2. analog
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Best value record cleaner/cleaning system

Thought I would ask the group -- when I was last in the analog game some 12-15 years ago it was a VPI or Nitty Gritty for record cleaning (that and the wood-handled Discwasher pad with red-bottle liquid, Zerostat and Decca CF brush for just before playing an LP)... are these still the go-to standard units, or has the state of the art / ’value’ options advanced to some other kits in the present? I see cleaner units now from Pro-ject, Music Hall, Spin Clean, etc etc.

In my case I am not trying to ’deep clean’ mistreated, flea market or recycled recors store records... just good hygiene maintenance-cleaning of a treasured collection - 80% regular records, 20% ’audiophile’ pressings.

Thanks in advance.
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slaw's avatar
slaw
21,644 posts
 
bdp24,

Good luck. Let us know how everything works out!
avanti1960
1,480 posts
 
Record Doctor V using the mofi brush and the audiotechnica   AT6012 for pre play cleaning.   
thepreludeimplicit
27 posts
 
Have had my VPI 16.5 for 4+ years now. No other HiFi purchase has yielded results that equal what the RCM has provided.
harold-not-the-barrel
895 posts
 
Same here, other machine: Moth RCM/II. 10 years´ faultless service, deep cleaned over a thousand albums. Price app. 500 euros. Noisy but does the job. Highly recommended.
slaw's avatar
slaw
21,644 posts
 
Maybe what I've failed in getting across is, with steaming, in good lighting...the water/light allows you to actually see anything left on the lp.

I've cleaned lps through my AD/16,5  time and again, still, there are just some times where steaming is THE only way to get an lp clean.

Ex: I was just listening to my Outlaws lps, I pulled the "Live" record out. I had marked previously.."re-steam?". Mind you, this was way before I had my 16.5/AD cleaners.

I was re-steaming under my under-cabinet led light and can see the little "flakes" on the lp that are stubborn, but will come off when you apply first, common sense, then a more aggressive application. These are the types of things that will not come off just through any automated process.

This is why I believe that being able to actually see what's going on while cleaning is essential ti The Best process.
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