Humminguru record cleaner


Almost all of my records are in NM condition, so I didn’t think I needed a record cleaner to replace my VPI 16.5. Also, my record surfaces are virtually silent.. But I was intrigued by the ultrasonic cleaners out there. So I bought one with the probability of a return. The results are amazing. This device cleans the records so well it’s like adding a new component to my system. And it’s only $500. With my already clean records I didn’t need the Degritter which is several times more expensive.

I recommend it highly.

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There are any number of decent ways to clean a record. I am beginning to think it depends more on the fluid than anything else. The problem is how the record is dried. This is an instance where the original record cleaners were well researched. They all used vacuum drying for a very good reason. The air is full of pollution. It is so full that evolution has given animals an amazing system for filtering it out, mucous and cilia. Without that system by the time we were one decade old our lungs would be totally trashed. For those of you with forced hot air heating or AC what does your filter look like after 6 months, a year. Now imagine that in your lungs. Now imagine that on your records. The fluid traps the dust, then you fan or air dry the record evaporating the water, leaving the pollution on the record. Once a record is wet it has to be vacuum dried, removing everything from the surface. I do not know of an ultrasonic machine that vacuum dries the record, the format makes vacuum drying impossible to do at anything approaching a reasonable cost. I think the Nessie is the best value in a vacuum record cleaning machine. Cleaning with a fine brush or microfiber pad and a good fluid is just as effective as ultrasonic cleaning with the advantage of vacuum drying with any number of machines making the entire process more effective than any ultrasonic machine. 

I thing that people who notice a stunning improvement in sound quality after cleaning a record either have extraordinarily filthy records or they are subject to expectation bias. Many people are disappointed when a record is just as noisy after cleaning. You clean your records to prevent them from becoming trashed, once they are they are rubbish fodder.  

FWIW, ultrasonic stylus cleaners are not “ultrasonic”, if you define it as beyond range of hearing. They operate at about 500 Hz.

I once compared US cleaning to cleaning with my VPI HW17, using DI water, alcohol, and TX100 in the VPI. I used a familiar recording by Johnny Hartman. The US machine was on demo at the CAF in DC, and the owner cleaned the LP with his machine at the show. I could hear no significant difference between the two methods, both excellent.

 

First , it a great to know the world has another proven happy customers AFFORDABLE US RCM ! Bravo.

A blacklight will help you see the fruits of effective cleaning….

Finally, dive just a bit deeper into the subject by visiting US cleaning bible by @antinn hosted by @whart at The Vinyil Press.

You will discover great dudes passionate about music, records… and better…

my experiment was buy 3 sequential MoFi pressings ( easy to do at my local audio / vinyl crack den ), clean 1 on store VPI, clean another on store Degritter, send 3rd away to Perfect Vinyl Forever ( process 2.0 )….. 

I own a Degritter…….. now…..