To my ears, vinyl is king. And the cleaning process is worth the effort.
If I buy yard sale records and they’re really dirty, I wash them before I put them into the Degritter.
I go back and forth with using surfactant in the Degritter tank. It reduces static, but I think it might leave a coating in the process. Maybe just my imagination about that.
Just purified, distilled water seems to do the trick, especially for new records.
A “heavy” clean cycle without doubt produces quieter, more dynamic sounding records.
BTW–Yesterday I cleaned 4 records that I bought new from Acousitc Sounds. I washed them in the Degritter and afterwards, the normally white filter was black! I curiously rinsed the filter under running water and squeezed into the sink after replacing it. The black substance was easily visible in the sink.
I would discontinue using alcohol----from what i’ve read.
Did you hear a noticable difference after the Acoustic Sounds clean of new records?
What? I don’t understand the question.
If you’re asking if I hear a difference after cleaning new records from Acoustic Sounds, my answer is yes.
Yes, that was my question. Was it just a little quieter in your case or more?
Yes, they’re quieter for sure. New records arrive dirty.
Ok thanks…this alone so far was not enough reason for me to clean every new record…my laziness.
Could you share what you gleaned from your readings regarding alcohol as a cleaning agent. Especially if you could cite a reference. I’ve been using it for over thirty years with no ill effect, at least none I have detected. It has been on my mind recently, thus consideration for reducing the concentration or eliminating it al together, especially in combination with ultrasonic cleaning.
Mostly the rants of himself, Mickey Fremer.
Won’t cost anything to experiment sans alcohol.
Show Biz Kids:
My preferred version, it captures the twisted and perverted side of night life as only Steely Dan can. Lost Wages, Lost Wages, indeed…
I should mention I posted a teaser last night, and as it was late, did not finish it. See thread #38 above for the completed version, Stage 5.
If you google it, you’ll find 91% against the use of alcohol; something about removing plasticizers and apparently we need those plasticizers so our records don’t fall apart while we’re sleeping.
Or something like that.
I dunno.
I was wondering what the crumbly crap I recently found in my record sleeves was. Clearly from those LPs I cleaned late nights in 1989 using an alcohol cleaning formulation. Right up there with the detritus from the Philips Classical LP box sets using foam filler.
I’ll admit, I got detritus in college. I was dating a girl who seemed to know all the guys.
Stage 6: The Ultra Fidelis system we have and continue to use to evaluate the results of record cleaning.
Turntable AMG Viella Forte with 12JT tome arm, Lyra Etna MC cartridge
Phono stage SimAudio 610LP
Audio Research Reference 6 Preamplifier
Audio Research VT80SE amplifier
Vandersteen Kento Carbon Speakers (Keen-toe)
Wire Loom AudioQuest WEL, William Tell Bass/Zero, Hurricane
Power Conditioning AQ Niagra 5000 front end, 7000 amplification
Coffee and pastries Anodyne
I understand they make a creme for that.
Just to be clear, your listening impressions in post 38 were done at Ultra Fidelis, correct? Very nice set up. Are the speakers Vandersteen Kento’s? If yes, how do they sound to your ears?
With respect to the vinyl cleaning formula, there was a very extensive discussion about a record cleaning fluid that was formulated by a scientist with extensive experience in cleaning (kind of like the Galen of cleaning fluid) over on the VPI forum. Only problem is the forum has been down for a couple of months due to technical issues. Not sure if it will be revived, but there was a lot of good information there on cleaning.