Vinyl Styl Deep Groove Record Washer System - for 7/10/12 Inch (White)

Will this machine clean as well as a vacuum or ultrasonic system? I'm almost positive it won't. But if spending anywhere from $200 to $1200 (or more) isn't an issue for you, then off you go to a better world. For anyone looking for a great option under $100, this might be the machine for you.There are several basin-type cleaners on the market, most notably the bright yellow Spin-Clean which has the distinction of having been around the longest of the bunch. And for me, it was a dead-heat between the SC and this Vinyl Styl system for a long time (tried-and-true vs. new-and-improved). In the end, the VS Deep Groove cleaner won out, but not because it was cheaper (which is nice). First, the whole thing packs up into a great self-contained package. Second, the included drying rack saved me even more money by not having to purchase or build another device for holding wet records. Third, a clamp to protect the label is a great idea, and it's also the center axle of the spinning mechanics, which seemed to make more sense than the two rollers on the outer edge that the SC uses. And finally, I liked the idea of goat hair brushes better than the cloth pads the SC uses. I'll be the first to admit that it's purely speculative, but it just seems like the soft bristles of the brushes would do a better job at digging crud out of grooves than the pads would do. I've used similar stand-alone pad brushes like the ones in the SC in the past, and have never liked them.As to the issue of the fluid, many here (and on other forums) have complained that the Vinyl Styl cleaner left a film on their records which transferred to the stylus in the form of a gunky build up. It's possible that this is due to the fact that there's no rinse basin (unless you buy a second machine), or even a recommendation for one in the instructions (you're meant to just let them air dry, hence the drying rack). But rather than even chance it, I decided to throw out the included fluid and go with a home brew solution as many other reviewers have done. Google "London Jazz Collector Record Cleaning Fluid" for what is arguably the best recipe out there, or you can go with the classic distilled water/isopropyl alcohol/Dawn mix that has been used and praised far and wide. You could even use the Spin-Clean fluid in this machine if you wanted, but whatever you do, I would personally recommend a rinse with distilled water and a dry-off with a microfiber cloth before you put it in the drying rack to dry completely.So, while you could very well use this device right out of the box, I personally think you're better served by swapping the fluid, adding a rinse, and picking up a pack of microfiber cloths. I considered taking a star off my rating for this reason, but I feel that while those additions might be better choices, they're not absolutely necessary to get you started. And some people haven't had the problem with the gunk it seems, so who knows? The VS fluid might be just fine after all. But as with any method you use for cleaning vinyl (or storing it, or listening to it, or pretty much anything having to do with it), you're going to encounter heated debate on every message board and forum you read.As for the results, I'd say the VS does an excellent job of cleaning records. Granted, I have not inspected any of the grooves with an electron microscope, but in my own before-and-after play testing, the noise has been dramatically reduced, if not eliminated from most of the vinyl I've cleaned. No, it will not fix scratches, worn grooves, or warped records. It *might* fix skips or repeater loops *if* those problems are caused by dirt/debris on the disc (as it did for a couple of mine), though most often those issues are caused by physical damage to the surface of the record. Some records can also benefit from multiple cleanings, so if you're disappointed that the 50-some-odd year-old record you just washed still has some surface noise after a wash, try it again. If after two or three washings it sounds the same, then chances are the grooves are just worn. But while some of my older, more worn discs still have surface noise (and always will), after a cleaning or two it sounds like the volume on the crackle-and-pops has at least been turned down.All in all, a great investment for your vinyl for not a lot of money. If you're between this and the Spin-Clean, I think you'll be well served with either device, but with all the extra features the VS offers I think it's a slightly better value.

The media could not be loaded. Purchased this when I noticed it was on sale about a month ago. Read many of the reviews before I purchased and it seemed most were positive.After unboxing and easily setting it up, I was ready to clean some vinyl. Wow, was I very pleased with the ease of use and how it actually cleaned my vinyl collection. I tested it on a few older records that I did not mind if they were damaged with this product. After testing a few records in this manner, I was super impressed with how DEEP CLEANED the vinyl turned out. It turned some of my "scratchier" sounding vinyl and turned them into near mint vinyl. Of course, it will not fix actual scratches, but wow, did it DEEP clean them.I then proceeded to clean all of my older records and spent the next two days sound testing. DID NOT disappoint. VERY happy with this product.Some reviews complained of the cleaning product leaving a film on the records. I did NOT experience this at all. The only thing I noticed was some film marks around the center label that were easily wiped off with a microfiber cloth.The drying rack was very handy and worked well. I would recommend leaving the vinyl on the rack at least 30 minutes to completely dry (which I did.)Pouring the cleaning the solution back into bottle was somewhat of a chore. Once I spilled some, I learned the best way to pour back into the bottle. I will probably use the solution for around three cleanings and will then use the solution I bought for my "Vinyl Vac" that worked well for me before.I would NOT hesitate to recommend this great product to any vinyl enthusiast.

The good: This has everything you need to go through and clean a large collection quicker than by hand. It takes me about 6 minutes an album. This also has everything you need to get started and works great on filthy records. Unlistenable albums due to filth were listenable just with a wash and dry. There are 0 complaints about fit on records that are post 1990!The bad: The goat hair brushes should be rinsed before first use, I noticed abit of cloudy runoff when I rinsed mine. The cleaning solution contains iso alcohol which is fine for anything made of vinyl, though DO NOT USE VINYL STYL CLEANING SOLUTION WITH SHELLAC RECORDS THESE ARE THE 10" 78RPM RECORDS. Isopropyl will ruin these albums. The sealing caps that are to keep the label dry are about 1/8" TOO SMALL for most records made pre-1990 allowing the outer edge of the records to get wet. The adapter for 7" 45RPM records does not fit well at all and need to line up the caps by eye before screwing down.Overview: My process that worked best for me is to wash with 3 revolutions both ways, rinse with DI, pat dry with microfiber towels, and then in the drying rack takes about 10 minutes to finish drying. This system is great as I have dozens of albums that were in awful condition from not being placed in sleeves and being filthy to the point of being unlistenable even with a microfiber wipe off before playing. It cleaned them up to were a majority of the surface noise was gone with just using this cleaner. I did find that on most of the records would still have a small amount of dust/dirt come of when using a microfiber cleaner before use. Though this is just due to the microfibers being much smaller than the goat hair fibers, though for my purpose of mass cleaning albums with a visible layer of filth this is incredible.