Thumbs up for ultrasonic record cleaning

 uberwaltz,

I certainly get that reaction. But...I AM that lazy ;-)

I have a pal who always takes the cheaper way out, always looking for a bargain, buying second hand etc.  We have different approaches - he is always willing to spend time and effort to save a buck; I am always willing to spend some bucks to save time and effort.

But when I see the record cleaning efforts he goes through, I just know I'd never be in to that.  It would annoy me.

For me, given records now play such a major role in my listening and will for many years, spending a couple thousand to keep them sounding great, and improve the sound of many records I would buy, is almost a no-brainer.  I have spent far more than that on any number of equipment "upgrades" over the years and record cleaning seems at least as important and relevant to the listening experience.

Prof
I completely agree on the effort and lengths some go to here to achieve near pristine vinyl. Sorry but takes the enjoyment out of the music for me.
I am likely going to give the Kirmuss a whirl, $800 I can deal with in my mind.
Now I know my attitude towards vinyl cleaning would make appear to not be a true audiophile in some eyes and if that is the case then so be it.

I love the sound of my vinyl and the process involved EXCEPT the full on cleaning bit. Our LRS has invested in a large ultrasonic cleaner so a lot of his recent acquisitions have already been cleaned which is a huge bonus to me.


And yes being English I have some of that "cheapskate" blood coursing through my veins.
Well maybe more like a sedentary amble nowadays but you get my drift.

Certainly the older I have got the more I have eyed up jobs balancing money saved against effort expended. Can't remember the last time I worked on my own cars tbh, just not worth my time and effort when you also consider everything that could go wrong while attempting a home repair.
So I can make an analogy with record cleaning for sure.

prof

I have a pal who always takes the cheaper way out, always looking for a bargain, buying second hand etc. We have different approaches - he is always willing to spend time and effort to save a buck; I am always willing to spend some bucks to save time and effort.

But when I see the record cleaning efforts he goes through, I just know I’d never be in to that. It would annoy me.

For me, given records now play such a major role in my listening and will for many years, spending a couple thousand to keep them sounding great, and improve the sound of many records I would buy, is almost a no-brainer. I have spent far more than that on any number of equipment "upgrades" over the years and record cleaning seems at least as important and relevant to the listening experience

That’s pretty much where I’m coming from. I jumped on what I think was the first consumer vacuum cleaning machine - the Nitty Gritty - back around ’81. This is before they used the felt cleaning strips. It was way ahead of its time and I still have it. While it can be very effective, it’s such a messy and tedious nuisance that I never used it as much as I could have.

I bought a Klaudio last year and it’s so convenient that now there’s just no good reason to ever play anything but a perfectly clean LP. Yes, it’s pricey. But considering what I’ve spent on a phono system - turntable, pickup arm, cartridge, equipment stand, phono preamp, cables, alignment tools - it’s not quite crazy.

About the degritter-120 Khz?  Totally opposite of other record cleaners on the market.  It is difficult from the site images to tell whether the US is aimed directly at the record or in the bath beneath it.  Good operating temperature and filter system.  Made in Estonia. Not actually local to me-expensive to ship for repairs.

Yea, I saw that 120kHz and did a double take but you would hope they know what they are doing....