Velvet Vortex Ultrasonic Record Cleaner
Feb 12, 2021 17:54:20 GMT
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antonio, electronumpty, and 2 more like this
Post by Bigman80 on Feb 12, 2021 17:54:20 GMT
So a little while back i took delivery of a Velvet Vortex Ultrasonic cleaner. I have heard a lot about the merits of this type of cleaning method so i was very keen to try one, so when Tim told me he was the guy behind Velvet Vortex, we struck a deal and here we are!
The stark contrast in the images below suggest that this cleaner may well be very good:
However, we don't look at LP's, we listen to them. So today that is what i have done.
The pictures are of a 50p charity shop LP i bought 6 months ago. It was bought to test out the E3 cleaner fluid i got a while back. I never got around to that as other things got in the way. It is perfect for this challenge as it is seriously crud ridden and totally unplayable.
I put the Velvet Vortex fluid in the machine and let it get to 30 deg as the paperwork suggested. I then put 3 LPs in and set it in motion on a 15 minute cycle.
As you can see above, the cleanliness was very easy to see! Now for the listening.
I checked the LP thoroughly for scratches etc, as they were absolutely impossible to see before and i was pleased to see that apart from one little hairline scratch, all was well. I noted where it was and put it on to play. as the needle tracked the run in groove, i double checked i had turned the volume up and blam! overly loud music shot out lol
I had turned it up and just couldn't hear any groove noise. I laughed knowingly as i heard crystal clear replay. There was the odd pop or click as we got to the scratch site, but remember this LP was totally unplayable. It now sounded almost brand new. It was also a really enjoyable listen!
One of my favourite LPs "Starsailor - Love is Here" has always sounded like it was on fire. crackling and popping like mad. I cleaned this one too and put it on. Again, the improvement was undeniable, if not totally rectified. I think another clean may do it more good, so i'll try again but i think this LP is probably past it's best.
I recently replaced my Eric Clapton - Unplugged as i couldn't get the pops and clicks off it. Well guess what, the VV did such a great job with this one that i needn't have replaced it. It sounded like new. Honestly, i had that LP from a guy who left it sealed....it was like i had just reopened it.
As i worked my way through a few choice LP's, one thing always remained consistent. They all improved massively.
I am not sure what else i can say about this VV that hasn't already been said but if like me you have some shockers in the collection, maybe running them through one of these may save it or at the very least improve it enough to enjoy it again.
I once claimed the Okki Nokki to be one of the biggest upgrades i have made to my vinyl replay. This is better still.
A word about Tim:
Tim isn't getting enough recognition for his work IMO. I didn't even know it existed or that he was Mr Vortex!
Yes, there are cheaper alternatives available but this one takes all the guess work out of the motor speed etc. No aggro, just
set it up, plug it in, add the fluid and you're away!
He's a thoroughly helpful fellow and he is very passionate about this product and HiFi!. I like to support British business where i can, and here is a British brand i can get behind.
Thanks for resurrecting my LP's Tim!
Well done Tim. I love the Velvet Vortex.
The stark contrast in the images below suggest that this cleaner may well be very good:
However, we don't look at LP's, we listen to them. So today that is what i have done.
The pictures are of a 50p charity shop LP i bought 6 months ago. It was bought to test out the E3 cleaner fluid i got a while back. I never got around to that as other things got in the way. It is perfect for this challenge as it is seriously crud ridden and totally unplayable.
I put the Velvet Vortex fluid in the machine and let it get to 30 deg as the paperwork suggested. I then put 3 LPs in and set it in motion on a 15 minute cycle.
As you can see above, the cleanliness was very easy to see! Now for the listening.
I checked the LP thoroughly for scratches etc, as they were absolutely impossible to see before and i was pleased to see that apart from one little hairline scratch, all was well. I noted where it was and put it on to play. as the needle tracked the run in groove, i double checked i had turned the volume up and blam! overly loud music shot out lol
I had turned it up and just couldn't hear any groove noise. I laughed knowingly as i heard crystal clear replay. There was the odd pop or click as we got to the scratch site, but remember this LP was totally unplayable. It now sounded almost brand new. It was also a really enjoyable listen!
One of my favourite LPs "Starsailor - Love is Here" has always sounded like it was on fire. crackling and popping like mad. I cleaned this one too and put it on. Again, the improvement was undeniable, if not totally rectified. I think another clean may do it more good, so i'll try again but i think this LP is probably past it's best.
I recently replaced my Eric Clapton - Unplugged as i couldn't get the pops and clicks off it. Well guess what, the VV did such a great job with this one that i needn't have replaced it. It sounded like new. Honestly, i had that LP from a guy who left it sealed....it was like i had just reopened it.
As i worked my way through a few choice LP's, one thing always remained consistent. They all improved massively.
I am not sure what else i can say about this VV that hasn't already been said but if like me you have some shockers in the collection, maybe running them through one of these may save it or at the very least improve it enough to enjoy it again.
I once claimed the Okki Nokki to be one of the biggest upgrades i have made to my vinyl replay. This is better still.
A word about Tim:
Tim isn't getting enough recognition for his work IMO. I didn't even know it existed or that he was Mr Vortex!
Yes, there are cheaper alternatives available but this one takes all the guess work out of the motor speed etc. No aggro, just
set it up, plug it in, add the fluid and you're away!
He's a thoroughly helpful fellow and he is very passionate about this product and HiFi!. I like to support British business where i can, and here is a British brand i can get behind.
Thanks for resurrecting my LP's Tim!
Well done Tim. I love the Velvet Vortex.
