Degritter Review in HiFi+

[tima]

HiFi+ gives the Degritter a nice review.

"It’s great just to press a button and have an LP cleaned/dried to a high standard with no fuss or drama in only a few minutes."

Degritter record cleaning machine

The Degritter Record Cleaning Machine is a great addition to a vinyl lovers collection, Jimmy Hughes discovers more....

www.hifiplus.com

Apparently the author has not used an ultrasonic RCM, so enthusiasm is to be expected and he finds the Degritter offers a small but significant improvement over his original Keith Monks machine. "It’s as if I’d suddenly upgraded my turntable/arm/cartridge to something far more capable."

The article offers something of a straw dog argument suggesting there has been the claim that cleaning records should only be done with a brush, that "wet cleaning LPs..." is "potentially harmful too, ham-fisted wet cleaning can leave LP surfaces sounding noisy." Of course this is a writer's device to accomodate the response that 'wet-cleaned' records sound better.

Not a lot of detail but all in all a positive review for Degritter.

 

[Neil.Antin]

HiFi+ gives the Degritter a nice review.

"It’s great just to press a button and have an LP cleaned/dried to a high standard with no fuss or drama in only a few minutes."

Degritter record cleaning machine

The Degritter Record Cleaning Machine is a great addition to a vinyl lovers collection, Jimmy Hughes discovers more....

www.hifiplus.com

Apparently the author has not used an ultrasonic RCM, so enthusiasm is to be expected and he finds the Degritter offers a small but significant improvement over his original Keith Monks machine. "It’s as if I’d suddenly upgraded my turntable/arm/cartridge to something far more capable."

The article offers something of a straw dog argument suggesting there has been the claim that cleaning records should only be done with a brush, that "wet cleaning LPs..." is "potentially harmful too, ham-fisted wet cleaning can leave LP surfaces sounding noisy." Of course this is a writer's device to accomodate the response that 'wet-cleaned' records sound better.

Not a lot of detail but all in all a positive review for Degritter.

There is an active thread here Degritter Users | Steve Hoffman Music Forums that has a lot of info. I began contributing early this year around page 20. As far as performance/convenience combined the Degritter is the best available.

-The 120kHz 300W ultrasonics (four 75W transducers/two on either side) directly facing the record and a volume of only 1400 mL, its a powerful UCM. The 120kHz will be pretty quiet and the high kHz targets very small particles better than the more common lower frequency 35-40kHz.

-It has a pretty complex pump/filter system. During operation it acts as a near-surface skimmer; and then at the end of the cleaning cycle - it pumps down for drying and then refills for the next cleaning. However, because of the how the pump functions (and its likely a simple centrifugal pump with limited pump head) it is very susceptible to foam. The Degritter cleaner fluid is nothing more than a dishwasher low foaming rinse aid. However, in my book Chapter XIV.7 there is a summary of the testing with other surfactants and two that worked as an alternative; one being Tergitol 15-S-9 at 75-80 ppm (0.008%). The Tergitol 15-S-9 at 75-80 ppm (0.008%) is OK as a no-rinse concentration, but post DIW rinse is optimum.

-The Degritter filter is a small cylinder of reticulated foam at best 100 pores/in = 0.254 mm = 254 microns. It is not a very fine filter. So, after say 25 records which is when Degritter recommends refreshing the cleaning fluid, the last records are not seeing clean fluid. Also, they appear to put the filter on the pump suction which while it protects the pump (not that it needs it), it impacts the pump and amplifies the foaming issue.

-But, the Degritter has easily replaced tanks, and many use a 2nd tank for DIW rinse only which only minimally affects the convenience. Otherwise, since many people already had a vacuum-RCM and then added a Degritter a number of people use a vacuum RCM or a 40kHz UCM for preclean and then use the Degritter with DIW only for final clean/dry.

Overall, while the outer skin of the Degritter is plastic (and not the metal slabs of the KL Audio), underneath, it is an impressive machine and if you read the posts, the OEM support has been exemplary. For the overall convenience, ease of use and performance it obtains for cleaning one record at a time, its the best available.

However, DIY UCM systems (clean & rinse) with high performance UCMs & high performance pump/filter systems such as those used by Tima & Dminches are very different. These are high throughput, high performance record cleaning systems (many records at time) with the goal of best achievable cleaning for every record.

Take care,
Neil

 

[ACHiPo]

Love my Degritter!

 

[Shuggie]

Love my Degritter!

And I love mine! The best RCM is the one that actually gets used, and the Degritter is easily the most usable option that I've come across. That it cleans very well and makes records sound so much better is a bonus.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

Great review.

 

[tima]

Great review.

Not really.

 

[Nemal1]

I use a Nessie purchased before the degritter became a finished product. I’d have likely bought one if the timing had been right but my Vinylmaster is quiet, convenient and does a great job of cleaning and drying. Only does one site at a time however, but start to finish in under 4 minutes

 

[jeff1225]

Not really.

What do you mean?

 

[tima]

What do you mean?

I mean the article cited in the opening post is not really a great review. That's qua review, not a comment about the product or the author's like or dislike of the product. On the A-F scale I 'd give the review a C. I know you like reviews with comparisons and the author does get credit for a comparison with his KM machine, though that was not particularly substantive.