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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
douger
104 posts
 
I have been very happy with my Okki Nokki for 4 years!
ezwicky OP
26 posts
 
OK I called the store and found out I was mistaken... they carry Okki-Nokki and Nitty-Gritty... they must have a thing for rhyming names :)

So let me re-ask the original question.    Between Okki-Nokki and similarly-priced Nitty-Gritty, are there strong opinions either way?

Thanks again for your input.

Eric
mambacfa
71 posts
 
Another question: how do you know whether the pops are from dirt or static? You're treating both, so how do you know the cause?
audio_d
56 posts
 
@ezwicky;
okki-nokki is better value.
at $500 all you can get from nitty gritty will be a fully manual cleaner.
turning records by hand is a right pia and a quick way to rsi.
as with all platter based rcm you don't want to put your dirty record down on a clean platter so put a piece of card or paper (cut to fit) on the platter before cleaning side 1, then remove the paper when you reposition the record for side 2.
ezwicky OP
26 posts
 
@mambacfa: I am not 100% sure that I do not have *any* static, but I do notice a difference after changing my method of cleaning, therefore I am sure that cleaning has a significant effect, and that I can further refine the cleaning process so as to take it out of the noise equation. Also, I am not sure what else I can do in order to reduce or prevent static. After cleaning a record, I use the Milty Zero-Stat, then insert it into an anti-static sleeve. The when I go to play it, I use the Zero-Stat again, followed by a few passes with a carbon brush while it’s on the platter.

@audio_d: Thanks for that advice, it makes sense. Thanks to the other guys who replied as well. Okki-Nokki seems well-regarded!

So for now, I altered my cleaning method and it seems to have made a positive difference. I put a record on the mat that came with my TT (I upgraded to a Herbie’s Way-Excellent mat) on a towel on the coffee table. Then I sprinkle it with Nitty-Gritty record-cleaning solution (just because I have some on-hand from the hifi store). Then I use one of these painting pads...

https://www.lowes.com/pd/SHUR-LINE-Edger-Pad-Refill/50369768

... and spread the solution into the grooves, in a clock-wise direction, not using too much pressure, just enough so that I am sure the bristles are getting down into the grooves. Then after several passes with a back-and-forth motion, I flip the record over (yes the newly-cleaned side is now sitting on the mat) and do the other side. Then I do a final scrub/rinse in the Spin-Clean with just distilled water. Then I dry with cotton cloths and air-dry on a dish rack for an hour.

I have noticed an improvement over just the Spin-Clean, with this method. I think the next step upward would be to vacuum the record after the spin-clean rinse. But for now, I am mostly happy with the results. At some point I will get a proper RCM and I thank you all for your input!

Eric


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