Regarding the Kirmuss, Analog Planet Fremer says, "I can't see the restoration on vinyl records, but I can definitely hear it"
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
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
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- 81 posts total
When I hesitantly decided to get back into vinyl, I wasn’t sure about it or putting big money into it. So I bought a TT for under $300 and got a SpinClean. I go far beyond the SpinClean’s recommendations of a few spins, as the records I had were never cleaned more than using a Discwasher before each play, and some records I inherited might never have been cleaned. After numerous spins in each direction, and then wiping the records with the supplied cloths, followed by air drying, I played the record. If it still didn’t sound great, I would clean a second or third time. That seemed to work fine on most records, but some were apparently too damaged to be saved. After using up the supplied SpinClean cleaning liquid, I searched the internet for a home-made facsimile and decided on 2/3 distilled water, 1/3 91% isopropyl alcohol and a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid in a 8 ozs. container. A couple of SpinClean capfuls in distilled water in the tank, and that seems to work fine. I still can’t justify paying thousands of dollars for a cleaning machine to clean records I only play on occasion. |
You can manually clean pretty effectively without spending a lot of money. One of the issues isn't just whether the chemistry is effective, but how easy it is to remove from the record without leaving a residue that includes the chemistry plus contaminants. Rinsing is good. But dishwashing detergent is pretty heavy. Dawn was popular with car detailers to strip off wax build up before they would get to work on a painted or clear coat surface. It has a lot of stuff in it that you don't need for cleaning records. Cheap yes. I think you can do better without spending much more. |
Here's the 2nd Edition of Neil Antin's Precision Aqueous Cleaning of Vinyl Records. It expands on the chemistry and processes, and includes a much expanded section on ultrasonic chemistry and processes. Not a light read, but an excellent reference. It is a free download. Neil did all the work; I just published it. https://thevinylpress.com/precision-aqueous-cleaning-of-vinyl-records-2nd-edition/ |
- 81 posts total