The ultrasonic cleaners from CleanerVinyl.com are about as inexpensive you can get for ultrasonic cleaning.
Ultrasonic is so incredibly superior to any other method I've tried it's never even a fair comparison. Try it, you'll be amazed.
Ultrasonic is so incredibly superior to any other method I've tried it's never even a fair comparison. Try it, you'll be amazed.
What I'm seeing at that website is basically kits that are made to add record cleaners to an ultrasonic cleaner?? Just want make sure I'm not missing something.
Basically, pay $600 for a 6 liter ultrasonic cleaner (that could be used for other things besides records)... Then purchase (for example) the "Easy 6" kit for $579 that adapts the ultrasonic cleaner for cleaning up to 6 records at a time?
The basic ultrasonic tank is less than $200. (I have an Easy6) It's bought from amazon or similar.
Like anything in audio, people really, really like to make things incredibly complicated, so of course you'll see all sorts of comparing and contrasting about how one tank is obviously better than another and yadda yadda yadda, sure, whatever. I can only speak to my experience, which includes brushes, wet brushes, glue, microfiber, spin clean, VPI vacuum cleaning, etc... the cheap ultrasonic tank and the cleanervinyl (which really only holds everything in place on/in the tank) is amazing. Better than anything used previously. You really have to experience it to understand, it's a huge difference.
I can imagine that any of the ultrasonic cleaners will have similar results, since the magic is the ultrasonic itself, not the machine that holds the record in the water.
Like anything in audio, people really, really like to make things incredibly complicated, so of course you'll see all sorts of comparing and contrasting about how one tank is obviously better than another and yadda yadda yadda, sure, whatever. I can only speak to my experience, which includes brushes, wet brushes, glue, microfiber, spin clean, VPI vacuum cleaning, etc... the cheap ultrasonic tank and the cleanervinyl (which really only holds everything in place on/in the tank) is amazing. Better than anything used previously. You really have to experience it to understand, it's a huge difference.
I can imagine that any of the ultrasonic cleaners will have similar results, since the magic is the ultrasonic itself, not the machine that holds the record in the water.
My experience with UC is mixed. It turned out that a lot of the vinyl I had that was clicky and generally noisy was no less noisy after cleaning. With respect to SQ improvements, transients, clarity, imaging and tighter bass was my takeaway and clearly better than anything else I've tried over the years. But again, improvements varied a lot from LP to LP.
I have some software for automatic click detection and removal (as part of ripping LPs) and did before and after scans and compared them. I found that results were very variable from 5-10% more clicks after cleaning through to 30% fewer. An extra cycle through the cleaner would sometimes remove a few more, but mostly made little difference. Just because a click was detected doesn't mean it would have been audible when listening, even on headphones.
Click detection is essentially looking for transients, my assumption, based on some observation of detected clicks was that cleaning removed some dirt that caused clicks, but also made some clicks detectable by removing dirt from around debris that could not be cleaned away, resulting in sharper, detectable transients. I did listen to some of the clicks that survived cleaning and they certainly sounded sharper and looked that way in the waveform.
UC made almost no difference to the background 'grumble' that's present on some LPs. I'm not confusing this with TT rumble BTW and my Heybrook TT2 would hate you for thinking that to be the case...
My conclusion is that UC cleaning is going to get you the best from any given LP, but it won't work miracles...
I have some software for automatic click detection and removal (as part of ripping LPs) and did before and after scans and compared them. I found that results were very variable from 5-10% more clicks after cleaning through to 30% fewer. An extra cycle through the cleaner would sometimes remove a few more, but mostly made little difference. Just because a click was detected doesn't mean it would have been audible when listening, even on headphones.
Click detection is essentially looking for transients, my assumption, based on some observation of detected clicks was that cleaning removed some dirt that caused clicks, but also made some clicks detectable by removing dirt from around debris that could not be cleaned away, resulting in sharper, detectable transients. I did listen to some of the clicks that survived cleaning and they certainly sounded sharper and looked that way in the waveform.
UC made almost no difference to the background 'grumble' that's present on some LPs. I'm not confusing this with TT rumble BTW and my Heybrook TT2 would hate you for thinking that to be the case...
My conclusion is that UC cleaning is going to get you the best from any given LP, but it won't work miracles...
One thought about buying UC tanks. The biggest problem I've read about is transducer failure. If you think about how they work any small flaw in their construction will mean that they shake themselves apart.
Eventually after a lot of heart searching and looking at costs I purchased a Degritter rather than go the DIY route. I have no regrets, it was more expensive but I get to put an LP in, push a button, and come back in 10 mins to a clean, dry, LP.
Eventually after a lot of heart searching and looking at costs I purchased a Degritter rather than go the DIY route. I have no regrets, it was more expensive but I get to put an LP in, push a button, and come back in 10 mins to a clean, dry, LP.
This is exactly where it gets tough with records. I think audible clicks can be attributed to the weather as much as it can to a dirty record. I have Natalie Merchant, Tigerlilly and some days that record is quiet as a church mouse, other days it'll drive me nuts with clicks. And using a Zerostat or a carbon fiber brush doesn't seem to affect it.
The VPI 17W is old school - bought mine in the 90's, but you can do about a dozen LP's in 10 minutes, and they are bone dry, and any deep grease is gone.
The new fangled ultrasonic review well, except for complaints about some grimy records - and at least one major one is supposed to be used with water only, so forget grease cleaning on that one. But for the bucks and the results seem like the way to go now if you are starting out. For the greasy ones, use some dish washing liquid after the ultrasonic, then use the ultrasonic again the get the soap and gunk off.
The new fangled ultrasonic review well, except for complaints about some grimy records - and at least one major one is supposed to be used with water only, so forget grease cleaning on that one. But for the bucks and the results seem like the way to go now if you are starting out. For the greasy ones, use some dish washing liquid after the ultrasonic, then use the ultrasonic again the get the soap and gunk off.
I use an US cleaner and dry with a Nitty Gitty vac machine.
I got the US cleaner at Walmart for less than $350 CDN. That's lunch money in USD or Euros.
I've cleaned about 500 records so far with no problems. I've cleaned everything from garage sale beaters to my own store purchased records all with very good results.
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/VEVOR-...eaning-Machine-Drying-Rack-6L/PRD3BZ03I3KUBIF
I got the US cleaner at Walmart for less than $350 CDN. That's lunch money in USD or Euros.
I've cleaned about 500 records so far with no problems. I've cleaned everything from garage sale beaters to my own store purchased records all with very good results.
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/VEVOR-...eaning-Machine-Drying-Rack-6L/PRD3BZ03I3KUBIF
I use a two Spin Clean method, one Spin Clean for washing and another Spin Clean for Rinsing with just Distilled water. I have had great results that have rivaled more expensive RCM's. It's more manual labor but I look at it as an arm workout. Also, some of those clicks and pops that are heard on LP's is static build up on the LP. I would get this thinking the Lp's after cleaning were still dirty. I used the Zerostat and Clicks and Pops were reduced, so I used my Little Ionizer that I use for ESD protection when working on PCB's. Well, to my surprise....It took away those clicks and pops. So it was static on the LP's and Platter causing that.