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Rushton's DIY approach to ultrasonic record cleaning published by Positive Feedback

Over the past several months I’ve invested a fair amount of time exploring ultrasonic cleaning because I’ve fallen way too far behind in my record cleaning. With over 6000 LPs, I needed a faster way to clean than my trusted multi-step manual wet/vac cleaning process. That manual process got the best results I’ve ever found, but I was not keeping up with my collection and it is just painful to me to play a record that I’ve not cleaned.

In exploring ultrasonic cleaning, my hope was to find that I could complete multiple LPs in a single US cleaning cycle and greatly speed up my rate of cleaning records. My goals were to FIRST do no harm and then SECOND see how close I could get to the results of my manual cleaning regimen.

My past experiences with ultrasonic cleaning demonstrations were completely underwhelming. What I heard did not approach the excellence I was achieving with my multi-step wet/vac cleaning regimen.

What I’ve learned, and now apply in my new ultrasonic cleaning regimen, are multiple elements to the cleaning process that must be used in combination to achieve the best possible results. And these results have far exceeded my expectations.

I’d thought of posting here on Audiogon the summary of what I’ve learned and am now applying as my new record cleaning regimen, but the inability to post images and to apply formatting here caused me to send my summary to David Robinson at Positive Feedback who has graciously published my comments as a guest essay. Please read that essay, and then come back here to Audiogon with comments and to share your experiences:

http://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/rushton-paul-diy-approach-ultrasonic-cleaning-lps/


I look forward to some further discussion and sharing of experiences.

.


128x128rushton
slaw's avatar
slaw
21,402 posts
 
I've heard enough.

As I stated earlier, I'm still pre-steaming, which I still think is very important and will continue to do.

I'm using the exact same water/fluid as I was with my Audio Desk. So what is the difference?

On exemplary recordings, or what I thought were exemplary recordings, still are, but in a completely different category now. Take Blake Mills "Heigh-Ho", or Tanita Tikaram "Closer to the People".

These were excellent lps. Now they've been transformed into the stratosphere! I'm not kidding!

I want to listen to more records, but now I have a big problem. The records I want to listen to, have not been cleaned with my new US system. It makes that much difference!

The Audio Desk was a great cleaner, but this newer system outperforms it easily. Hows that for a recommendation?
scm
314 posts
 
For me the improvement is way more than just a reduction in noise..there`s simply more of everything coming through.
If I had only one word to describe what I`m hearing it would be... CLARITY !

For car guys it`s like a Clay Bar for your Lp`s
Dollar for dollar it`s even better than room treatments and that`s saying something !
Been experimenting with cleaning solutions and am now at a point where I pull the records out of the bath and go straight to the Vacuum !
mdominguez
4 posts
 
How long does the concentrated solution last? How about the actual chemicals used to make the concentrated solution?
maril555
619 posts
 

Spencer,

Great job on the cleaning system.

I'm trying to do the same, got everything, but the pump and the filter.

Could you point me to the filter and the filter housing source, please?

And the filter housing is large enough for the contents of the US tank?

So, after it's filtered, you just pour it back into the tank manually?

Best,

Ilia

P.S. I'm going to be using my existing VPI 16.5 for the final rinse and vacuum.

What size of O-ring do I need to prevent record from touching cork mat?

Tx

slaw's avatar
slaw
21,402 posts
 
@scm,

I’d agree with you on more of everything coming through. I’d just add that the soundstage is more expansive on all fronts. I now do not want to listen to any lp that hasn’t been cleaned by this new cleaner even though I had a great (what I thought was great) system previously. The other thing noticed is, there is much more static removed by this new set-up.

Even on lps I had previously cleaned, I’m noticing how much crud is in the new water of this recent set-up. Pretty remarkable!
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