Linn Owners

Humminguru Ultrasonic RCM

Dasher

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Jun 7, 2019
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So, my Humminguru US RCM arrived this morning and I've started to have a first play with it. It appears well thought out and put together and is very easy to use. I've only put two ro three newly purchased records through it at the moment - but I had actually played them first. My initial impression is that the post cleaning sound is similar to that experience after cleaning a new record on the Okki Nokki - an all round increase in clarity.

There are things that are going to have to be worked on and so I'm starting this thread as a place to capture ideas and experiences as the knowledge base grows.

I am not using distilled water only - so my warranty went from minute one. I simply don't see how any process, whatever the technology, has must of a chance of getting things away from the groove without a bit of chemical help. So, in the 400ml container I have 3 drops of Ilfotol and 5ml of ethanol.

I'm already finding that the 5 minutes dry time is a tad optimistic and so running at the 10 m minutes setting.

I'm on my 4th record, the first three, on the 2 minutes clean, 10 mins dry cycle have come out perfect. This fourth one is one purchased used but appears only lightly soiled with greasy fingermarks (almost as if someone has held it (badly), once. This is one the 5 minutes clean, 10 minutes dry, cycle. I'm going to discard the cleaning fluid after this one as I cant say that I trust the 'filtering' system to be anything but a macro filter. I also think that four records is probably enough for one session - it is not practical to consider this as a batch processing machine as the instructions say to run for no more than one hour at a time.

Questions then:

How many records should we treat between emptying and refilling the reservoir? One is impractical but each re-use increases the risk of contamination.

Is distilled water alone sufficient or is chemical assistance necessary? I think so, but haven't tried water alone.

Are the 'filters' of much use? I suspect they are macro filters and not taking out greases and oils.

So far though, as a clean for freshly purchased new records I'm tempted to say that it is all that you need. For anything else, I need to get more data.

(Oh and watch the reservoir  lid when pouring into the cleaning void - it can and will come off giving you wet feet)!!

Edit: Since posting, the fourth, mildly visibly soiled record has come off the machine and is on the LP12. All the fingermarks are gone and the surface is visibly pristine. Acoustically I couldn't be more pleased - Freddie Hubbard's 'Times are Changing' now sounds super clear! (Yes, I risked a decent Blue Note pressing to US technology and guess what? It didn't melt)!

 
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frans5508

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May 24, 2020
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Frans
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Question, may i ask how much you paid for it and where did you buy it? Could only find their own website but it seems based in Japan? Interesting product and cool to read how this started (through Kickstarter) very recently. I am in the market for a cleaner, tried now 2 cheap ones and will have to step it up. 

 

Fazioli

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Andrew
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AFAIK and Dasher will correct me if I'm mistaken, it's only sold directly from the manufacturer Happy Well in China.
 

@Dasher How much was import duty & VAT if you don't mind me asking.

 

Andyt916

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Andrew
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Question, may i ask how much you paid for it and where did you buy it? Could only find their own website but it seems based in Japan? Interesting product and cool to read how this started (through Kickstarter) very recently. I am in the market for a cleaner, tried now 2 cheap ones and will have to step it up. 
I had a quick look earlier after seeing some good reports. The HK$ price that I saw translated to ~£287 GBP. On top of that I suppose there's shipping charges, plus whatever import charges / duties / local taxes are applicable from country to country.

Compared to the cost of an, e.g. Degritter, this appears on first reports to be looking like something of a bargain, assuming of course that it is as well made and long-lasting. I guess only time will tell on that.

 

Dasher

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Jun 7, 2019
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Question, may i ask how much you paid for it and where did you buy it? Could only find their own website but it seems based in Japan? Interesting product and cool to read how this started (through Kickstarter) very recently. I am in the market for a cleaner, tried now 2 cheap ones and will have to step it up. 
Yes, this is the Kickstarter campaign one - based in China (Hong Kong Economic region) though, not Japan. I ordered direct from here: https://humminguru.com 

It is actually priced in HK$ and was HK$ 3,781.00 including Fedex shipping to the UK. I ordered on the 18th November and received it today - so pretty quick.

Edit: I should have added that I bought the full package including the 7" and 10" adaptors as they don't add a great deal to the price and may come in useful.

 
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frans5508

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May 24, 2020
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Frans
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Thanks. Their webshop offers global shipping through Fedex but you have to pay for it obviously. For me it would come down to $460 including shipping + tax/import. As it comes from China with shipping to the US, not sure how it will work with import tax etc....

 

Dasher

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Jun 7, 2019
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AFAIK and Dasher will correct me if I'm mistaken, it's only sold directly from the manufacturer Happy Well in China.
 

@Dasher How much was import duty & VAT if you don't mind me asking.
There was no duty charged. VAT was at 20% and the handling charge was approximately £12.50. Total charged was £57.22.

 
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Dasher

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Jun 7, 2019
941
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I had a quick look earlier after seeing some good reports. The HK$ price that I saw translated to ~£287 GBP. On top of that I suppose there's shipping charges, plus whatever import charges / duties / local taxes are applicable from country to country.

Compared to the cost of an, e.g. Degritter, this appears on first reports to be looking like something of a bargain, assuming of course that it is as well made and long-lasting. I guess only time will tell on that.
Hi Andy - Yes it was around £240 plus shipping. Or, put another way, approximately £100 cheaper than the latest Bowie box set!

I've just double distilled 2 litres of water and so you can guess what I'll be doing this weekend!

 
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Dasher

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Jun 7, 2019
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Compared to the cost of an, e.g. Degritter, this appears on first reports to be looking like something of a bargain, assuming of course that it is as well made and long-lasting. I guess only time will tell on that.
I'm still not a fan of the record sitting in bath that is getting dirtier over the period that cleaning takes place - but I don't hear any audible redeposition so far - and that is quite a difference to the Okki Nokki - which in my experience has always required a rinse stage. I will experiment with a rinse stage at some point. I need to distil a decent quantity of water before I embark on that though.

 

Andyt916

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Oct 27, 2020
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Andrew
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Hi Andy - Yes it was around £240 plus shipping. Or, put another way, approximately £100 cheaper than the latest Bowie box set!

I've just double distilled 2 litres of water and so you can guess what I'll be doing this weekend!
OK, trigger pulled. To quote Billy Gibbons on "Manic Mechanic" - "at that price, I can't resist"!

 

Daveyf

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Oct 12, 2018
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I cleaned four albums last night with the humminguru, including a Reference Recording of Red Norvo and Anne Bisson, Blue Mind. The RR played nicely with no background noise, the Bisson…not so much. This is odd, as I noticed that it was dry throughout the US process, and this album seemed a lot quieter prior to the wash. I suspect that a prior usage of enzyme cleaner on my old VPI may have had something to do with the record not getting wet..

 
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Dasher

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Jun 7, 2019
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I cleaned four albums last night with the humminguru, including a Reference Recording of Red Norvo and Anne Bisson, Blue Mind. The RR played nicely with no background noise, the Bisson…not so much. This is odd, as I noticed that it was dry throughout the US process, and this album seemed a lot quieter prior to the wash. I suspect that a prior usage of enzyme cleaner on my old VPI may have had something to do with the record not getting wet..
Are you using straight distilled water Davey or are you adding a small amount of wetting agent (surfactant)? It is very unlikely that enzyme is causing the surface to be hydrophobic (or more hydrophobic than it is in its virgin state). You did remember to pour the fluid back into the machine didn't you? 😀 (I only ask because for one of my runs I actually forgot - adding it at the last minute)!!

 

Dasher

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Daveyf

Wammer
Wammer
Oct 12, 2018
782
490
68
San Diego
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Are you using straight distilled water Davey or are you adding a small amount of wetting agent (surfactant)? It is very unlikely that enzyme is causing the surface to be hydrophobic (or more hydrophobic than it is in its virgin state). You did remember to pour the fluid back into the machine didn't you? 😀 (I only ask because for one of my runs I actually forgot - adding it at the last minute)!!
I am just using straight DW. No surfactants. The manual states the warranty is void if you use any additives to the DW. Nonetheless, on another forum there is a product that might be ok to use without warranty issues, as it may be Humminguru approved...it is Groovewasher Ultra Sonic additive. I have not tried this. What i did yesterday was to run the 'guru' on just the clean cycle and with no drying, I dried the record using the same method that I was using for the Kirmuss, just a micro fibre cloth. This may be the answer to the noise issue, we shall see. i also ran the Bisson LP through again, using the non-drying clean cycle at 5 mins. Have not had time to re-listen, will report back.

So far, I have remembered to re-fill the machine, although once I forgot to replace the little tank, the red light lit up and allowed me to replace the tank before anything else happened. i am quite impressed with the workings of the "guru, so far. As to its long term reliability, well that's anyone's guess, but I have turned several a'phile friends onto the machine, all have ordered one. 

 

Dasher

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Jun 7, 2019
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Mine has just arrived, so no prizes for guessing what I shall be doing this weekend...
That was super-quick! I notice that they're run out of UK-style plugs so you just got the order in in time!

 

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