If you had to choose between Okki-Nokki and Pro-Ject record cleaners....


Hi all,

I am going to return my sub-woofer to the hifi store where I bought it... after repeated A/B comparisons with and without, I find that I just don't need it.

So I am going to ask for store credit.   Depending on how much credit I get, I might get a better record cleaner than the Spin-Clean that I have now.      The store carries the Okki-Nokki and Pro-Ject machines, so I wanted to ask what you all thought about the differences (if any) between the two.

I am not really satisfied with the Spin-Clean.    I have tried various fluids, also just used distilled water alone, and used various iterations of number of forward and backward rotations.... everything I have read to do in the various Spin-Clean-related threads.      It gets my records cleaner, but not totally clean.   I still get a lot of pops and crackles.

I keep the records in anti-static inner sleeves after I clean them, and I use a Milty Zero-Stat using all the various methods described in the Zero-Stat-related threads, before playing and after cleaning.    Still the pops and crackles, even with my brand-new Janos Starker Bach Cello Suites record (although not as much as with my older records), even after cleaning.

So I am hoping that a better cleaning method will eliminate the pops and crackels and since the local store only carries those two machines, I wanted to check and see if anybody has experiences with either, or both.

If neither machine will be an excellent solution, I will probably use my store credit on something else and keep looking for a better method to clean thoroughly my records.

For the record, my system is:

Music-Hall MMF-5.3 turntable with Ortofon Blue cartridge and Herbie's TT mat
Music-Hall a15.3 integrated amplifier
Bowers & Wilkins 686 S2 speakers

Thanks in advance for your time and advice,

Eric Zwicky
Richmond VA


ezwicky

Showing 1 response by danlipscomb

Eric,

If you haven't seen it, this record cleaning method might be the ultimate:

http://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/rushton-paul-diy-approach-ultrasonic-cleaning-lps/

It's based on a DIY ultrasonic cleaning method developed by Harry Weisfeld of VPI.  The good news is that the recommended ultrasonic machine and record spinner aren't very expensive - only $200 or so each.  And a record vacuuming machine is an integral part of the method, so you can build your way to it starting with the Okki-Nokki and pick up the other pieces later.  Reviews of the method say it gets close to master tape quality from LPs.  Weisfeld says:

Just remember one thing guys, my basement has two USC machines lying there dead with a total retail price of almost $10K. My Chinese USC for $179.99 has cleaned over 3000 records and is still going strong with its Spin-Klean still working perfectly and 1 micron fish filter for $100.00