Humminguru Nova

@lalitk 👍

@pryso I’ve seen how these vacuum machines work. VPI and ProJect same concept. I’m not saying they’re not good. 

The Nova is in. Of course I didn’t listen to @lalitk because I’m me and I had to try their Small Bottle solution. 
They recommend 2-3 drops to a tank. I used just 1.  
Machine is easy to set up and easy to operate. I mixed in the solution and filled the basin.
Who would I want to see in a bathtub (ultrasonic that is) if not Melody Gardot and her “My One And Only Thrill” 45rpm ORG. This is a noisy pressing with mediocre sound. I always thought it was a complete waste of money. Set it to a 5min cycle and hit the button. 

At turn on both my kids ran out of their rooms upstairs yelling out “WTF IS THAT!!!” My dog had the most confused facial expression I’ve ever seen on her. The machine was set up in the basement. I had to shut the door. You can’t be in the room while the cleaning cycle is on. 
The record came out as clean as I’ve ever seen. Made sure it’s dry (6min cycle did its job) and onto the turntable it went. And here was my turn for a confused face…

So…yes the noise was reduced down to the bad pressing surface noise that no one can do anything about. Yes the static was not a thing. 
But…I heard rolled off top end, reduced bass and overall dull sound. I thought it was in my head. 
To check if what I’m hearing was real or not I grabbed Edu & Tom record that I’m familiar with. Played it  cleaned and rechecked. Same result as with the first LP I cleaned.

Now…what does this thing do? Did the Small Bottle solution coat the grooves causing reduction in noise and static but now the stylus isn’t really getting everything out of the record? What’s going on here? Is thing for real?
Full stop now until I figure this out.

I’m going to return to it over the weekend. I will use distilled water only and will rewash these records. If it doesn’t help I will subject them to my manual tried and true wash with turgikleen followed by a rinse in distilled water. I’m thinking I might even need some sort of an enzyme to get this drek out of the grooves.
I’m genuinely puzzled now…

@audphile1 
TergiKleen is a good choice for a surfactant in an ultrasonic cleaner. If you already have some, then I would suggest you try it in your Nova.

@ljgerens yes tergikleen has been working great in the manual cleaning I do. Needs a rinse though. I’ll hit one record with just distilled water to see if it fixes the issue. I suspect Small Bottle is the culprit. I’ll test it out. 
Can’t beat the convenience factor of the US machine but if it makes the records sound worse I don’t need it. 

@audphile1 

Totally get why you’re puzzled, should have listened to my advice..LOL! 

What you’re describing really does sound like residue, even at one drop. Ultrasonic cavitation is brutally effective, but it’s also very good at redistributing whatever is in the bath deep into the groove. If the solution isn’t fully volatile or doesn’t rinse cleanly, it can absolutely leave behind a microscopic film. That film in my experience after cleaning 500 plus records can dampen transient energy, air, and bass grip….exactly the “rolled-off, dull” presentation you’re describing.

I suggest, re-wash with distilled water only, let the records fully dry and de-static, and reassess. I’d bet good money the life and tonal balance come back once the grooves are truly clean, not just quiet.

As far noise, I guess that’s where Germans distance themselves from Chinese. My Degritter MKII wash cycle is very quiet, it’s only loud when drying cycle comes on.