Ultrasonic Record Cleaners

[DistortedVision]

I've been thinking about buying an ultrasonic record cleaner for a long while. These three that have caught my eye:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ULTRASONIC-R ... 3839270940

http://audiorevita.pl/?page_id=14

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbCLdyQ8ynw


It's made by a Polish company. The motor spindle unit isn't just something that clips on. It's built into the ultrasonic cleaner and doesn't require its own PSU. The main thing I like about it is that I can clean 6 records at a time. It can also heat the cleaning fluid.

Audiorevita also do a model, ARC-04 that has variable frequency that is £345 delivered.

I'm still not sure whether high frequency is more effective and worth paying almost £100 extra for.

I think alot of you already know about the HumminGuru Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hu ... escription

It seems neater and more compact. It also has a drying mode. But the big issue is that it only cleans one record at a time. It looks like its made out of plastic so I'm not sure about the build quality. I think I would do a rinse stage and vacuum dry with my Okki Nokki RCM so the drying function in the HumminGuru is kind of redundant. The Audiorevita is £250 and the HumminGuru is £325 (both including shipping). I will almost certainly have to pay import duty and VAT with the HumminGuru.

I'm leaning towards the ARC-2 but I was wondering which you prefer or if there is a completely different alternative you think I should consider.

 

[daytona600]

real ultrasonic RCMs like degritter , klaudio , audiodesk are £2000+ designed only to clean records
these are chinese oem baths designed to clean car parts etc

 

[myrrhman]

I agree with daytona600's comments - if you're not already using a manual method, I would recommend using a Disco Antistat while you save up for a Degritter. Perhaps check out different cleaning solutions and procedures though (see The Audiophile Man website, for example) as the proprietary Disco surfactant tends to leave a residue which is picked up by the stylus.

 

[DistortedVision]

real ultrasonic RCMs like degritter , klaudio , audiodesk are £2000+ designed only to clean records
these are chinese oem baths designed to clean car parts etc

Do these machines clean 10 times better as they are 10 times in price?

 

[DistortedVision]

I agree with daytona600's comments - if you're not already using a manual method, I would recommend using a Disco Antistat while you save up for a Degritter. Perhaps check out different cleaning solutions and procedures though (see The Audiophile Man website, for example) as the proprietary Disco surfactant tends to leave a residue which is picked up by the stylus.

A Disco Antistat would be a step backwards. It's what I started with 18 years ago. I currently use a Cadence Okki Nokki and use L'Art du Son fluid. I would never spend £2000 on a record cleaning machine whether I saved up for it or not. So those options are out of the question.

 

[daytona600]

Do these machines clean 10 times better as they are 10 times in price?
NO , but nothing in quality analogue replay is cheap but they include drying & will not damage your records & work at much higher cleaning frequency of 80-120khz

35khz general pupose cheap units just " blast the dirt off " at much reduced frequency
& £300 is very expensive as these are usually under $100 each on Alibaba
& ideal for cleaning your signed beatles LPs

you will also need to rinse + dry the record afterwards as the records sit in a bath full of dirty water
Low end cleaners can output 100-115db @ 1metre leading to hearing loss or severe damage for long periods
you might not hear it , but it can still damage your hearing
try one with a dog or cat in the room will drive them Crazy

ultrasonic cleaner can clean+ dry a record in a few minutes & real upgrade in sound quality , longer stylus life , reduced static & reduced record wear

£2000 + is a big investment unless you have a large record collection
Cleaned several thousand records with a Degritter

know a company with several Auto Loaders @ $ 8000 each KLaudio
running almost 24/7 & cleaned a million + records in 3 years with no damage

£300 project RCM ideal or £30 Disco RCM are solid options for smaller record collections or budget
If you buy lots of used records * proven cleaning
1st wash in a Knosti ( pre clean ) 2nd wash in a Project RCM - job done & pop into fresh inners/outer sleeves

Degritter Ultrasonic Record Cleaning Machine - The Audiophile Man

 

[Taxman]

I have a Velvet Vortex ultrasonic record cleaner and I'm really pleased with the results. It's true they use cheap ultrasonic bath but it is highly effective. The cleaning solution can become contaminated if you put really dirty records into the bath but I usually use a Knosti Disco Antistat for a pre clean before using the VV. They can hurt your ears so I tend to either leave the room or wear my headphones and listen to music whilst cleaning. My only negative point is it can take a while to air dry the records and a vacuum cleaning system is better in that regard however I don't think the vacuum cleaning systems clean as thoroughly as an ultrasonic bath.

If you already have an Okki Nokki with an ultrasonic cleaner you would have an excellent record cleaning combination.

 

[NADman]

A Disco Antistat would be a step backwards. It's what I started with 18 years ago. I currently use a Cadence Okki Nokki and use L'Art du Son fluid. I would never spend £2000 on a record cleaning machine whether I saved up for it or not. So those options are out of the question.

i did own a cleaning machine some years ago but after tests decided the Knosti DA tank cleaning method (with the right kind of fluid not the supplied mixture) gave best results.
The electric cleaning machine was tricky to use, sounded like a loud jet aircraft taking off (so restricted to using it in daylight hours) and of used electricity to power it. Sold it and have continued to use the Disco Antistat ever since.

 

[Al ears]

i did own a cleaning machine some years ago but after tests decided the Knosti DA tank cleaning method (with the right kind of fluid not the supplied mixture) gave best results.
The electric cleaning machine was tricky to use, sounded like a loud jet aircraft taking off (so restricted to using it in daylight hours) and of used electricity to power it. Sold it and have continued to use the Disco Antistat ever since.

Nice to know but this thread is a bit old.