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Is the Last Record Preservative system a worthwhile investment?

I take great care in my record collection.
1. I have a manual record vacuum cleaning machine. I also use an enzyme cleaner on a few really dirty ones.
2. I replace all paper sleeves with plastic ones.
3. I use groove glide on only the records in really bad shape. Around 1 percent.
4. I use a record jacket to protect the covers.
5. I meticulously keep the stylus clean.
6. Use a brush everytime I play a record.
  My question being is; will the Last system actually improve the sonics even after all the care I put in to my collection?
How much time is involved treating a record? How much per record does it cost if I buy the larger treatment kits? Id like to hear your experiences with this product. I have close to 3000 records. My analogy is like a great movie that I have never seen. Wow you just now saw that? Will I have an aha moment using the Last system like oh wow, I should have seen that movie years ago. Lol
128x128blueranger
inna
7,296 posts
 
Records must be clean and you have to apply it correctly.
User error.
terry9
2,341 posts
 
I use ultrasonic cleaning, and find no significant difference between 'Lasted' records and just plain clean ones.

That said, the improvement of 80KHz ultrasound over VPI was night and day.
kacomess
199 posts
 
The problem as I see it is this: anyone who applies Last to a record is (by definition) someone who cares for their records. In other words, that person is an audiophile and will likely be very careful about cleaning, etc. So, how can you separate that truism from the potential benefits of Last? Having noted that, I've used it for decades and I really can't tell if it helps or not
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,816 posts
 
@rshak, Walter Davies states that because the Last chemicals bond to the vinyl molecules, any foreign matter in the groove will pushed off the surface of the groove (but will remain IN the groove), where it may be heard by the stylus as noise. The solution is to clean the LP well before applying Last.
inna
7,296 posts
 
As I said, the difference in sound quality is very small but it's nice to have it. Also, I didn't do it myself but you can try to clean the record again after applying LAST. I mean right away, because I re-clean records after about 10 or 15 plays. Yes, worth it - slightly less noise and of course better for stylus.
My only reservation about the LAST could be if you intended to sell collectible records at some point. Some record collectors will not want it on the records.
I once asked Walter Davis if he thought that treating records would prolong their life span in case the records were not played but just kept in archive. He said - Don't know. 
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