Record Doctor VI Cleaning Machine

I have been busy cleaning up old records after having got a rebuilt Bang &Olufsen 8002 tangential tracking turntable, with the $1,000 B&O replacement cartridge . I am frankly surprised at just how much the cleaning improves sound quality. It gets rid of tons of clicks, pops and click/hiss (i.e. a sort of continuous clicking I have on one old record I recently bought. And you notice the lack of gunk on your stylus after playing, which may have something to do with a general increase in clarity which I did not expect. Many passages, usually loud or high frequency based, which previously sounded as if the vinyl was worn, now play cleanly. As for the build quality, mine looks excellent, I see no signs of cheap construction that one reviewer dwelt on. Possibly he had a bad or used unit. The only real operating part is the vacuum. It is loud but not requiring ear plugs and is somewhat quieter than my floor vacuum machine. I anticipated not liking having to turn the disc by hand, but it is easy to do and allows you to locate and concentrate on brushing specific record locations which may have spills or other visible gunk, so in some ways that is a more useful feature than an automatic disc spinner. I am no Luddite but it is true that some lp's sound better than their cd replacements. I am thinking right now of my September album by Frank Sinatra. The CD messes up the ambience, making the sound harsh. The lp is much more mellow and listenable. Overall, I am thrilled by the Record Doctor and am now looking for more old lp's to purchase.

Finding records on the cheap isn't as easy as it used to be, but you can still find a gem or two out there if you look. Take that copy of the Patsy Cline story I rescued from the Goodwill a few weeks ago. The thing was filthy, and full of pops and clicks, but that was before I used the Record Doctor on it. I doused it with cleaner, ran the brush over it a few times, and then vacuumed side A while I was running the brush and fluid on side B. Once I was done I did it all again for good measure, and the results are amazing. The record that was once a red hot mess is now a nice, enjoyable listen that set me back $1.99. Can it save every record? No, or course not. But it can make a gigantic difference. Highly recommended.

I’ve been contemplating this purchase for years. It always seemed like a lot of money for a small vacuum cleaner for your records (even the old model V seemed steep at $200). Of course, you can pay a lot more. So I put it off forever, trying to get by with brushes and cleaners that worked... well, sorta... meh. Manual cleaners like Spin Clean do more damage than cleaning, and it isn’t the deep clean you get with vacuum. If you’re serious about preserving your vinyl AND getting the most out of your records, buy the RDVI now. You will thank me. It is worth every penny of $300. I would say previously unlistenable vinyl goes up a grade or two. When I first received the RDVI, I immediately went for several albums that were popping, clicking, and full of hiss. Results, naturally, vary, but most of my unlistenable vinyl us now at least acceptable. SAVED my belove 70s copy of “Kind of Blue.” A VG record, now NM. A lovely surprise though. Vinyl I thought was NM, and even some new, is now virtually pristine. The music emerges from a more neutral, cleaner, “blacker” background. Sharper imaging. I was quite impressed. Many reviews have mentioned the noise. It is like a small shop vac... no worse. The new look piano gloss and aluminum top plate are sweet. Operation is easy and intuitive. The unit is very solid. The short is... you really need to vacuum out the gunk. Period. The RDVI is the cheapest way to do that. Highly recommended

If you only stream or still play CD’s. If however, you have a modest, moderate or even massive collection of vinyl this may be worthy of your consideration. I owned the first version of the Record Doctor back in the 90’s. While basically the same machine we have here, it had some serious flaws including no way to drain the tank and unavailability of parts. Fast forward two decades and we have essentially the 6th generation of this machine, with improvements in the 20th anniversary edition being mostly in build quality. Comparison Overview: The first generation was a little smaller and had a cheap textured vinyl wrap over MDF board. The edges on mine began to peel off before it went to that great landfill in the sky. It also had a smaller top clamp disk, with a little dimple you were supposed to put your finger in to rotate. I wound up just holding the edge of the LP. Personally, this new VI version is well worth the price increase (the original was $150ish IIRC) and is borderline handsome in the piano black finish. Personally, I burned out on the faux carbon fiber (and the real stuff as well) a couple of years ago, and the white isn’t quite my thing either (except for my speakers!). I also have a feeling that the faux carbon fiber will start to peel just like the vinyl on my old machine. The polished acrylic though is just that, so preferable at least for me. YMMV. So, is this edition worth the $100+ premium over the regular $220 version? I think so, but not by much if you're on a budget. As far as a quieter, cooler motor I can’t vouch for either, it seems every bit as loud and the cooler part is TBD. The volume measures approximately 89 db at 2' horizontal distance. I honestly only clean 2-3 records and only as they’re played, so I don’t sit and do a bunch at a time. But, I would certainly recommend ear plugs if you're planning on cleaning more than one and then listening immediately afterwards. The noticeable and appreciated improvements are in the much larger and now useable record clamp/turner and greatly upgraded cosmetics. The improvements to the 2020 "original" version are 3 dimples in the tiny, flat record turner instead of one. I'm not sure if this will make much of a difference TBH. The brush on the VI is 100% better than the original, which was basically a tiny bar with similar texturing as the vacuum brush. They’ve also added a tiny roller bearing disk to facilitate easier turning. More on this later. Of course, being able to drain the fluid is a big deal, I really have to wonder what they were thinking with the old original version. Yes, it evaporates. Eventually. For some casual users depending on location. I also understand that in some cases the reservoir tank failed as the unit aged, which would cause the MDF case to absorb the water, swell up, buckle and split eventually causing the unit to fail. Why You Need It: If you collect and play vinyl, you will likely notice a difference immediately. You don’t need a $50k+ system and A/B testing to hear this. Even new albums usually have chemicals used as a release compound on their surface, and often have dust and paper residue on them to boot. Visually once dusted they look just fine, but it’s translated to what can be perceived as rumble, static, or veiling of the presentation. Likewise, older vinyl or (gasp) that second hand stuff you buy on Discogs or at a garage sale – well who knows what is on those? And once you start to play these without cleaning, the more potential damage you do as the grit, grease, grime, mold, fungus and cigarette smoke are slowly ground into the grooves. There’s a lot of heat and friction momentarily generated by that tiny stylus as it passes through the passages of your album. You’ll most likely be amazed at what this can do with what you thought was a lousy pressing or bad vinyl. You’ll be presented with a lower noise floor, a blacker background, and most likely greater separation in instruments and vocals. It’s one of those “I didn’t know how bad it was” things until you try it. I think most people will be amazed especially on new vinyl, which many assume is as pristine as it gets. How It Works: Liberally apply the cleaning fluid directly to the album. I usually put drops all over the LP (staying away from the inner groove) and then rotate the brush one direction, then the other. You are gently scrubbing the grooves. Making sure that the fluid is evenly distributed, don't be stingy! Then, flip it over, turn on the vacuum and rotate. I typically go one direction for a few turns, then the other. I lift the edge of the LP up while still turning and switch off. Otherwise, if you just shut off and then lift, it’s possible to get a little “suction” bar which can be wet as well as have some remaining yuck. Make sure it’s dry! If not, repeat. The trick is to not overdo it. Repeat on the flip side. I have a little car detailing brush (looks like a stiff cosmetic brush) I use to re-fluff and clean the vacuum pad, which should be done after every album. In comparison to most other vacuum systems (save for high-end machines like Nessie or Loricraft) is it uses gravity to its benefit. Sucking down seems to be more efficient and effective than some units I've used with a bar over the record. The Flaw: This is the reason I’m docking this product one star (well, 1/2 if I could)! The top plate is sexy brushed aluminum. The little roller bearing disk that sits around the spindle makes it easier to turn, but it allows the platter to wobble ever so slightly when rotating. Why is this a big deal? Well, the edges of the plastic platter are borderline razor sharp. Or were. After just 2 uses, I noticed that the brushed aluminum is “sanding” the edges of the platter, leaving a ring of plastic dust. Awesome! So, it’s literally fabricating a new issue! This dust if unchecked will simply be drawn by the vacuum onto the bottom of the record as you clean the top. My fix was easy: I took a sanding block and did a years’ worth of sanding, rounding off the edge and voila! No more dust ring. Record Doctor could solve this by using small Teflon tabs or something similar I imagine (which would aid in rotation as well). This isn’t an issue on the original version as it has a small, raised panel that seats the vacuum bar and platter. Pros: - Works as well as any other vacuum machine I’ve used/demonstrated - By far the best bang for buck - Parts now easily available - Improved fluid brush - Improved clamp/turner - Handsome with good fit and finish - Instantly noticeable results Cons: - Flaw of disk sanding issue - Manual turning - Time consuming - Noisy - Takes some practice to master - Fluid doesn’t seem as proactive as Pro-Ject and some others Other Thoughts: When I knew I was finally getting my collection back from my ex, I researched cleaners for weeks. Some of the flavors of the day from the past 2 years have vanished from the shelves. Others, such as the Pro-Ject VC-S has changed to 2 different models (VC-E and VC-S2), small and large. Eventually what turned me off of those was constant reports of build quality issues (Odd for Pro-Ject) and parts sourcing. While I like the idea of an automated cleaner, at the end of the day you still need to make sure all the fluid has been vacuumed, which necessitates you standing over the thing anyway. I imagine my next step on the cleaning journey will be an ultrasonic cleaner. I have a few hundred vintage LP’s, and feel this would be the best solution for bringing them back. HumminGuru made a splash a few months back with their $400ish cleaner, which some claim is not a proper ultrasonic cleaner as true cavitation doesn’t take place. This is still up for debate though. End of the day, I’ll need to invest at least $1k with popular models well north of $3k. In the meantime, the Record Doctor will work for 90% of my collection, keeping it in top condition. You will still need a secondary cleaner such as a anti-static carbon fiber brush (Audioquest, Boundless make good ones) which I use every time an LP hits the mat. Dust is dust and it will find you. I also recommend a good stylus cleaner (if you have a loupe you’ll know why) and cleaning every few weeks. I use Groove Washer SC-1. I do *not* recommend any of the gel-type cleaners as they suddenly figured out that adhesives – any adhesive – leaves a residue. So all the people who recommended these (I’m looking at you, Analog Planet) have retracted their claims. This is really a borderline 5 star product, being docked by one flaw I mentioned that’s easily corrected as long as it’s noticed. For the price, the performance and build quality are unmatched by any other machine. If you’re looking for a fully automated vacuum type device, the next best solution is probably offered by VPI, with Pro-Ject being a possible distant second. In the end, this is one of the few “transformative” audiophile products that’s dull, unexciting but just plain old works. If budgetary concerns are an issue, I can also recommend the original version for $100 less just as easily, and give that 5 stars with no caveats. It’s just a bit smaller, a bit less attractive and a bit harder to use. 4.5 Stars, highly recommended.