An opportunity came along recently to test the Perfect Vinyl Forever (PVF) Archival LP record cleaning process. A friend and I had stopped by Ultra Fidelis in Wauwautosa, Wi. as he is considering a speaker upgrade. While we were there the owner, Jonathon Spelt, offered a demo of the results of the PVF Archival process playing a cleaned and uncleaned Rickie Lee Jones Analog Production 45 RPM It’s Like This:
Being skeptics we were both like no way, let’s get back to some jazz. Jonathon’s response was Humor Me. Well, we did. Not to let the cat out of the bag but this has led to a comparison on my terms with a recording I am more familiar with. The Mobile Fidelity UHQR Miles Davis Kind of Blue.
More to follow but, a teaser below linking to the Perfect Vinyl Forever website. I must add, I have no affiliation with Perfect Vinyl Forever, Ultra Fidelis, MoFi, or Miles Davis… Well you get the idea. May the fun begin.
My all time favorite Miles album. Remember listening to it as a kid with my cousin who was a jazz trumpter and taught music in Chicago public schools. I ordered a Degritter last week. Should be arriving today.
Good luck with the Degritter. I’ve heard good things about it. Almost pulled the trigger and then held off for no particular reason, chalk it up to inertia.
I’ve been following a very long thread on another forum and the responses have been very favorable.
I was leaning towards a Humminguru but was able to get trade-in value against the Degritter with a dealer, so that reduced the price of entry below $2K.
I had my eye on the Humminguru, and concluded there is a reason for its price. The Degritter would be great for doing a pre-play touch-up, at least that has been my initial thought. My currently cleaning regimen is too time consuming to be practical for most.
With a VPI RCM in-house I love, call me skeptical this process is the revelation claimed once the marketing is sliced through. That said, at 5-8 bucks per record I’d be amenable to sending a few records for a ‘prove it to me’ demo. I can always be persuaded. Adding to my list of possible ‘upgrades’, this one for my media of choice itself. Thx for the heads up, weedeewop.
I too am truly skeptical, but find myself in a position to test the premise. I found myself inadvertently in a position to test the method with two assumed equivalent records to test that most here should be able to relate to. My bias is that it is a bit of a stretch regarding the claims made by PVF. I find the exercise worthy. I have two VPI 16.5 RCMs so I too have not only tasted the kool-aide, but returned for a second serving.
Comments are welcomed with the understanding that they are respectful, experiential versus mere opinion, and helpful to the community at large.
I’m also cleaning by a method not standard for usual cleaning, which is much more effective than doing the usual thing for each cleaner. But for the amount of records I buy since quite some time and the time I want to spend listening while not working, I’m rarely cleaning
Someone I know who manufactures multi 100k turntables and has and has tried everything (now speaking of cleaning) on the market and owns the best of them (as mechanically the Lori raft Pro etc.), who against any commercially available ultrasonic cleaners recommends a custom assembly costing about 2,5k says, he finally mostly uses the Hannl Mera pro. Also another experienced contact told me that finally an efficient mechanical cleaning is most effective.
This and the missing proper drying solution of ultrasonic cleaners or the need of a second run on a vacuum cleaner is why I don’t feel to need an ultrasonic as most others feel.
Chapter 2 of the cleaning trial story, a work in progress: I found myself in an a rare place having access to two New UHQR KOB LPs. Having purchased a copy for each of my daughters for Christmas, I found that they had yet to open them. Hearing of potential QC issues with the LPs I pulled them back, using the excuse of a QC check to confirm the LPs were actually ok. First I cleaned the earlier of the two LPs, and listened. No issues, flat and quiet surfaces for sides A & B. I opened the second LP, and visually it looked fine. A quick cleaning and one listening session to confirm it too was flat with quiet surfaces. More to follow…
What is the “proper drying solution” when using an ultrasonic cleaner?
And–just curious—why would one need a “second run on a vacuum cleaner”?
I always love to learn!
…letting the residue dry on the record is no proper solution imo, but the standard solution for ultrasonics. The missing physical cleaning mechanism (except for the Audiodesk, which on the other hand doesn’t seem very reliable) another shortcoming.
That’s why I think every ultrasonic cleaned record should be vacuum cleaned afterwards. I don’t know any other “proper” drying method.
