The Kickstarter is still kicking, but HumminGuru had a delay of a month or two due to taking feedback on board. The first phase of mold development was completed at the end of May, now they are testing and refining, the second mold sample completion should be announced soon. Delivery to backers expected in September.
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Life and decorators - ah yes!
That’s interesting on the project - I’m kind of in the same place, the Degritter feels like a much more sophisticated solution. Will wait on tenterhooks for your views on operation, build quality, and results!
You can find less expensive Ultrasonic on the famous auction site. Maybe I will buy one later.
One is even made in USA. The total cost is around 800 dollars.
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FedEx just dropped off my HumminGuru from the Kickstarter pledge. I’m not home yet, so pics and report will have to wait until later today or tomorrow, depending on how I manage
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Can’t wait for your opinion on it. Looking to get one myself.
First pics, more to come:
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My second Audio Desk failed, so I am thinking about a Degritter. How are people coming along with theirs? I have 4500+ LPs so I need something that can handle a large duty cycle.
My understanding is that I can have two tanks ready for use. One with detergent/surfactant and another with just distilled water for rinse. Is that correct?
I’ve just placed an order for a HumminGuru. NZD750 including shipping although I think I’ll have some duty to pay on it as well. So maybe around $900 all up.
I think this is a pretty fair price to pay (here), considering other record cleaning machines like the project vacuum cleaners are around $1000 in NZ.
I wonder if someone will pick up distribution rights, so I thought I’d get in before the price increase that might entail. Plus I’ve read your reviews and all the other positive feedback over the last few months.
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The good news is that Customs don’t collect GST or duty if the value is less than $1,000. Though the bigger online stores do charge GST.
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I’ve had my Degritter for a year now and have cleaned 1200 records with it so far. One of the best investments I’ve ever made in my 45 year hifi journey.
Stylus dust and detritus is a thing of the past.
I had Okki Nokki for 4 years and it was an awesome cleaner but Degritter takes things to the next level.
Highly recommended.
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You can buy extra water tanks so, yes. They are coming out with a more expensive version I think that has 2 tanks built in
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I’m using the Kirmuss Record Restoration system which is ultrasonic, been getting some very consistent results.
Tim
Does anyone own or have have any long term experience using the Kirmuss KA-RC-1 Ultrasonic Record Restoration System?
I recently had a record restored using this process and it made an appreciable difference to the sound quality of a Beatles LP. Prior, the record received multiple passes on my Okki-Nokki, and despite appearing NM, it still had quite a few clicks and pops. The Kirmiss process helped a little with surface noise, although not as much as hoped for, with quite a few clicks remaining. What was really surprising was the overall lift in detail retrieval, clarity and sheer decibel level increase from this record. To quote the old cliché, I was hearing things in the record I’d never heard before. Very impressive indeed.
The Kirmuss rep went through the quite laborious process of cleaning the disc with a soft makeup / shaving style brush using their proprietary anti-static ionizing surfactant spray, then a 5min cycle in the ultrasonic bath, and repeat until the brushing process created zero white foam on the record. This took four ultrasonic cycles in my record’s case - a truly patience testing process for a large collection.
During this demo, I was informed about the ‘discrepancies’ of other ultrasonic cleaners and the fact that they can either create too much localised heat on the record surface, employ cavitation at the incorrect frequencies and also not apply true cavitation evenly over the entire record playing surface. Plus quite damning criticism of new start up companies who haven’t sufficiently researched the process to back up their claims. One begs the question, which ultrasonic RCM manufacturers are trustworthy and who are jumping on the vinyl resurgence bandwagon?
I’m tempted by the Kirmuss machine, but the laborious restoration process would test even the most dedicated record collector, and I’d prefer a more automated process to take the hassle out of this chore. Michale Fremer seems to have come around to Kirmuss process, so assume this is one of the better cleaning machines.
Given how few RCMs are in use every day or even every week, surely the right answer for those of us who don’t live in the middle of nowhere is to borrow/ lend RCMs.
I have had this for years: -
If I didn’t have that, I’d be very interested in the Degritter and the Kirmuss machine, particularly given where prices are now. However, which of the top dozen or so choices you use (and whether you own it, borrow it or pay a shop to use it for you) surely matters a good deal less than whether you have or have not cleaned your records in the last few years.
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I’ve been using a Kirmuss for 9 months now. It can’t get rid of all pops and clicks, but does a better job than anything I have tried. It is a bit of a process and I find new records need 2 goes with the surfactant. So 5 mins in the bath, surfactant, 5 min bath, surfactant and final bath. Other records I’ve had for years and that have not been treated too much with anything else are the same. Those that have been through other solutions such as Permastat, VPI 17 with various fluids and the latest the Project RCM with the Project fluid usually take three cycles. Charity shop and other used vinyl may take longer with more cycles.
The difference for me is as you suggest in more information from the grooves and absolutely no static. Some of my records that were unplayable have been nicely restored whereby I can now listen to them. It’s not perfect but IMHO the best I’ve tried. But you can do two albums at a time.
BTW if it’s a rainy day and I don’t have much else on the agenda I will spend a day restoring, usually get 15-18 records done and then I get to play them. It’s certainly a labour of love.
Tim
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I have had a Kirmuss for years but 1) I gave up on the very laborious official cleaning process and 2) I abandoned use of that very expensive fluid.
Now I just use the Kirmuss as a regular ultrasonic bath for deep cleaning records. I use Tergikleen as the surfactant. It is very significantly cheaper than the Kirmuss fluid ($35 for a bottle that’s enough for mixing 30 gallons). I put 20-25 drops in the Kirmuss bath, then I run two records for 10 mins, flip them over and run them again for 10 mins. Then they get a rinse cycle in the Audio Desk. I change the water every 50 records.
I buy a lot of used classical records and this process has restored a lot of record to play like new. I find the time-consuming, laborious Kirmuss process unnecessary and get results that are just as good if not better.
Many people have asked “Dr.” Kirmuss to back up his claims with some proof, and he never has. He also won’t tell anyone what his doctorate is for. He’s quite the character with his lab coat and all, but most take him with a grain of salt. LOL I’m not saying he is or isn’t correct, just that we really don’t know that he is.
As far as I know there has never been any solid proof that cavitation damages grooves. There was even someone who made that claim in lengthly blog article and later retracted. I have cleaned thousands of records and only noticed improvements.
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That’s a great insight and very helpful indeed 
Yes, when I was chatting to the rep and questioning the prices of the ‘ancillaries’ associated with the process, the costs of the liquid, plus with recommended rotation of the distilled water, it all started to add up in terms of consumables. Very reassuring to hear that deviating from the Kirmuss method is still of benefit. If / when my Okki-Nokki plays up, I think it will be the Kirmuss machine that replaces it, unless something else comes out in the meantime. although, the Nessie and Clearaudio automated machines look interesting, but very expensive.
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Again, very helpful indeed. I still think that the traditional vacuum process with a little brush agitation, and leaving the liquid to soak is still very effective at removing most clicks and pops, but there is always the odd record where multiples passes seem ineffective. I forgot that you can do two records at a time with the Kirmuss machine, and rotate the process, so when one’s in the bath, the other is having the ionising agent rubbed into the groove. That is more efficient than one record at a time on a vacuum RCM.
My Audio Desk will likely get replaced with a Degritter. I’ll use that with a plain water tank for regular cleaning of new records, and the combination of the Kirmuss and Degritter for deep cleaning. I have some 4500+ LPs so there are still plenty in my collection with caked-on DiscWasher fluid, etc that can benefit from deep clean.
I work from home, and by making the Kirmuss more of an automated process, I can clean records while I work.
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Degritter 2: There’s an interesting video review of this revised ultrasonic cleaner over on “The Audiophile Man” YouTube channel. In brief, a definite improvement over the MK1, but boy can he ‘talk for Britain’, get to the point man!
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