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to buy or not to buy (ultrasonic record cleaner)

Hi Audiogoners,

So I have been considering investing in an ultrasonic record cleaning maching. Prob like some of you I question the ROI. So. I have a friend that purchased one and luckily he allowed me to take it for a spin (no pun intended).

I wanted to compare the results to my record cleaning system which is a Spin clean ($150) and a Record doctor record Vacuum ($300). I wont say what brand of ultrasonic cleaner I tested as not to disparage, or promote that brand publicly to be fair. if you want to know which one you can send me a private msg.

so to keep it simple I will let you judge for yourself. I have posted two pics taken with a USB microscope to my virtual systems page. Test1 and test 2. One of these pics was taken after cleaning with my system and the other with the ultrasonic cleaner

Can you tell which one is the ultrasonic??

should be intersting
barnettk
Post removed 
larryincmh
68 posts
 
I went ultrasonic a couple of months ago and found a unit on Amazon for $200. Comes with a drying rack and can do up to eight records at a time. Bought some Degritter fluid from music direct to use in the water and all is good.  I find it certainly makes a difference but whether it makes a significant difference between my old Spin Clean and this unit I’m not sure. For 200 bucks I don’t really care. LOL
fbgbill's avatar
fbgbill
302 posts
 
When I decided to get back into vinyl a year ago, I first wanted to get a cleaning machine. There are so many to choose from I almost went crazy researching. I finally decided on the ProJect VC-E. It had only one issue and that was the vacuum exited back on to the underside of the record. I engineered a fix and it now exits on the side. Every new and used record I acquire gets cleaned. "just the way I roll".....!
hshifi
572 posts
 
Hello,
I agree that the US works. The first time cleaning a single record takes a while. Maybe 10-15 minutes. After that it’s 2-3 minutes on the same machine. My local store in the Chicagoland area has one setup on display. They will do a demo to show you how it works. https://holmaudio.com/ They are open late a few days a week till 9pm. Plus, you can listen on a really nice system. Bring in a record or two to see the US cleaner in action. If I can swing it financially I would rather have a cleaner with a vacuum feature. Who wants to have their car washed and then have to dry it themselves. It does cost $1500 to $2000 more to be fully automated. That can buy a lot of records. Also, A lot of people say you only need one deep cleaning. One friend told me he sold his cleaner after he deep cleaned all of his records. 
oldaudiophile
307 posts
 
There is no question that cavitation or ultrasonic record cleaning is best. That is, as long as you believe in science, facts and your hearing ability. That being said, your cleaning process or ritual using any machine is as important as the machine itself. There are, of course, a whole host of other factors that come into play (e.g. type of cleaning solution; quality of  turntable & cartridge used for play; handling & storage of records; ritual in playing records; etc.). You don't have to spend thousands on an ultrasonic record cleaning machine. Visit the "CleanerVinyl" site. Using one of their systems with something like a Knosti Antistat or Spinclean for a final rinse will make all the difference but, by all means, keep the bath water clean!   
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