New Hobby Ultrasonic Record Cleaning


Purchased a cheap $199.00 stainless steel digital ultrasonic cleaner with a very nice record cleaning attachment off Amazon and I am having a blast.

This thing is heated, has a timer and an electric motor to rotate the records in the US tank. It is a 6L unit and it is made in China. Seems well built and it cleans records like a much more expensive machine.

I have cleaned a half dozen albums that are 40 plus years old and have only been cleaned with vacuuming machines and this thing is great. The albums I have cleaned sound darn near new and my wife thought I bought another new cartridge or phono pre-amp.

Can not recommend this type of cleaning system enough.

Rediscover those old albums.. if this thing lasts a couple of years I will be a happy dude. 
128x128skypunk

Showing 3 responses by orthomead

I have cleaned nearly 1,000 discs using the V-8 ultrasonic cleaner.  Heat is not an issue if it is less than 45 degrees centigrade.  I have never had a record warp with this ceiling.  Heat is beneficial for cleaning and improves the activity of the surfactant and in my opinion, should be used.  I currently use Rushton Paul's formula for the ultrasonic bath with excellent results (0.13% Triton X100 and 5 % isopropyl alcohol in distilled water).  Prior to this I used Dave Radcliffe's recommendation of distilled water with several drops of photo-flo.  Paul's formula is far better.  So much so, I am recleaning my previously cleaned lps with audible improvement on lps that I thought were as clean as possible.  Pops and ticks aren't changed, but the imaging is sharper and more lifelike.   I initially used a 15 minute bath, but after reviewing the Kirmuss technique, I now do 3 5 minute applications, with a distilled water rinse with an osage brush and vacuum on vpi after each bath cycle.  If you use a surfactant in the ultrasonic bath, you should do a final fresh water rinse. Paul recommends 3% ethanol in distilled water to further reduce the surface tension of the rinse. I was skeptical that this would make a difference, but it did. I put the disc on my vpi and use a different osage brush for four revolutions and vacuum dry. I have been using the 3 cycle Kirmuss modification with interval washes for about 3 months on my favorite previously "clean" lps.  Unfortunately, the sound difference is significant.  I initially wondered if I was imagining the sonic difference, until my wife commented that after recleaning a UK first press Quadrophenia, that for the first time ever, she could clearly make out all the lyrics clearly in Love reign o'er me. 
@ antinn
Thanks for your concern.  Perhaps there is little to be gained and a lot to be lost by not going from 5% to 3% isopropanol.  I'll think I'll make that change. It's also cheaper.  Thank you.
@ fleschler
"Not 45, not 80, not 90 kHz. NEVER 120 kHz or higher. All are proven to damage records over time."  I have never seen any data that can confirm this and I think it is likely hyperbole.  None of the other ultrasonic manufacturers would be in business if this is the case.  I read a post on another forum of someone who ultrasonically cleaned a record repeatedly over a hundred times and found no macroscopic or sonic detriment.  One guys experience and may not be valid.  On the other hand, I can categorically refute "AVOID HOME MADE SYSTEMS WHERE TEMPERATURES EXCEED 95°F, (35°C) as these WARP RECORDS and affect groove integrity."  This is easy since warping is grossly macroscopic and easily detected.  I have cleaned over 1000 lps, some repeatedly, with a bath temp between 40-45 degrees centigrade.  I have never had one change in the flatness of lps.  Period.  His statements, in my opinion, are sometimes self serving and may not be factual.  The warping issue at the temperatures described is pure fallacy.