I agree that if the HG is your one and only cleaning method, it might fall short of expectations. I researched all the ultrasonic machines I could find for $1k or less and considered how I plan to use it. I still use my vacuum machine to get the record surface clean and only task the HG with cleaning down into the groove. Two drops of Photo-Flow and a five minute wash cycle. I don’t use the dry cycle but rather vacuum dry the record. This is working for me and I’m very happy with the results.
I bought a Vevor ultrasonic lp kit for $161 delivered. I preclean using tergitol solution and a brush, then run the Vevor for 5 or 6 minutes depending on the age of the lp in destilled water, then I vacuum dry on my 35 year old Nitty Gritty 1.5. The sound is fantastic. Its not just the lack of clicks and pops, lps sound "better". Best hifi money I've spent.
I got mine this weekend. Am totally stoked to finally see this machine. After setting up and cleaning about a dozen records, in my experience, It worked great. It may not be as good as the 3k dollar degritter, but I can clearly see and hear a difference in the records I cleaned. For the money, I think it's a great piece. So far at least.
Thanks so much for these videos, especially this latest one. I appreciate your honesty and candor, and the thought and care you put into making these videos has helpful as possible for the rest of us. Ron Kenosha WI USA
Thanks for the kind words Ron , I appreciate it. Certainly turned out a bit different then I initially hoped. Thank you again for the comments and watching and hope all stays safe and calm in your part of the US!
I commend your honesty across the three reviews. You've given an in-depth warts and all appraisal and unfortunately it comes up short. You might just have saved a lot of folks from making a very expensive mistake! In all honesty, all of the machines require a bit of time to do the job when in fact we all just want to take the record out of the sleeve place it on the turntable and play it without much hassle. Relying on the old tried and tested cleaner spritz and brush is the most simple and effective method and it does a decent job for a mere fraction of the cost.
Appreciate the way you have presented your findings. Looking at it from your own personal perspective. The good and the bad. Hope you will be able to improve the results you get. Enjoyed watching the 3 videos. Cheers. /Paul
I appreciate your thoughts and opinions, I had somewhat high hopes for this. Personally I used to use a vinyl stack with a vevor tank. I tried several different methods of pre-cleaning and bath solutions with various amounts of records (between 2 to 4 at a time)but always notice certain sides were worse than others and could never get consistent results. At the end of the day I'm back to using a vinyl vac setup similar to the setup used on the discrewind channel. IMHO this gets better results. I don't use his brush method or solution though. I add a bit of a quat to the proprietary vinylvac solution which cuts out static.
Thanks for your honest opinion, many times a new product need some tweaking. In the world of Consumer Electronics especially audio accessories often need to be field tested which is what you have just done. Hopefully the manufacture will step up and tweak this unit.
Thank you for the series. I had ordered this back in April but bought an iSonic in the meantime. So I will have something to compare it to. What drew me in on this product? The "Set it and Forget" aspect. Other affordable cleaners have complex spindles to set the records on with very limited (none) drying features. I will experiment with the Humminguru. And I will try different cleaning formulas although they recommend not to.
Hi Ben, thanks for the video and for sharing your thoughts. Just for simple & inefficient cleaning works, I don't think none of us should spend USD$500 when we can purchase many other products with the cheaper options. I had so much hope on this machine but not anymore. I will purchase the DESTAT III instead of HumminGuru since it's proving. Again thanks so much for your review & videos. have a good day
Thanks for the honest review on the Humminguru. I was a bit late for the Kickstarter and I'm wanting this ultrasonic cleaner to clean old and dirty records. Seeing your video puts things in perspective. I'd like to think this is the cheap version for vinyl enthusiasts with a limited budget and lots of time. But in the end all I want is clean records. So I have to save me some more money for a better (and rather more expensive) alternative. Or wait for an improved Humminguru. OTOH: What will the results be when first cleaning with Disco Antistat by hand and then the Humminguru and at last a vacuum cleaning? (And no time to really listen to records :-) )
I purchased a HumminGuru cleaner and a Vevor ultra Sonic Cleaner both On Amazon. Used them both and kept the Vevor. In the end I saved about 250.00 returning the Hummin Guru as it did not perform any better than the Vevor to warrent the extra 250 dollars. Plus I can clean 8 albums at a time...
I've probably cleaned about 30 records since I bought mine and I will say it's worth its weight in Gold. it works. plain and simple. I have a lot of my Dads old vinyl and the difference in playback is Night and Day. lots of noise and clicks are gone that were there before and definitely made enjoying my purchased used vinyls enjoyable and brought them right back to Life. for its price point and what it offers as an all in one Ultrasonic it's a bargain.
I have come to agree (mostly) with your position.... Should be doing an "6-months later update" on my HumminGuru experience as I have FOUND a good working relationship with the machine, through some trial and error. Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts!
Thing is, if you're using it to clean old dirty records, of course it will make some improvement. Real question is, if you gave that same record a good wet scrub with a cleaning brush and cleaner, would it have done just as well?
@@polypetalous Are you now adding some surfactant/cleaner to your water? Most people who like this machine are using surfactant from the reviews I've read. Without it many people feel it's not really a very effective cleaner as you stated.
@@Matasky2010 yes, I now use a surfactant in my HumminGuru. To be more specific, I am using a small amount of Groovewasher G2 fluid in my clean cycle. There are more “ultrasonic specific cleaners” such as Groovewasher G-sonic, but a) I have a bunch of G2 already and b) I like that the G2 is made to be used as a direct “on disc cleaner” so I feel ok skipping a separate rinse cycle (I refuse to add even more time/cycles to cleaning). That said I use the G2 and two 5-minute clean cycles (flipping disc between cycles) then a 10-minute dry… so 20-minutes to clean a record. Not ideal, but I have been pleased with the results absolutely. Now I truly like my HumminGuru and feel I am getting clean records that play “better.” Thank you for the watch and comment.
for cleaning records i had created a thinning concoction because distilled water alone is too thick to penetrate record groves, i like that it looks sexy, I'm willing to void the warranty and use my concoction
In ~1-month I plan to do a FULL update after a thorough 6-months of HumminGuru use. Seemingly, HumminGuru has relaxed their stance on use of "cleaning fluids," even going so far as to semi-endorse Groovewashers G-sonic solution... I have been using a fluid in my HG among some "other techniques," and have found success and clean records. All-in-all, there are some positives to the HumminGuru and some negatives. While perhaps the HG is not all that was promised, it IS a "capable record cleaner." Thank you for the view and comment.
If the water takes too long to air dry on a vinyl , you will definitely hear that next playback. It will sound both clicky and like static. I realised this with tweaking my cleaning protocol. I have a spin clean that I use and I thought letting them air dry would be best , but they would sound terrible at certain parts , especially lead in groove to about two or three minutes in. After realizing that was where it took the the longest to dry because on the rack the water would drip down and stay there the longest. Now , I squeegee and dry with a micro fiber cloth then put them on the drying rack. Problem solved.
Does make sense that if you allow the water to dry on the record, it “could” leave deposits and add noise… thanks for sharing your process and the comment!
I have the Degritter and have cleaned several hundred records so far. It’s an excellent and so far, reliable machine BUT, it’s not the best for eliminating noisy, non damaged albums. So, while there is usually some improvement in reduction of noise, I wouldn’t buy it for that reason specifically. My Okki Nokki RCM is about it’s equal in this regard. What I would recommend the Degritter for is to get the best sound quality out of those albums. They simply do sound better with the majority of albums that I’ve cleaned with it. It’s also a very convenient set and forget machine that has been very reliable.
Thanks for the review. I own a record shop in Toronto and was considering carrying these but your review gives me pause and something to consider. I love my Kuzma VinVac cleaner but unfortunately they don't make them anymore.
While I think there is a lot to like about the design and overall product approach and as well I have found some success in using it (outside manufacturers direction)… I still have a hard time recommending this machine at current price point. If it were closer to the $300 mark perhaps… Hope that record store is staying good n’ busy… got any Hawkwind? Thanks for the comment and watching!
Hi Ben! My own experience hasn’t really mirrored yours, so I spent a little while noodling trying to figure out why that might be. Regarding surface noise, it seems most likely that it could be static charge built up during the air drying cycle, especially if you’re in a dry environment. I’m a habitual Zero-Stat user, so it’s possible that’s why I’ve never noticed this. And regarding the use of distilled water, I’ve taken to adding a single small drop of PhotoFlo (a surfactant) to the tank, which is enough to break the surface tension of the water and allow the cavitation to do a better job. Hope you’re able to figure out a process that gets you the results you want more of the time!
I certainly cant rule out static, it is getting to be "dry season" round here. Though I didn't observe static, as I often do... but again definitely possible. Very glad you are having good results, with your HG there is a lot to like about it. I do suspect that the PhotoFlo is doin a lot for ya. Thanks for the comment and watching!
@@polypetalous My iSonic is better for deep cleaning, but it is a pain. I have both and the Humminguru is great for touch ups and new records. It has never made a record worse.
Ben, Thanks for your interesting review. A few things I thought you might want to know...I recently demo'ed a Kirmuss to compare against my VPI 16.5. I did NOT want to do the Kirmuss method, which is involved and lengthy. Instead, i just used distilled water and nothing else. ( No surfactants). The Kirmuss also displayed the same issue that you noticed, several records being bone dry as they rotated through the water ( very odd!) However, this is due to a number of variables, one of which is the cleanliness of the record to begin with and whether it had been previously treated or cleaned.( if it had, the result was typically a dry record). The Kirmuss has a fundamental issue, that is it can damage the record if it slips off the rotator wheel ( which on many occasions the record will do!) The records do come out of the US better cleaned than the VPI. The need for surfactant is only going to be necessary, I believe, IF the record is very dirty to begin with. I have ordered the Humminguru, hope to use it like the Kirmuss, wherein it will only clean basically newer and cleaner vinyl. I suspect ( strongly) that you would have exactly the same opinion of the Kirmuss if you were to compare it to the new Humminguru...each would have the same cleaning ability ( if used with just distilled water, like I did). The Kirmuss is not designed for records, as such its propensity to damage the record is probably much higher than the Humminguru! The Humminguru's slot seems like a better solution for record rotation. I dont have the Humminguru yet, so I may be as disappointed as you appear to be, BUT I also was extremely disappointed in the Kirmuss after it damaged one of my records ( luckily not a valuable one, but still!). I also suspect, as another poster pointed out, that you had a static issue with the record you displayed in this video, and would have had exactly the same problem with any other cleaner...vacuum or US.
Davey thank you for sharing your experience, especially with the Kirmuss. I had seen reports of possible record damage… terrible to think you could permanently damage something through trying to “clean.” Even where the HumminGuru seemed to “add noise” (static or not) it seems to only be a temporary issue fixed by further cleaning. I’m still a bit unconvinced that “distilled water only,” is enough to clean (across an average collection). I plan a follow up video, as I have found improvement in my HumminGuru process, but it is NOT as manufacturer recommended and certainly takes it past the idea of an auto-cycle-set-forget-enjoy kinda deal, that I had hoped for (whether or not my expectations were/are reasonable is arguable). Thank you very much for the comment and watching!
@@polypetalous Thanks Ben, I will be interested to see what your new cleaning protocol involves. One thing though, I am 100% certain that the US method is better than anything I could achieve with the VPI 16.5. ( Even though I was using various liquids and the Enzyme cleaner). I will report back once I have the 'Guru' ( assuming I ever do get it from them! ).
Even though the manufacturers don't recommend it for 78s/ shellack, I find that it does a great job in 'cleaning up' dusty/ grimy records bought recently.
Interesting I think that’s the first I’ve heard of anyone trying a 78 and/or shellack in their HG… thank you for sharing the experience and as well for watching!
I think its just static because you said its sounds better after you spray it with your usual cleaning solution. However I agree that it needs a multiple runs to get the feel that its actually cleaning the record, which is to me pretty standard even with the Degritter. Also, probably your water is a bit colder and maybe you should warm it up slightly. Im very happy with mine, I got what I need but I do not have anything super dirty and even if I do, will do a manual cleaning first and then I will use the ultrasonic. Just how I clean my glasses. Will try to find something in the bin over the weekend and try again.
Yes, I do not think its too far out of reason to think that "static" was some of the issue ... though, the static would have been "after cleaning" which is possible and can be overcome. For sure, a lot of the examples I showed on video were purpose picked as "worse case scenario" in terms of "dirty records." Generally speaking, my records are fairly quiet and clean... I think also, something not mentioned is I run a pretty low-mass arm with a line-contact stylus, IMO this combo while stunning when all is right, tends to "amplify" flaws/dirt at the same time. Thanks for the comment and watching!
Thank you very much for the video, I think it was a very honest review. Normally high-end audio journalists don't dare (or can't) say things so clearly. In absolute terms, the machine is mediocre. In relative terms, for the price and for its design, it is reasonable. From what I have seen, this machine is not very powerful, so a solution of distilled water with some surfactant should be used. Even dilute (very carefully, never more than 1%) with alcohol. And complement it with other cleaning systems (manual and vacuum). Greetings
I think you are correct, in that there is still a lot to like in this machine just perhaps some process improvements to be learned. Thank you for the kind words and for watching.
Being that I have such limited experience with OTHER Ultrasonic machines I can't recommend one, but there is lots of good info on the "other machines" out there. Also, it "may" be worthwhile to allow some time, as more of these HumminGuru machines get into the hands of the public... will be interesting to see how others use the machines and how the "process" might evolve. Thank you for the comment and watching!
I nearly did not order after seeing all your reviews but I gave it a go in the end and my impressions are a bit different then yours. I have a record that simply sounded horrible (John Frusciante - Empyrean) - album is full of clicks and not listenable, had it even sent out externally for a deep clean and when it came back it didn't sound any better. One deep cycle with HG and one long drying cycle and this record sounds as good as it can with nearly 0 clicks, I am really impressed by this thing. I obviously used a bit of spinclean fluid and the result is amazing.
That's FANTASTIC to hear! In spite of my initial disappointment, I do hope users find success with these machines, again a lot to like here. I would say that the Spinclean fluid, is a big key to your success... I have been teasing a "follow up video," which I intend to shoot tonight, to show my own "revised HumminGuru method" that has, for me, shown improvement. Again, glad to hear of your success. Thanks for sharing and watching!
@@polypetalous Glad you are doing one and I hope your new results are as positive as mine, since it arrived today its constantly cleaning my collection today, I am extremely happy with HG :)
Another thoughtful review and video. While I appreciate it, I have had such completely different results that it makes me wonder if we got the same machine! Haha. While it’s not perfect, the difference has been dramatic on the majority of the records I’ve cleaned. I’ve gotten about 60-90% of the surface noise off of many records, especially for some reason my UK Beatles, Floyd & Stones first pressings. I have only had a handful where no significantly noticeable difference has been achieved. I would also bet that adding some surfactant will only increase the positive results, but have yet to try it. For new, scratch free 180g records that just need a quick bath to remove factory debris, I’ll still just use my Spin Clean. Simple and effective. But for my vintage records that have no doubt acquired a lot of built up groove gunk, this is easily 20 times more effective. Just my two cents again. :)
I REALLY appreciate other HumminGuru users sharing their experiences (positive or negative), so thank you for that. I really DO want to believe my experience, thus far, is unique. Not giving up on the HG, will continue trying, experimenting etc. there is plenty to like about this machine... Thank you for sharing and watching!
@@polypetalous Of course! I just had to drop that in there because I’ve been absolutely loving it. My most recent “WOW” moment was my UK Stereo 1st press of Beggars Banquet. Visually, it’s a solid VG+ but before cleaning (having only used the Spin Clean) it was so crackly that I didn’t even enjoy listening to it. It didn’t sound like groove wear so I knew it had to be a cleaning issue. Sure enough…I’m playing it right now and it’s WONDERFUL! Barely a crackle to be heard where before it was constant. :D
Appreciate your review and this will allow me to not pull the trigger when they go on line tomorrow. Question? Isn't there someone to call for customer support regarding this new machine? Why would they NOT want you to use a surfactant? I really do not even know what that is, but they are telling you no, only distilled water? Call me cynical, but this kind of product reminds me of automatic dishwashing machine pods. They will tell you, oh no need to scrub off the food it'll clean off all by itself, yea right;-)...somehow the pods seem to work better if you before hand scrub off most of the food ;-) Hard to believe though they would NOT invest in customer service folks to take consumer questions!? Oh well thanks so much for helping all of us who are on the fence with this new product.
Perhaps give it time and see if HumminGuru will change their position on “distilled water only.” As well it’ll be interesting as more of these machines get into consumer hands… see how everyone uses them etc. Thank you for the comment and watching!
Regarding no water on the record during cleaning comment... I use a Kirmuss and Degritter - I typically find that the cleaner the record, the less water "sticks" to the surface + some formulations of vinyl seem to repel better than others. I actually LIKE to see no water on the record when using the Degritter for this reason (note I only use surfactant in the Kirmuss - the Degritter is water only as a final rinse/dry stage of my cleaning) as it means the record is really clean and it's a nice visual hint of such. So I wouldn't be overly concerned about this...
Thank you for the real world experience on the Kirmuss and Degritter, amazing that you have/use both! I wouldn't be overly concerned with lack of water either, just caught me ass "odd" that this was a "noisier record" after cleaning... but again LOTS of factors at play with records, cleaning, environment etc. Thanks for watching appreciate it!
I’m starting to use “additional ingredients” and other such changes. I believe I am seeing an overall improvement to the cleaning ability of the HumminGuru… still working on it. Thanks for the comment and watching!
i am worried that after using the humming guru the stuff i am working so hard to remove from the grooves is just now on the surface of the record and not in the water tray. is there any truth to that ? If so what is the best way to deal with that issue.
I too had that concern, initially... and I perhaps saw the "re-depositing" of some debris after cleaning when using distilled water only... objects like hair/fur etc. seemed to "stick around." However, since using a fluid in my cleaning (I use Groovewasher G2 - small amount in distilled water) I do not see much debris sticking around once done (clean & dry cycle). As well, I tend to wipe out the water fill tank after every cleaning session and there IS dirt on my cleaning cloth nearly every time as well the filter in the tank shows quite a bit of "caught dirt." So in essence, I say cleaning is better and more thorough, with some sort of fluid added (I prefer Groovewasher G2 of G-sonic). Of course your results may vary and all is dependent on just how dirty the records are. Thank you for the comment and watching and I hope you the best with your HumminGuru!
Good video, however no ultrasonic cleaner solution for vinyl works w/o a surfactant due to the surface tension of vinyl. I own the Kirmuss and it works very well with a surfactant. Add a surfactant and you s/b good to go.
Did you ever add a surfactant? Did you ever add warm water? Did you ever use a dirty LP? Don’t listen to the manufacturer. Get creative. That machine has potential. Find it.
No have NOT yet tried surfactant and/or warmed water, initial idea behind this "first impressions series" was to present the HumminGuru and use it "as designed, per manufacturer." Gotta start from somewhere... While I DO agree the machine has potential, that potential lies outside the intended use... my main point would be that if one wanted to use sufactants, homebrew fluids, heated water etc. there are other machines that accommodate these "better" and are intended to use them and as well many "other machines" have more power (qty of transducers and/or higher frequency) to further aid in cleaning. Again potential yes, I agree but IMO the HumminGuru is starting at a "disadvantage." All just "my opinion" though, results may vary. Thanks for the comment and watching!
The problem with the Humminguru is power.... All 35 to 40 khz units are equally loud. This unit is quieter meaning that it is not generating enough power. The specs on the power supply do not add up to produce the amount of power that a 40khz unit needs. In my opinion the humminguru is a scam. It does nt do the job its meant to because of the lack of current from the power brick. I don't have one but a record collector friend of mine does. He is and electrical engineer and he noted it on the specs as soon as it arrived that it can not produce enough bubbles for the power used. To me it is a cheap and nasty unit that certainly does not do what its meant to do.
Too bad about the results. I will say that with vacuum cleaners a common mistake is doing too many rotations, especially in dry climates, thus creating a large static charge on the record. This adds noise, clicks and pops. A couple plays or less rotations usually eliminates this charge, but scares a lot of beginners. Im not sure how this machine would produce static but I dont see how else it would worsen some records. Youre mistaken on one part though, not everyone can be right about the improvements vs setbacks. Its either better or not and from what I heard in part 2 I didnt hear anything special. But as I said there, you really would wanna try using some alcohol with the water because that really plays a big part in breaking the surface tension and loosening the dirt.
I only say "everyone's right" in that everyone spoke THEIR experience as they heard it. I cant deny someone what they "believe" they hear... I may disagree but I can only say it as I "hear it." I can say that after age, decades of rock shows, industrial machinery and general misuse and disregard, my hearing may not be the best... Thanks again for the comments and thoughts!
@@polypetalous I understand what you mean, I dont mean to imply that some people are lying. Its just that for the result to be both improved and worsened is simply impossible, and so some must be mistaken. The interesting part is figuring out who is "right" in correlation to the real world. This is not only useful for ones self but especially important when its at the end of shared information, since public misinformation is generally bad. Im sure you agree as you did a great job being thorough and withholding judgement before spending enough time investigating the product according to manufacturer instructions. Sorry for the long winded ramble ;^)
Too bad for your experience. I've been cleaning using a solution... obviously... water is useless when the surface tension cannot be broken sufficiently. I've never had a single dud. All of the records stop crackling after a maximum 2 wash cycles.
My HumminGuru experience has VASTLY improved since using a solution in the bath (I use Groovewasher G2). Started using this shortly after making these videos. These videos were based on using the device “per manufacturer instructions” at the time which included using “distilled water only.” But heck, as of a few weeks ago, HumminGuru themselves started selling a “solution” to use in the machine. All-in-all, I now, truly like my HumminGuru and would highly recommend them to anyone. Thank you for sharing your experience and watching.
I agree that if the HG is your one and only cleaning method, it might fall short of expectations. I researched all the ultrasonic machines I could find for $1k or less and considered how I plan to use it. I still use my vacuum machine to get the record surface clean and only task the HG with cleaning down into the groove. Two drops of Photo-Flow and a five minute wash cycle. I don’t use the dry cycle but rather vacuum dry the record. This is working for me and I’m very happy with the results.
I bought a Vevor ultrasonic lp kit for $161 delivered. I preclean using tergitol solution and a brush, then run the Vevor for 5 or 6 minutes depending on the age of the lp in destilled water, then I vacuum dry on my 35 year old Nitty Gritty 1.5. The sound is fantastic. Its not just the lack of clicks and pops, lps sound "better". Best hifi money I've spent.
I got mine this weekend. Am totally stoked to finally see this machine. After setting up and cleaning about a dozen records, in my experience, It worked great. It may not be as good as the 3k dollar degritter, but I can clearly see and hear a difference in the records I cleaned. For the money, I think it's a great piece. So far at least.
Very helpful, thank you. I had high hopes for the Humminguru, but now I will look for another solution.
Thanks so much for these videos, especially this latest one. I appreciate your honesty and candor, and the thought and care you put into making these videos has helpful as possible for the rest of us.
Ron
Kenosha WI
USA
Thanks for the kind words Ron , I appreciate it. Certainly turned out a bit different then I initially hoped. Thank you again for the comments and watching and hope all stays safe and calm in your part of the US!
I commend your honesty across the three reviews. You've given an in-depth warts and all appraisal and unfortunately it comes up short. You might just have saved a lot of folks from making a very expensive mistake! In all honesty, all of the machines require a bit of time to do the job when in fact we all just want to take the record out of the sleeve place it on the turntable and play it without much hassle. Relying on the old tried and tested cleaner spritz and brush is the most simple and effective method and it does a decent job for a mere fraction of the cost.
Thanks for the kind words… really hoped this one would work our better.
Thanks again for the comments and watching
Appreciate the way you have presented your findings. Looking at it from your own personal perspective. The good and the bad. Hope you will be able to improve the results you get. Enjoyed watching the 3 videos. Cheers. /Paul
Paul thank you for the kind words and glad you enjoyed watching. I too hope to improve results , and very much plan to “keep at it.”
Thanks again.
I appreciate your thoughts and opinions, I had somewhat high hopes for this. Personally I used to use a vinyl stack with a vevor tank. I tried several different methods of pre-cleaning and bath solutions with various amounts of records (between 2 to 4 at a time)but always notice certain sides were worse than others and could never get consistent results. At the end of the day I'm back to using a vinyl vac setup similar to the setup used on the discrewind channel. IMHO this gets better results. I don't use his brush method or solution though. I add a bit of a quat to the proprietary vinylvac solution which cuts out static.
Thanks for your honest opinion, many times a new product need some tweaking. In the world of Consumer Electronics especially audio accessories often need to be field tested which is what you have just done. Hopefully the manufacture will step up and tweak this unit.
Thank you for the series. I had ordered this back in April but bought an iSonic in the meantime. So I will have something to compare it to. What drew me in on this product? The "Set it and Forget" aspect. Other affordable cleaners have complex spindles to set the records on with very limited (none) drying features. I will experiment with the Humminguru. And I will try different cleaning formulas although they recommend not to.
I am glad I waited to make a purchase decision. Going to investigate the Isonic...
Hi Ben, thanks for the video and for sharing your thoughts. Just for simple & inefficient cleaning works, I don't think none of us should spend USD$500 when we can purchase many other products with the cheaper options. I had so much hope on this machine but not anymore. I will purchase the DESTAT III instead of HumminGuru since it's proving. Again thanks so much for your review & videos. have a good day
Awesome reviews. Where have you been? Get on the box, Poly!!
Thanks for the honest review on the Humminguru. I was a bit late for the Kickstarter and I'm wanting this ultrasonic cleaner to clean old and dirty records. Seeing your video puts things in perspective. I'd like to think this is the cheap version for vinyl enthusiasts with a limited budget and lots of time. But in the end all I want is clean records. So I have to save me some more money for a better (and rather more expensive) alternative. Or wait for an improved Humminguru.
OTOH: What will the results be when first cleaning with Disco Antistat by hand and then the Humminguru and at last a vacuum cleaning? (And no time to really listen to records :-) )
I purchased a HumminGuru cleaner and a Vevor ultra Sonic Cleaner both On Amazon. Used them both and kept the Vevor. In the end I saved about 250.00 returning the Hummin Guru as it did not
perform any better than the Vevor to warrent the extra 250 dollars. Plus I can clean 8 albums at a time...
I've probably cleaned about 30 records since I bought mine and I will say it's worth its weight in Gold. it works. plain and simple. I have a lot of my Dads old vinyl and the difference in playback is Night and Day. lots of noise and clicks are gone that were there before and definitely made enjoying my purchased used vinyls enjoyable and brought them right back to Life. for its price point and what it offers as an all in one Ultrasonic it's a bargain.
I have come to agree (mostly) with your position.... Should be doing an "6-months later update" on my HumminGuru experience as I have FOUND a good working relationship with the machine, through some trial and error. Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts!
Thing is, if you're using it to clean old dirty records, of course it will make some improvement. Real question is, if you gave that same record a good wet scrub with a cleaning brush and cleaner, would it have done just as well?
@@polypetalous Are you now adding some surfactant/cleaner to your water? Most people who like this machine are using surfactant from the reviews I've read. Without it many people feel it's not really a very effective cleaner as you stated.
@@Matasky2010 yes, I now use a surfactant in my HumminGuru. To be more specific, I am using a small amount of Groovewasher G2 fluid in my clean cycle. There are more “ultrasonic specific cleaners” such as Groovewasher G-sonic, but a) I have a bunch of G2 already and b) I like that the G2 is made to be used as a direct “on disc cleaner” so I feel ok skipping a separate rinse cycle (I refuse to add even more time/cycles to cleaning). That said I use the G2 and two 5-minute clean cycles (flipping disc between cycles) then a 10-minute dry… so 20-minutes to clean a record. Not ideal, but I have been pleased with the results absolutely. Now I truly like my HumminGuru and feel I am getting clean records that play “better.”
Thank you for the watch and comment.
for cleaning records i had created a thinning concoction because distilled water alone is too thick to penetrate record groves, i like that it looks sexy, I'm willing to void the warranty and use my concoction
In ~1-month I plan to do a FULL update after a thorough 6-months of HumminGuru use. Seemingly, HumminGuru has relaxed their stance on use of "cleaning fluids," even going so far as to semi-endorse Groovewashers G-sonic solution... I have been using a fluid in my HG among some "other techniques," and have found success and clean records.
All-in-all, there are some positives to the HumminGuru and some negatives. While perhaps the HG is not all that was promised, it IS a "capable record cleaner."
Thank you for the view and comment.
If the water takes too long to air dry on a vinyl , you will definitely hear that next playback. It will sound both clicky and like static. I realised this with tweaking my cleaning protocol. I have a spin clean that I use and I thought letting them air dry would be best , but they would sound terrible at certain parts , especially lead in groove to about two or three minutes in. After realizing that was where it took the the longest to dry because on the rack the water would drip down and stay there the longest. Now , I squeegee and dry with a micro fiber cloth then put them on the drying rack. Problem solved.
Does make sense that if you allow the water to dry on the record, it “could” leave deposits and add noise… thanks for sharing your process and the comment!
Thats made my mind up to get the Degritter...thank you for your honest opinion
I have the Degritter and have cleaned several hundred records so far. It’s an excellent and so far, reliable machine BUT, it’s not the best for eliminating noisy, non damaged albums. So, while there is usually some improvement in reduction of noise, I wouldn’t buy it for that reason specifically. My Okki Nokki RCM is about it’s equal in this regard. What I would recommend the Degritter for is to get the best sound quality out of those albums. They simply do sound better with the majority of albums that I’ve cleaned with it. It’s also a very convenient set and forget machine that has been very reliable.
@@mikegemmati8658 thanks for adding some real world Degritter experience.
Appreciate it
Thanks for the review. I own a record shop in Toronto and was considering carrying these but your review gives me pause and something to consider. I love my Kuzma VinVac cleaner but unfortunately they don't make them anymore.
While I think there is a lot to like about the design and overall product approach and as well I have found some success in using it (outside manufacturers direction)… I still have a hard time recommending this machine at current price point. If it were closer to the $300 mark perhaps…
Hope that record store is staying good n’ busy… got any Hawkwind?
Thanks for the comment and watching!
Hi Ben! My own experience hasn’t really mirrored yours, so I spent a little while noodling trying to figure out why that might be. Regarding surface noise, it seems most likely that it could be static charge built up during the air drying cycle, especially if you’re in a dry environment. I’m a habitual Zero-Stat user, so it’s possible that’s why I’ve never noticed this.
And regarding the use of distilled water, I’ve taken to adding a single small drop of PhotoFlo (a surfactant) to the tank, which is enough to break the surface tension of the water and allow the cavitation to do a better job.
Hope you’re able to figure out a process that gets you the results you want more of the time!
I certainly cant rule out static, it is getting to be "dry season" round here. Though I didn't observe static, as I often do... but again definitely possible.
Very glad you are having good results, with your HG there is a lot to like about it. I do suspect that the PhotoFlo is doin a lot for ya.
Thanks for the comment and watching!
@@polypetalous My iSonic is better for deep cleaning, but it is a pain. I have both and the Humminguru is great for touch ups and new records. It has never made a record worse.
@@OldStuffOntario which iSonic model do you have?
@@weltschmerz88 5 record non heater version.
@@OldStuffOntario Isn't this just the Kirmus machine without their lid
Ben, Thanks for your interesting review. A few things I thought you might want to know...I recently demo'ed a Kirmuss to compare against my VPI 16.5. I did NOT want to do the Kirmuss method, which is involved and lengthy. Instead, i just used distilled water and nothing else. ( No surfactants). The Kirmuss also displayed the same issue that you noticed, several records being bone dry as they rotated through the water ( very odd!) However, this is due to a number of variables, one of which is the cleanliness of the record to begin with and whether it had been previously treated or cleaned.( if it had, the result was typically a dry record). The Kirmuss has a fundamental issue, that is it can damage the record if it slips off the rotator wheel ( which on many occasions the record will do!) The records do come out of the US better cleaned than the VPI. The need for surfactant is only going to be necessary, I believe, IF the record is very dirty to begin with. I have ordered the Humminguru, hope to use it like the Kirmuss, wherein it will only clean basically newer and cleaner vinyl. I suspect ( strongly) that you would have exactly the same opinion of the Kirmuss if you were to compare it to the new Humminguru...each would have the same cleaning ability ( if used with just distilled water, like I did). The Kirmuss is not designed for records, as such its propensity to damage the record is probably much higher than the Humminguru! The Humminguru's slot seems like a better solution for record rotation. I dont have the Humminguru yet, so I may be as disappointed as you appear to be, BUT I also was extremely disappointed in the Kirmuss after it damaged one of my records ( luckily not a valuable one, but still!). I also suspect, as another poster pointed out, that you had a static issue with the record you displayed in this video, and would have had exactly the same problem with any other cleaner...vacuum or US.
Davey thank you for sharing your experience, especially with the Kirmuss. I had seen reports of possible record damage… terrible to think you could permanently damage something through trying to “clean.” Even where the HumminGuru seemed to “add noise” (static or not) it seems to only be a temporary issue fixed by further cleaning.
I’m still a bit unconvinced that “distilled water only,” is enough to clean (across an average collection). I plan a follow up video, as I have found improvement in my HumminGuru process, but it is NOT as manufacturer recommended and certainly takes it past the idea of an auto-cycle-set-forget-enjoy kinda deal, that I had hoped for (whether or not my expectations were/are reasonable is arguable).
Thank you very much for the comment and watching!
@@polypetalous Thanks Ben, I will be interested to see what your new cleaning protocol involves. One thing though, I am 100% certain that the US method is better than anything I could achieve with the VPI 16.5. ( Even though I was using various liquids and the Enzyme cleaner). I will report back once I have the 'Guru' ( assuming I ever do get it from them! ).
Even though the manufacturers don't recommend it for 78s/ shellack, I find that it does a great job in 'cleaning up' dusty/ grimy records bought recently.
Interesting I think that’s the first I’ve heard of anyone trying a 78 and/or shellack in their HG… thank you for sharing the experience and as well for watching!
I think its just static because you said its sounds better after you spray it with your usual cleaning solution. However I agree that it needs a multiple runs to get the feel that its actually cleaning the record, which is to me pretty standard even with the Degritter. Also, probably your water is a bit colder and maybe you should warm it up slightly.
Im very happy with mine, I got what I need but I do not have anything super dirty and even if I do, will do a manual cleaning first and then I will use the ultrasonic. Just how I clean my glasses. Will try to find something in the bin over the weekend and try again.
Yes, I do not think its too far out of reason to think that "static" was some of the issue ... though, the static would have been "after cleaning" which is possible and can be overcome.
For sure, a lot of the examples I showed on video were purpose picked as "worse case scenario" in terms of "dirty records." Generally speaking, my records are fairly quiet and clean... I think also, something not mentioned is I run a pretty low-mass arm with a line-contact stylus, IMO this combo while stunning when all is right, tends to "amplify" flaws/dirt at the same time.
Thanks for the comment and watching!
Thank you very much for the video, I think it was a very honest review. Normally high-end audio journalists don't dare (or can't) say things so clearly. In absolute terms, the machine is mediocre. In relative terms, for the price and for its design, it is reasonable. From what I have seen, this machine is not very powerful, so a solution of distilled water with some surfactant should be used. Even dilute (very carefully, never more than 1%) with alcohol. And complement it with other cleaning systems (manual and vacuum).
Greetings
I think you are correct, in that there is still a lot to like in this machine just perhaps some process improvements to be learned.
Thank you for the kind words and for watching.
Great review. Thanks. Do you have a tip for vinyl purifier for reasonable money?
Being that I have such limited experience with OTHER Ultrasonic machines I can't recommend one, but there is lots of good info on the "other machines" out there.
Also, it "may" be worthwhile to allow some time, as more of these HumminGuru machines get into the hands of the public... will be interesting to see how others use the machines and how the "process" might evolve.
Thank you for the comment and watching!
I nearly did not order after seeing all your reviews but I gave it a go in the end and my impressions are a bit different then yours. I have a record that simply sounded horrible (John Frusciante - Empyrean) - album is full of clicks and not listenable, had it even sent out externally for a deep clean and when it came back it didn't sound any better. One deep cycle with HG and one long drying cycle and this record sounds as good as it can with nearly 0 clicks, I am really impressed by this thing. I obviously used a bit of spinclean fluid and the result is amazing.
That's FANTASTIC to hear! In spite of my initial disappointment, I do hope users find success with these machines, again a lot to like here. I would say that the Spinclean fluid, is a big key to your success... I have been teasing a "follow up video," which I intend to shoot tonight, to show my own "revised HumminGuru method" that has, for me, shown improvement. Again, glad to hear of your success.
Thanks for sharing and watching!
@@polypetalous Glad you are doing one and I hope your new results are as positive as mine, since it arrived today its constantly cleaning my collection today, I am extremely happy with HG :)
Another thoughtful review and video. While I appreciate it, I have had such completely different results that it makes me wonder if we got the same machine! Haha. While it’s not perfect, the difference has been dramatic on the majority of the records I’ve cleaned. I’ve gotten about 60-90% of the surface noise off of many records, especially for some reason my UK Beatles, Floyd & Stones first pressings. I have only had a handful where no significantly noticeable difference has been achieved. I would also bet that adding some surfactant will only increase the positive results, but have yet to try it. For new, scratch free 180g records that just need a quick bath to remove factory debris, I’ll still just use my Spin Clean. Simple and effective. But for my vintage records that have no doubt acquired a lot of built up groove gunk, this is easily 20 times more effective. Just my two cents again. :)
I REALLY appreciate other HumminGuru users sharing their experiences (positive or negative), so thank you for that. I really DO want to believe my experience, thus far, is unique.
Not giving up on the HG, will continue trying, experimenting etc. there is plenty to like about this machine...
Thank you for sharing and watching!
@@polypetalous Of course! I just had to drop that in there because I’ve been absolutely loving it. My most recent “WOW” moment was my UK Stereo 1st press of Beggars Banquet. Visually, it’s a solid VG+ but before cleaning (having only used the Spin Clean) it was so crackly that I didn’t even enjoy listening to it. It didn’t sound like groove wear so I knew it had to be a cleaning issue. Sure enough…I’m playing it right now and it’s WONDERFUL! Barely a crackle to be heard where before it was constant. :D
Appreciate your review and this will allow me to not pull the trigger when they go on line tomorrow. Question? Isn't there someone to call for customer support regarding this new machine? Why would they NOT want you to use a surfactant? I really do not even know what that is, but they are telling you no, only distilled water? Call me cynical, but this kind of product reminds me of automatic dishwashing machine pods. They will tell you, oh no need to scrub off the food it'll clean off all by itself, yea right;-)...somehow the pods seem to work better if you before hand scrub off most of the food ;-) Hard to believe though they would NOT invest in customer service folks to take consumer questions!? Oh well thanks so much for helping all of us who are on the fence with this new product.
Perhaps give it time and see if HumminGuru will change their position on “distilled water only.” As well it’ll be interesting as more of these machines get into consumer hands… see how everyone uses them etc.
Thank you for the comment and watching!
Regarding no water on the record during cleaning comment... I use a Kirmuss and Degritter - I typically find that the cleaner the record, the less water "sticks" to the surface + some formulations of vinyl seem to repel better than others. I actually LIKE to see no water on the record when using the Degritter for this reason (note I only use surfactant in the Kirmuss - the Degritter is water only as a final rinse/dry stage of my cleaning) as it means the record is really clean and it's a nice visual hint of such. So I wouldn't be overly concerned about this...
Thank you for the real world experience on the Kirmuss and Degritter, amazing that you have/use both!
I wouldn't be overly concerned with lack of water either, just caught me ass "odd" that this was a "noisier record" after cleaning... but again LOTS of factors at play with records, cleaning, environment etc.
Thanks for watching appreciate it!
Interesting. I used a surfactant from the go. Now use the Degritter cleaning fluid.
I’m starting to use “additional ingredients” and other such changes. I believe I am seeing an overall improvement to the cleaning ability of the HumminGuru… still working on it.
Thanks for the comment and watching!
i am worried that after using the humming guru the stuff i am working so hard to remove from the grooves is just now on the surface of the record and not in the water tray. is there any truth to that ? If so what is the best way to deal with that issue.
I too had that concern, initially... and I perhaps saw the "re-depositing" of some debris after cleaning when using distilled water only... objects like hair/fur etc. seemed to "stick around." However, since using a fluid in my cleaning (I use Groovewasher G2 - small amount in distilled water) I do not see much debris sticking around once done (clean & dry cycle). As well, I tend to wipe out the water fill tank after every cleaning session and there IS dirt on my cleaning cloth nearly every time as well the filter in the tank shows quite a bit of "caught dirt." So in essence, I say cleaning is better and more thorough, with some sort of fluid added (I prefer Groovewasher G2 of G-sonic).
Of course your results may vary and all is dependent on just how dirty the records are.
Thank you for the comment and watching and I hope you the best with your HumminGuru!
Good video, however no ultrasonic cleaner solution for vinyl works w/o a surfactant due to the surface tension of vinyl. I own the Kirmuss and it works very well with a surfactant. Add a surfactant and you s/b good to go.
I very HIGHLY suspect you're right... Not givin' up on the HG, so will be "experimenting."
Thanks for the comment and watching!
@@polypetalous If you do a video using surfactant, please do an update. Your sharing the info on this cleaner is much appreciated!
@@richiehimes7990 agreed!
God damn it Polly, they are camping in the caves! Get back on the Xbox!
Did you ever add a surfactant? Did you ever add warm water? Did you ever use a dirty LP? Don’t listen to the manufacturer. Get creative. That machine has potential. Find it.
No have NOT yet tried surfactant and/or warmed water, initial idea behind this "first impressions series" was to present the HumminGuru and use it "as designed, per manufacturer." Gotta start from somewhere... While I DO agree the machine has potential, that potential lies outside the intended use... my main point would be that if one wanted to use sufactants, homebrew fluids, heated water etc. there are other machines that accommodate these "better" and are intended to use them and as well many "other machines" have more power (qty of transducers and/or higher frequency) to further aid in cleaning.
Again potential yes, I agree but IMO the HumminGuru is starting at a "disadvantage."
All just "my opinion" though, results may vary.
Thanks for the comment and watching!
The problem with the Humminguru is power.... All 35 to 40 khz units are equally loud. This unit is quieter meaning that it is not generating enough power. The specs on the power supply do not add up to produce the amount of power that a 40khz unit needs. In my opinion the humminguru is a scam. It does nt do the job its meant to because of the lack of current from the power brick. I don't have one but a record collector friend of mine does. He is and electrical engineer and he noted it on the specs as soon as it arrived that it can not produce enough bubbles for the power used. To me it is a cheap and nasty unit that certainly does not do what its meant to do.
Too bad about the results. I will say that with vacuum cleaners a common mistake is doing too many rotations, especially in dry climates, thus creating a large static charge on the record. This adds noise, clicks and pops. A couple plays or less rotations usually eliminates this charge, but scares a lot of beginners. Im not sure how this machine would produce static but I dont see how else it would worsen some records.
Youre mistaken on one part though, not everyone can be right about the improvements vs setbacks. Its either better or not and from what I heard in part 2 I didnt hear anything special. But as I said there, you really would wanna try using some alcohol with the water because that really plays a big part in breaking the surface tension and loosening the dirt.
I only say "everyone's right" in that everyone spoke THEIR experience as they heard it. I cant deny someone what they "believe" they hear... I may disagree but I can only say it as I "hear it."
I can say that after age, decades of rock shows, industrial machinery and general misuse and disregard, my hearing may not be the best...
Thanks again for the comments and thoughts!
@@polypetalous I understand what you mean, I dont mean to imply that some people are lying.
Its just that for the result to be both improved and worsened is simply impossible, and so some must be mistaken. The interesting part is figuring out who is "right" in correlation to the real world.
This is not only useful for ones self but especially important when its at the end of shared information, since public misinformation is generally bad.
Im sure you agree as you did a great job being thorough and withholding judgement before spending enough time investigating the product according to manufacturer instructions.
Sorry for the long winded ramble ;^)
Too bad for your experience. I've been cleaning using a solution... obviously... water is useless when the surface tension cannot be broken sufficiently. I've never had a single dud. All of the records stop crackling after a maximum 2 wash cycles.
My HumminGuru experience has VASTLY improved since using a solution in the bath (I use Groovewasher G2). Started using this shortly after making these videos. These videos were based on using the device “per manufacturer instructions” at the time which included using “distilled water only.” But heck, as of a few weeks ago, HumminGuru themselves started selling a “solution” to use in the machine.
All-in-all, I now, truly like my HumminGuru and would highly recommend them to anyone. Thank you for sharing your experience and watching.