Had a Kirmuss and while it cleaned records extremely well it was a pain in the a$$ to use. Yes I emptied the water tank daily but after only 1 week it just sat unused. Sold it and have no regrets.
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@rsf507 1+ This is one situation in which the most expensive device wins. The Clearaudio Double Matrix Sonic Pro is a well designed and built record cleaner that is a joy to use. It cleans both sides at the same time and vacuum drys the record. It does not reuse fluid. It is reasonably quiet (for a vacuum cleaner) and only takes a few minutes, start to finish, to clean a record. Between use it just sits there like any other piece of equipment ready to go. It is attractive and makes a good conversation piece. Compared to other equipment on the market it is worth every cent. The most important factor when cleaning records is to spend as little time as possible doing it. The Kirmuss Fails miserably in that regard. |
Th OP asks a question about use of the Kirmuss and gets told to sell it. Very helpful. My friend had a Kirmuss and always drained the fluid after a session. He cleaned around once a month. That being said, if you are using it every day, I'm sure you could keep it filled and no harm will be done. Does the fluid pass through a filter in the Kirmuss? I use a DeGritter, I change the water if it sits for more than a week. I change or clean the filter before each cleaning session. I agree with mijostyn that having a cleaner that is be ready at any moment to clean is a big advantage. The DeGritter/Kirmuss does not meet that criteria. The Degritter uses fans to dry, the Kirmuss relies on microfiber towels, the Clearadio has vacuum.
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The only way to dry records is by vacuum. Fan drying is the absolute worst followed by towel drying. There is always some garbage left in the water. Fan drying evaporates the water and leaves everything on the record. Ultrasound may not be the best way to clean records. I have seen no absolute data on this so this is an assumption fueled by marketing. To much power will definitely hurt the record and not enough will do nothing. Using the same water over and over then fan drying is a great way to ruin your records. Fresh water should be used for every cleaning then dry by suction. If you want to do this right with ultrasound you have to change the water with each record and dry the record with any good vacuum machine. In other words it is a PITA. Then, it sits and collects dust. Second to the Clearaudio machine are machines like the Keith Monks or the Sota.
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@rsf507 Where did you get the Keith Monks machine? I don't see any dealers near me (Florida) and no online retailers. Thanks |
Ultrasonic cleaning with a pure water rinse and vacuum. The time I spend cleaning the records is not an issue because the results are worth it. After 20+ years using the VPI 16.5 and the 3 step cleaning, I was completely amazed at the results using ultrasonic. I don't want a high priced machine that does it all. I like to control the process myself. |