Klaudio Record Cleaning Machine Review

Grooves · Jun 30, 2014

I use the Audio Intelligence Super Cleaner, the "Step 2" (?) alcohol based solution. I typically only do one manual brush treatment with that followed by a single manual wash with distilled water (reagent grade).
I have the AI Enzyme and their non-alcohol based solution. Cleaning records is up there with pulling weeds. Hate it! I used to do four steps but cut back to maintain my sanity. I now only use the enzyme cleaner on used LP's (or really ugly new LP's), but only if they are looking bad or sounding bad. But I have to say that rarely does a second cleaning with enzyme make a real difference (for me), probably because the LP's needing them are beyond help anyway. I have been contemplating trying the 1-step fluid but also wonder if I could get away with using the Super Cleaner and then going to the KLA after that. I wonder how much of the Supper Cleaner would be left behind after it was vacuumed off? I suppose very minuscule amounts would come off in the KLA but how much of an effect it would have on the LP's is the question.

I have put a couple of LP's through a double 5 min. cycle on the KLA if the sound seemed "off" after the initial first trip through the KLA, but not enough to say anything definite at this point.

Bobvin · Jul 1, 2014

Recently I was cleaning the newly arrived SRV Texas Hurricane 45rpm records with my KLaudio, and upon careful inspection some records were coming out with little tiny marks on them. Almost looked like a scratch or nick, and with inspection using a magnifying glass the spot seemed to consistently be across just a few grooves. I re-cleaned but no effect? I thought perhaps the records had pressing flaws. So I took a fresh record, inspected to see no flaws, cleaned, and suddenly spots? WTF is going on? I inspected the RCM, and noticed internally one metal brace was closer to the vinyl than others. Watched with a light shining down for a cycle but no, that little bit never touched the vinyl. Finally resorted to saliva enzymes and the spots seemed to come off. Rewashed and some fresh spots. Again? WTF?

Drained the tank. I had only cleaned 20-30 records. Some schmooze on the bottom, not too much. Refilled with 0ppm reverse osmosis/deionized water. Got a microfiber towel I use for wiping my glasses and some enzyme cleaner we have on hand for adding to laundry (synthetic cycling clothing can get pretty nasty). I put a couple drops on the microfiber, then wiped super gently over the small spots on the LP. The spots wiped away with minor pressure, and I rewashed with the fresh water. Now all is fine.

Only thing I can think of is something cleaned from the records was coagulating in the water and reattaching itself to the vinyl. Also, the water had been sitting in the tank for a few weeks without use. So be sure to inspect your LPs as they come out, and change the water either more frequently or after idle periods. And the enzyme cleaner was Bio-Clean Bak-out. I think sometimes we buy spanky products when everyday ones will do fine. Vinyl is, after all, a pretty inert substance.

rockitman · Jul 1, 2014

tima said:
As a technical issue what do you think is the best way to gauge when mold release compound is removed and when further cleaning is required?

After I clean/scrub/wipe dry the record with AUDIO INTELLIGENT VINYL SOLUTIONS PREMIUM PRE-CLEANER NO. 15 I look at the record under strong light to determine if anything remains or another soak scrub is required.

rockitman · Jul 1, 2014

Bobvin said:
Recently I was cleaning the newly arrived SRV Texas Hurricane 45rpm records with my KLaudio, and upon careful inspection some records were coming out with little tiny marks on them. Almost looked like a scratch or nick, and with inspection using a magnifying glass the spot seemed to consistently be across just a few grooves. I re-cleaned but no effect? I thought perhaps the records had pressing flaws. So I took a fresh record, inspected to see no flaws, cleaned, and suddenly spots? WTF is going on? I inspected the RCM, and noticed internally one metal brace was closer to the vinyl than others. Watched with a light shining down for a cycle but no, that little bit never touched the vinyl. Finally resorted to saliva enzymes and the spots seemed to come off. Rewashed and some fresh spots. Again? WTF?

Drained the tank. I had only cleaned 20-30 records. Some schmooze on the bottom, not too much. Refilled with 0ppm reverse osmosis/deionized water. Got a microfiber towel I use for wiping my glasses and some enzyme cleaner we have on hand for adding to laundry (synthetic cycling clothing can get pretty nasty). I put a couple drops on the microfiber, then wiped super gently over the small spots on the LP. The spots wiped away with minor pressure, and I rewashed with the fresh water. Now all is fine.

Only thing I can think of is something cleaned from the records was coagulating in the water and reattaching itself to the vinyl. Also, the water had been sitting in the tank for a few weeks without use. So be sure to inspect your LPs as they come out, and change the water either more frequently or after idle periods. And the enzyme cleaner was Bio-Clean Bak-out. I think sometimes we buy spanky products when everyday ones will do fine. Vinyl is, after all, a pretty inert substance.

I keep track of how many cleaning cycles and change the water every 50 records or so. When I pre-scrub, I make sure the record is wiped completely dry with a micro towel before putting in the machine to minimize water contamination.

rockitman · Jul 1, 2014

tima said:
I believe in soaking, but scrubbing not so much - let the solution do the work.

What is fascinating is that you can see/perceive mold release compound on the record.

what does mold release compound look like to you ? I see it as a solvent like film that has dried...almost like a liquid was splattered and dried on the record. I usually only encounter it with OOP Classic Records titles. Whitish/grey stuff you see on old records is a different animal and usually cannot be removed as it is fused within the vinyl. I don't think that is mold release stuff.

Bobvin · Jul 1, 2014

rockitman said:
I keep track of how many cleaning cycles and change the water every 50 records or so. When I pre-scrub, I make sure the record is wiped completely dry with a micro towel before putting in the machine to minimize water contamination.

The whole reason I sold my Hannl RCM and got the KLAudio was to NOT have multiple steps to the cleaning process. I can live with a spot clean of a stubborn gob of goo, but more scrubbing, soaking, or anything else sort of defeats my primary goal (aside from better sounding records.)

rockitman · Jul 1, 2014

Bobvin said:
The whole reason I sold my Hannl RCM and got the KLAudio was to NOT have multiple steps to the cleaning process. I can live with a spot clean of a stubborn gob of goo, but more scrubbing, soaking, or anything else sort of defeats my primary goal (aside from better sounding records.)

There is no machine... imo that when cleaning a record for the first time (new or used) that does not benefit from a pre scrub/soak. After that, for dust and or static, you only need to stick it in the machine....no more scrubbing/soaking. This is my preference. YMMV.

PeterA · Jul 1, 2014

tima said:
I believe in soaking, but scrubbing not so much - let the solution do the work.

Completely agree. The AIVS solutions are meant to do just that: sit, soak, agitate gently with the soft brush once or twice around. The fluids do the desolving and all of the work. The words "scrubbing" and "vinyl" don't belong in the same sentence, IMO. The idea just scares me.

Has anyone talked to Jim Pendleton at AIVS about the ultra sonic machines? I seem to think that he did a lot of experimenting with them and looked at the LP surface under extreme magnification, but I can't remember what he discovered.

Grooves · Jul 1, 2014

I think there are two camps of cleaners, those who scrub and those that soak. I've tried both and can't help but be on the scrubbing side of the fence. This is in part due to the vinyl cleaning articles that were in the Tracking Angle years ago. Probably the most comprehensive I have read in a while. But, the state that many new LP's arrive to my door is frankly shocking. Personally I have always wondered why vinyl pressing plants don't adopt more of the "clean room" techniques of the digital world. Of course I know why, $$$, but they'd have a better product in the end. But I digress, I scrub because in chemistry class I learned that three things affect a chemical reaction, (which is after all to some extent what we want to happen) heat, reagent amount, mixing. While I have thought about mildly heating my liquids, I choose mixing and reagent quantities and the easiest to manipulate.

rockitman · Jul 1, 2014

Grooves said:
I think there are two camps of cleaners, those who scrub and those that soak. I've tried both and can't help but be on the scrubbing side of the fence.

There are three camps speaking for myself...those that soak and scrub prior to ads or KL treatment.

XV-1 · Jul 2, 2014

tima said:
The issues of continuous fluid coverage and the tendency of particles to re-settle into the groove are mostly mitigated with the vertical record position used by the newer automated machines. The combination of a 'traditional' Loricraft/VPI/Monks type cleaning plus an Audio Desk/KLaudio cleaning makes the case for itself simply by claiming more cleaning yields more clean.
.

Hi Myles

Are you saying if I buy a KLaudio I should keep my Hannl RCM and use it first before the KLaudio.

This will give superior results than just the KLaudio?

PeterA · Jul 2, 2014

MylesBAstor said:
I don't know Shane, didn't play with that. I had excellent results with just US. Christian and others seem though to think so. What I think important is to regularly clean with the US.

Are you recommending that an LP be cleaned multiple times with an ultra sonic cleaning maching? Is that initially, or every few months? What do you mean by "regularly clean"?

Sunnyboy1956 · Jul 2, 2014

rockitman said:
There are three camps speaking for myself...those that soak and scrub prior to ads or KL treatment.

Methinks there is a lot more variety out there including folk like me who use a manual scrub(only for the nasties) with AVIS, then a few twirls in the Spin Clean followed by a 4 min cycle in the KLAudio.
Works great for me.

PeterA · Jul 2, 2014

The impression I've gotten now from reading this thread is that the ultra sonic machines are great, but they are not enough, so there still is no one automatic, quick and easy solution. Multiple steps are still necessary for best results.

rockitman · Jul 2, 2014

PeterA said:
The impression I've gotten now from reading this thread is that the ultra sonic machines are great, but they are not enough, so there still is no one automatic, quick and easy solution. Multiple steps are still necessary for best results.

That is my opinion...multiple steps for the very first cleaning...after that, only the machine is needed.

XV-1 · Jul 2, 2014

Looks like my Hannl srub and Vacuum RCM might be here to stay and then add the KLaudio.

Sounds like more work, not less

rockitman · Jul 2, 2014

MylesBAstor said:
Is everyone with the KLaudio doing the full five minute cleaning cycle?

I do 3 minutes for cleaning mostly, but do the full dry cycle.

MylesBAstor · Jul 2, 2014

rockitman said:
I do 3 minutes for cleaning mostly, but do the full dry cycle.

For S&G, clean for five minues instead. I did notice a difference between the two times.

rockitman · Jul 2, 2014

MylesBAstor said:
For S&G, clean for five minues instead. I did notice a difference between the two times.

I will try that.

Bobvin · Jul 2, 2014

Just thinking here... If you are going to do multiple steps, why not START with the ultra-sonic, to remove crap from the grooves you might otherwise grind in with a scrubbing sequence, no matter how gentle. I'd prefer the only thing dragging through the grooves is the stylus. I have found many of my new better pressings come out just fine with a 4 or 5 minute trip through the KLaudio. (I only dry for 2 minutes, seems enough to get 'er done. YMMV)

Klaudio Record Cleaning Machine Review

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