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Ultrasonic record cleaners

I have a modest lp collection, mixed bag of original college age purchases, used records before the current renewed interest, and some newer albums to replace some older issues from the p mount needle days.  Have a vpi 16 machine and audio intelligent form 6 fluid. I’m not finding a significant improvement on my noisier issues.  The price of ultrasonic cleaners have come down to a price I would consider.  Appreciate the experiences of those who have purchased the ultrasonic machines, are they superior to my vpi and are the less expensive models effective?

TIA

tennisdoc56
lewm
13,268 posts
 

What does it mean when you say that an ultra sonic record cleaning machine is “laboratory grade”? Is that just a euphemism for “expensive”?

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cleeds
6,009 posts
 
mijostyn

An ultrasonic cleaner or any cleaner for that matter is not going to fix a noisy record.

That depends on what you mean by "noisy record." Many a noisy record is merely a dirty record. Those records absolutely sound quieter after cleaning.

drbond
425 posts
 

@mijostyn

More thorough ultrasonic cleaning following many of the recommendations here did make my noisy records much quieter. . .(but these were mostly sealed records, without a scratch that played very noisily (tons of static-type noise (from what? maybe the plastic from the inner sleeve deteriorated onto the LP?). After noting significant improvement, I put a couple through an even longer cleaning process, and I’m curious to see if I can make them even quieter. . .

 

@lewm

"Laboratory grade" means that it is standardized, and validated to perform as described.  Consumer products can otherwise make empty promises.

gyeltsen
15 posts
 

+1 on Loricraft PRC-4

drbond
425 posts
 

Based on my initial experience, the first clean is as good as the second clean, and the static-type noise is still present on those noisy LP's.  The first clean probably decreased the surface noise by 50-75%, and made them listenable, but unfortunately, the second clean didn't do any better. 

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