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Does the Step 4 final rinse for Walker Prelude help?

help? Simply, yes, amazingly so.

I have now played six records which were previously cleaned using Prelude. Afer listening I cleaned each with the new Step 4 and then listened again. I expected some benefit, especially as I had already done two Step 3 rinses. What I got, however, was a major reduction in the noise level often revealing noises I had been only somewhat aware of. Listening to Harry Belafonte's Returns to Carnegie Hall. The subway becomes quite obvious and even traffic outside. This, of course, does not improve the performance but the improved ambience and awareness of the movement of the performers greatly improves the realism. Further, the bass is greatly improved.

The Joni Mitchell Blue album moved from a roughly recorded performance into one with great realism about her then youthful voice. One focuses much more on her lyrics. Finally the Duke's Big 4 45 rpm release soared in dynamics. The bass and the piano leaped ahead in realism and the sense of being there.

I have done this with three other albums, but the pattern is obvious. I now have to rinse many, many albums today.

If you like Prelude, Step Four is absolutely necessary. The label says not to take internally, so it clearly contains chemicals not meant to drink.
tbg
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Tbg,

Good report, though I doubt it contains what most people normally *think of* as dangerous chemicals. I expect Step 4 is just a still more highly purified water. After all, would you want anything else for your final rinse? The goal of perfect cleaning is to leave NOTHING between stylus and vinyl. The sonic improvements you described are evidence that Step 4 is doing exactly that.

That doesn't invalidate Walker's label warning. Drinking very pure water like that sold by Walker, AIVS and MoFi (soon, it's in beta testing) would be quite dangerous. Being such a good solvent it would leach tissues of many compounds that naturally occuring water does not absorb, compounds your body needs. Drinking laboratory-pure water is something no one should do.
rushton's avatar
rushton
2,445 posts
 
TGB, my experience with Walker Audio Step 4 Rinse is similar to yours. A few days ago, I posted my observations which the moderators insisted on putting in Reviews:Analog. Too bad we can't have all of this discussion in one place.

Step 4 Rinse is now a standard part of my cleaning regimen, and like you, I'm re-rinsing a lot of records. :-) For those using other multi-step cleaning fluid regimens, I'm confident the addition of the Walker Audio Step 4 Rinse will provide additional benefit to your cleaning process as well.

Dougdeacon, the Step 4 Rinse starts with Lloyd's ultra pure water rinse, but he's added something to it. From the smell, there clearly must at least be some alcohol of some description. Lloyd claims that, like the ultra pure water he sells, it leaves absolutely no residue.
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tbg OP
5,263 posts
 
Dougdeacon, I directly asked Lloyd whether it was his Ultra-pure as I had already double rinsed with that. He said that it was based on Ultra-pure but had added ingredients. Whatever, they are, the add greatly to the final product. I also asked if Step Four should not be used before Step Three, he said no.

Rushton, I obviously had not seem your report. I guess I find the Step Four to have a bigger magnitude of improvement than you, although I am shocked that I would be saying this. I had expected little improvement, especially as it is a fourth stage.
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