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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
jependleton
155 posts
 
Hello Folks,

Just to clarify, we don't really have a four step cleaning system. We have two alternate second steps that were designed to meet the needs of different customer groups. We do have some customers who have found that using both of the second step formulas is a benefit to their personal record cleaning routines.

We also produce a one-step record cleaning product that many prefer over the multi-step cleaning system. The point of all of this is that different people have different needs and are in different situations. We try to accomodate the needs of as many hobbyists as we can.

As far as "rinsing" formulas go, we use only purified water. It's the same water product that goes into all of our formulas, and this water product has just been upgraded in quality for the sixth time in the past 18 months.

Our testing has shown that we can manipulate the sound of the record playback by rinsing the record with a formula other than water, but we've stuck to our original mission of getting the record clean instead of "treating" or "conditioning" the record.

The products that we offer currently are based on extensive laboratory testing and have progressed in level of performance and purity from where they began before we were in the picture.

I would encourage any of you with questions about record cleaning or about the Audio Intelligent Vinyl Solutions products to get in touch. I'm always available to answer questions and try to help with your record cleaning situation. I don't care whose products you are using any more that which turntable or loudspeakers you use. Our goal is to help improve the hobby in any way that we can.

Best wishes.

Jim Pendleton
Osage Audio Products, LLC
headsnappin's avatar
headsnappin
295 posts
 
Jim is serious, he is extremely helpful!
tbg OP
5,263 posts
 
I have now rinsed 50 albums with Walker Audio Prelude Step Four and used all four steps on 12 records. I have not heard such silent record surfaces before. Although the sound stage and realism are much better also, a good part of this derives from my H-Cat amp.
rushton's avatar
rushton
2,445 posts
 
Great results, Tbg! I'm experiencing the same here with the Walker Audio Prelude and the Step 4 High Resolution Rinse. It's delivering remarkable results, not just with silent surfaces but also with the improved resolution.
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stiltskin
499 posts
 
TBg and Rushton, this past weekend I used the Walker Step 4 ..... I still can't get over what I heard this weekend.

For others reading this, anyone that is serious about analogue regardless of play back price range, need to start using an active enzyme based soak method of cleaning your vinyl.

The results go far beyond other products on the market including cleaning with steam which seams to be a new found method of today,it's not.
As a matter of fact the end result are not even in the same league, not even close....

Over the past 25 plus years I have used many different brands of solutions including cleaning with steam.

I've been using Walker Prelude for about a year, this cleaning method alone is a revelation.
The Step 4 rinse completes this product.

For the price including a record cleaning machine ,you would be hard pressed finding anything for your system that would match these sonic results.


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