@daveyf, methinks you and I are on the same wavelength!
The young folks who designed the Degritter have every right to price their machine at what the market will bear and, hence, enjoy the rewards of their innovation and hard work. After all, the Degritter is a nifty, well designed RCM providing stiff competition for all the other RCM’s on the market. With all the attention it’s receiving and the accolades & awards it has already won, I don’t think we’re likely to see a price reduction anytime soon. The HumminGuru (interesting product name), introduced at less than a grand, might prompt some thinking in this direction. However, it’s expected to be a 40 kHz machine. I think 120 kHz might have had something to do with the improvements I heard on the records I’d already cleaned with my 40 kHz process. OTH, could those improvements have been the result of just another US cleaning at whatever kHz? I’d be interested in hearing what Neil would have to say about that. Maybe an additional cleaning with my system, using Neil’s recommended tweaks, might produce the same results? Sooner or later, I’m going to find out. No matter how many times I read Neil’s book or paper on this, I just don’t have the science smarts to understand all this stuff. My understanding, though, is that different cleaning frequencies are better at targeting different contaminants.
Apparently, there are US machines on the market that cycle or sweep between 40, 80 and 120 kHz at, roughly, half the cost of the Degritter. Of course, those I’ve read about are strictly US tanks, use a heck of a lot more fluid and are not as convenient as bespoke machines like the Degritter. It’s understandable that the more sophisticated the US machine, the more it costs to manufacture and the higher its retail cost. Regardless, volume, supply and demand might have some impact on this. CleanerVinyl has a multi-cycle US machine on their website. Once you add everything to it to achieve a complete start to finish record cleaning process like the Degritter, though, you’re in the same price ballpark. Theoretically, the advantage would be the multi-cycle cleaning. I’m going to have to investigate this more closely. Regardless, I keep coming back to the same cost benefit questions: How much? How much time? To achieve what?
Paul Rigby, The Audiophile Man, completed a great comprehensive review of the Degritter and found that repeated heavy cleaning cycles with it and his own cleaning fluid concoction produced progressively improved sonic results. If I remember correctly, the Degritter’s heavy cycle is somewhere around 6 minutes (not including drying time). I do 15 minute cleaning cycles with my 40 kHz machine. I wonder how this factors into the comparative sonic results. I’m sure Neil would know. Paul and others, attest to the superior results of the Degritter, versus other 40 kHz machines. Regardless, for me, it’s the same old Gordian’s knot: How much? How much time? To achieve what?.
I’m going to try adding a little extra elbow grease (e.g. pre-cleaning with LAST POWER CLEANER) and the tweaks Neil suggested to the method of my madness and see/hear what happens because, like you, I think I’m voting with my wallet on this one. Even if I didn’t already have a lash-up US cleaning system and was just beginning to look into a system like this, my sense is that the better mousetrap has yet to be invented.
All the Best! Keep spinning those records!
The young folks who designed the Degritter have every right to price their machine at what the market will bear and, hence, enjoy the rewards of their innovation and hard work. After all, the Degritter is a nifty, well designed RCM providing stiff competition for all the other RCM’s on the market. With all the attention it’s receiving and the accolades & awards it has already won, I don’t think we’re likely to see a price reduction anytime soon. The HumminGuru (interesting product name), introduced at less than a grand, might prompt some thinking in this direction. However, it’s expected to be a 40 kHz machine. I think 120 kHz might have had something to do with the improvements I heard on the records I’d already cleaned with my 40 kHz process. OTH, could those improvements have been the result of just another US cleaning at whatever kHz? I’d be interested in hearing what Neil would have to say about that. Maybe an additional cleaning with my system, using Neil’s recommended tweaks, might produce the same results? Sooner or later, I’m going to find out. No matter how many times I read Neil’s book or paper on this, I just don’t have the science smarts to understand all this stuff. My understanding, though, is that different cleaning frequencies are better at targeting different contaminants.
Apparently, there are US machines on the market that cycle or sweep between 40, 80 and 120 kHz at, roughly, half the cost of the Degritter. Of course, those I’ve read about are strictly US tanks, use a heck of a lot more fluid and are not as convenient as bespoke machines like the Degritter. It’s understandable that the more sophisticated the US machine, the more it costs to manufacture and the higher its retail cost. Regardless, volume, supply and demand might have some impact on this. CleanerVinyl has a multi-cycle US machine on their website. Once you add everything to it to achieve a complete start to finish record cleaning process like the Degritter, though, you’re in the same price ballpark. Theoretically, the advantage would be the multi-cycle cleaning. I’m going to have to investigate this more closely. Regardless, I keep coming back to the same cost benefit questions: How much? How much time? To achieve what?
Paul Rigby, The Audiophile Man, completed a great comprehensive review of the Degritter and found that repeated heavy cleaning cycles with it and his own cleaning fluid concoction produced progressively improved sonic results. If I remember correctly, the Degritter’s heavy cycle is somewhere around 6 minutes (not including drying time). I do 15 minute cleaning cycles with my 40 kHz machine. I wonder how this factors into the comparative sonic results. I’m sure Neil would know. Paul and others, attest to the superior results of the Degritter, versus other 40 kHz machines. Regardless, for me, it’s the same old Gordian’s knot: How much? How much time? To achieve what?.
I’m going to try adding a little extra elbow grease (e.g. pre-cleaning with LAST POWER CLEANER) and the tweaks Neil suggested to the method of my madness and see/hear what happens because, like you, I think I’m voting with my wallet on this one. Even if I didn’t already have a lash-up US cleaning system and was just beginning to look into a system like this, my sense is that the better mousetrap has yet to be invented.
All the Best! Keep spinning those records!