So, I’ve gone mad (possibly belongs in the virus made me do it thread) and ordered my endgame turntable - a Rega Planar 8 with Apheta 3 fitted.
I will at some point invest in a decent record cleaning machine of my own, but in the meantime I’ve got my Dad’s collection of around 100 LP’s that need sprucing up.
What services would people recommend in the UK?
A couple of companies that I’ve looked at after a quick Google are Analogue Seduction and AudioZomba. Does anybody have experience of using either of these?
If you’ve got 100 records to clean is it just time that is preventing you from doing the job yourself? Analogue Seduction charge £2.50 per LP and shipping 100 LPs there and back is not going to be cheap. For £300 you could buy a Project record cleaner and do it yourself, then you have a record cleaning machine at the end of the job.
I have a Rega P8 (which you will never regret) and lots of vinyl.
Ising a pair of Knosti Disco Antistats I cleaned at least 1000+ albums (one to clean and one to rinse) which did a great job, but I now have a ProJect VCe and that is quicker (and noisier) but exactly what you need.
There is a decent record cleaning machine thread not far below this post. Have a read there.
Thanks both, yes been reading the cleaning machine thread. I do have a Disco Antistat that I can start using again.
Two reasons for looking externally are time and effort, I don’t really want to do them all; and quality and depth of clean, I won’t be able to afford a good machine for a little while.
It’s a small investment, outside of the large P8 investment you made that should go hand in hand with vinyl care and your new source.
The real dilemma will come when you are out shopping, pop into a resale, or antique shop while your significant other is elsewhere and you find the original pressing of that elusive album you are looking for in near mint condition… you buy it, and want to play it immediately but it has been collecting dirt and grime for 30 years in someone’s attic.
What do you do? Drop that brand new needle on that dust and dirt riddled album, and not worry, or go to your well justified purchase of a record cleaner, clean it and then have a good listen?
Just some food for thought, because that’s how I am. Last rare find was an original 1961 of Dave Brubek’s “Time Out” and the rest of my grocery shopping time, hardware store, and other errands were tossed aside. Told the wife sorry…went straight home.
I will get a machine for the reasons that you outline. I just can’t afford it for a short while. The P8 is being financed through a system change trade-in (see my mad head-fi plan thread).
I would like to send my Dad’s LP’s off as a job lot, hence asking about services.
Exactly, £300 to have somebody else clean them or £300 to buy a RCM and do the job yourself and still have a RCM at the end of the job. No brainer in my book
@MaxiMe Another recommendation to buy a RCM here. I was initially sceptical, but it was the best upgrade for my TT and records I have yet made. Owning your own machine will allow the opportunity to explore different cleaning methods (liquids/temperature/soak time/brushes etc), giving you complete autonomy over the whole process. Plus an asset with resale value if you decide not to pursue vinyl as a primary source in the long term. Record Cleaning Machines come up on the used market quite often, hold their value well and so they can easily be sold on.
It really comes down to choice of wet clean / vacuum machines which are reasonably priced vs ultrasonic which are considerably more expensive. I’m a fan of the Okki Nokki as I prefer the full platter, but the Pro-Ject is equally effective. Many other options, from the Moth kit, to the expensive automated Clearaudio and Nessie vacuum machines.
I’d read the recent Record Cleaning Machine thread with a nice coffee and go from there…
The question you need to ask yourself is what sort of RCM you think you will eventually buy. If your answer is a wet vacuum cleaner like the Project or Okki Nokki then I think it would be a waste of money paying the same price as a new RCM for somebody to clean the records. If your answer is an ultrasonic cleaner then by all means pay a few hundred in the meantime to have them cleaned while you save up for the machine you want. But to spend a few hundred on having the records cleaned and you’re planning on buying a RCM for that sort of money why not just get the RCM you would end up with anyway? Spend the money once not twice.
I think it’s fair to say that most people with any decent size collection (and 100 is enough to be there) interested in record cleaning would just buy an RCM due to the reasons everyone has already covered, hence why you get no answers.
Now, as to your question. I don’t know about the two companies you mentioned. What I do know is that Cymbiosis offer this service as well and their regime is a sound one. I never personally used it, as I also just clean my own, but I know what they do and the cost is in the ballpark of the ones you’re referring to.
I suppose my second point is being missed too. I’ll probably get one of the Project cleaners, but sending the LP’s off gets them cleaned on £000’s of an ultrasonic machine.
I may be wrong, but I suspect there may not be many forum members who have used a commercial record cleaning service, I stand to be corrected though.
In terms of recommendations, I have used Analogue Seduction as mail order supplier and they have always been very helpful when I’ve made an enquiry, so I would not hesitate in contacting them. In fact I have a few albums where wet vacuuming has only made a minor improvement so I have been thinking about sending them off to test Analogue Seduction’s ultrasonic cleaning service, just to see if this process improves on wet vacuuming.
Am I the only one who’s spotted an obvious opportunity here for one of us who has an RCM to offer its services to the OP for a ‘mates rates’ price? I know discussing that sort of thing is outside forum AUP, but it could easily be discussed elsewhere.
Given that several people here say how they find cleaning slightly therapeutic, it seems there’s a bit of a win-win there for the taking, especially given the rather steep prices being quoted. Since I haven’t got an RCM, I’ll leave it there, but the OP might be open to offers!
