tank. The Audio Desk is a tinker toy in comparison. Ultrasonic cleaners do not vacuum the record dry. If anything they use an evaporative method that leaves the dirt on the record. If you use one you have to to get a vacuum machine to dry the record. then you can only dry one side at a time. My fluid, by the way can only be used with machines that vacuum dry the record or you will leave to much of the active ingredient on the record. I have not proven this yet but I think the anti static ingredient also acts a lubricant.  It is very water soluble but if you rub it between your fingers it is very slippery.

@mijostyn  The Double Matrix sounds like a great machine... and it better be for the money they are asking for it, lol.  

I agree it's a great idea to make sure it will be covered by Musical Surroundings, a great company to be sure!

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me regarding this machine.

Best wishes,

Don

I’ve been cleaning records for ~17 years. VPI, then Nitty Gritty, and then Loricraft, which was so good I stuck with it alone for eleven years. The I added a Degritter to use after the Loricraft. I’m quite confident in saying record cleaning is the biggest upgrade possible. Sure, you can buy a brand new superclean record (if you’re lucky, as few brand new records are properly clean) and see the differences in a change of cartridge or tonearm etc. But if you have a few thousand records on the shelves, never cleaned beyond using a brush, it would be harder to hear the difference of new equipment in the chain. That’s why I call it the biggest upgrade.

Even manual cleaning will show what I mean, but with more effort and time expended. Vacuum cleaning is a shocking upgrade, point-source vacuum even better, and ultrasonic is the icing on the cake. I bought several hundred LPs in my younger years, then inherited my brother’s larger collection, and then inherited a colleague’s massive collection. Disks ranging from early fifties, then over-played and much abused sixties pop, to everything bought since. Most of them come out silent after proper cleaning. It is absolutely worth the effort!