Nothing matches RCM vacuums. With the SC they suggest air drying which is a no-no. If you decide to go SC (a washing system only) then by all means dry with microfiber towels. I use a Nitty Gritty MiniPro2.
Record Doctor V versus Spin Clean Complete
Hi,
Looking for some advice. I fully understand the benefits of keeping records clean. This being said I am looking at the Record Doctor V and the Spin Clean systems. Anyone had any experience with either or both? The RD is $199 while the SC is $125. Key difference seems to be the vacuum as they are both manually operated systems.
Looking for a solid entry level system that gets me away from hand washing and somewhat improves on the process.
Really looking for the most effective way to clean my records and not break the bank in the process.
Thoughts, suggestions and comments are most welcome.....
Thanks in advance.
Looking for some advice. I fully understand the benefits of keeping records clean. This being said I am looking at the Record Doctor V and the Spin Clean systems. Anyone had any experience with either or both? The RD is $199 while the SC is $125. Key difference seems to be the vacuum as they are both manually operated systems.
Looking for a solid entry level system that gets me away from hand washing and somewhat improves on the process.
Really looking for the most effective way to clean my records and not break the bank in the process.
Thoughts, suggestions and comments are most welcome.....
Thanks in advance.
6 responses Add your response
ive used the SC for many years. Inexpensive and simple. Give the record a few spins both directions, final rinse under the faucet, wipe dry and you're good to go. Ive played records Spin Cleaned at shows and they were whisper quiet. Of course, you start out with a good condition record, as NO RCM will eliminate damage that's on the record surface(I play used almost exclusively)Yes, the Vpi's 5x the cost are better, but I'm not convinced 5X better. YMMV. In addition, simple to store, doesn't use up valuable space. The only way I'm upgrading is when the Audio Desk ultrasonic is at least HALF the price it's going for now-not likely going to happen. |
Steam is the answer. Visit Walmart and buy a $25 hand held steamer. It works wonders. The bonus is that it will take the wrinkles out of your shirts. If your are looking to 'go deep', ultrasonic is the way to go. Best bet is to buy from Hong Kong suppliers, where they ship such units to the USA at half the price of what you buy from US suppliers. If you take a look at Hong Kong offerings you will see they actually resemble those in the US. Seems like sneakers, there are only two people that make all products. |
Hi, nissancrazy; I think whether you decide to go with a Spin Clean or a vacuum RCM depends on how many records you need to clean or think you'll clean in the next few years. I've been using a manual vacuum RCM for about ten years and have cleaned hundreds of records with great success, including some used albums that looked like they were ready for the trash can but turned out to be very quiet after cleaning with the vacuum RCM. The RCM that I use and recommend is the KAB EV-1, which currently retails for $169.00 USD and is available at http://www.kabusa.com/index_rc.htm. It's a simple design without an internal vacuum; instead you use your own vacuum and attach it to the EV-1. I'm using an old Electrolux canister vac but many people use the EV-1 with a small shop vac. I use the Mobile Fidelity (Mo-Fi) brand of cleaning and rinsing solutions and brushes. While I'm sure that there are other cleaning and rinsing solutions that work equally well, I am convinced that the Mo-Fi record cleaning brush is one of the best. The other is the Disc Doctor brush, which was the original. I prefer the Mo-Fi brush because the replacement pads are less expensive. I use two brushes, one for cleaning and one for rinsing so I don't contaminate the rinsing brush and then just swap brushes when I replace the cleaning pad every 100 albums or so. (The "old" rinsing pad brush becomes the "new" cleaning brush.) So, if you have at least a couple hundred albums and plan on steadily adding to your record collection, I recommend the KAB EV-1 vacuum RCM. The total cost would be about $245 - $265 as follows: KAB EV-1 $170 Mo-Fi brush(es) $20 - $40 Mo-Fi solutions $30 + $25 Seems like a lot of money but if you start with the first 200 albums it's $1.22 - $1.32 per record. I think it's worth it for the improvement in sound quality. If you end up cleaning 400 albums the cost per LP is down to $0.60 - $0.65, which is definitely worth the cost. As you add to your collection, the cost per LP steadily decreases. Something to consider anyway. Regards, Tom PS: Be sure to buy replacement inner sleeves when you clean LPs; they can be found for $0.10 - $0.40 per sleeve depending on quality. |
Never do steaming uless you really know what you are doing. You have to control the temperature precisely. I believe the current best value is Okki Nokki machine. It's $500 not $200, but this difference should not be significant if you want clean records. I use it with Audio Intelligent three step system. Spending less than needed is rarely wise. |