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Thread: Best £20 I've spent on HiFi

  1. #21
    Join Date: Nov 2011

    Location: Seaton, Devon, UK

    Posts: 13,216
    I'm Adrian.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Oddball View Post
    Interesting bit about your DIY record cleaning there Aidrian
    I have the Knosti stuff ,but it really pisses me off doing all that faffing with 2 baths and trying to keep my labels dry . The dam solution creeps into the label a bit (despite me trying to mod the seals ) and even after they drain ,as you say , seem to get that bit of a trail of stuff , despite me rinsing time and again .
    I have a really old early electric turntable that is scrap , so I might try your method
    Why not have a go its not hard, and the results are pretty good IMO, all you need is a cheap wet/dry vacuum, some duct tape to blank of the end of the hoover attachment and some glue to fix the velvet ribbon. I used a carefully held curved flooring stanley knife to cut the slit (be very careful it does not slip), the slit only needs to be about 2-3mm wide.

    Order some 99.9% Isopoyl Alcohol, get some Distilled water, and some bottles, these are great https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1, some ILFORD ILFOTOL WETTING AGENT https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINYL-REC...oAAOSw8d5ZS-LT mix up some cleaning fluid to the correct mix and off you go (I have found about 30% Isopropyl to Distilled Water works well. In 500ml of cleaning solution you only need 2.5ml of the Ilford wetting agent, it is important as it breaks the surface tension of the fluid and allows it to enter the grooves and free the dirt, and for it to be removed easier with the hoover. The brush to gently hold on the record and spread the fluid is one of these cut into 3 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Paint-Pad...UAAOSwv0tVJBE2, after cutting make sure that you use a small clean brush to get rid of any small bits of plastic before using and keep fingers off the pad head, regularly hoover it off between cleaning, when it starts to discolour throw it away and start with a new one.

    Hoovering will get about 99% of the cleaning fluid off so any residual gently remove by wiping around the record with one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Extra-Large...ds=micro+cloth and change them regularly as they will get dirty. If you wash them out then rinse them in distilled water, no soap products and leave to dry naturally.

    In extreme case I have found that some really dirty records can take 3-5 cleans, if a record is obviously dusty and dirty then I will clean it first using a mix of L'Art Du Son first https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb...=1ED0A3N2O5B4D and then rinsing with distilled water, and then clean with the above cleaning solution. I suspect that the L'Art Du Son has some form of detergent in it that helps remove tobacco smoke residue and grease, I keep separate brush pads and microfibre for use with this solution. Some people don't like L'Art Du Son but it seems to be a very effective cleaner IMO, but make sure you rinse the record after to not leave any residue behind.

    Remember if you are disappointed after your first clean of a record do not give up on it, it may take several cleans before it gets really good. Even though it looks clean you can still have dirt left in the grooves causing crackles. Having said that if the record has marks/scratches across it and you can feel these with you finger tip then these may be the issue. But you'd be surprised, I have some records that if you looked at them you would say that they will sound bad because of the marks on them, but when played they actually pretty quiet. I know some people advocate cleaning a record before playing because they believe it immediately becomes contaminated once out the sleeve. Personally I think this is a bit extreme, but I do think that cleaning after 15-20 plays is worth doing. After cleaning pop into a new sleeve liner like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-12-POL...sAAMXQd2hRYVdL

    Have Fun.
    Listening is the act of aural discrimination and dissemination of sound, and accepting you get it wrong sometimes.

    Analog Inputs: Pro-Ject Signature 10 TT & arm, Benz Micro LP-S, Michel Cusis MC, Goldring 2500 and Ortofon Rondo Blue cartridges, Hitachi FT5500 mk2 Tuner

    Digital:- Marantz SA-KI Pearl CD player, RaspberryPi/HifiBerry Digi+ Pro, Buffalo NAS Drive

    Amplification:- AudioValve Sunilda phono stage, Krell KSP-7B pre-amp, Krell KSA-80 power amp

    Output: Wilson Benesch Vector speakers, KLH Ultimate One Headphones

    Cables: Tellurium Q Ultra Black II RCA & Chord Epic 2 RCA, various speaker leads, & links


    I think I am nearing audio nirvana, but don’t tell anyone.

  2. #22
    Join Date: Sep 2016

    Location: Brussels, Belgium

    Posts: 132
    I'm Tim.

    Default

    A turntable needs inertia and isolation. The amp needs isolation. The speakers need inertia. One can ancor the speakers with stone or pavement on top for none or little money to fantastic result.

    I have put sorbothane feet under my Thorens TD14x & TD16x heavily tweaked that is now super heavy with chunks of marble casted in it's base to weight enough and reach the required inertia.

    The sorbothane feet do not bounce one bit and are there to isolate the plinth from it's support. I have made some sort of light plywood platter onto which sits my amp that work as isolation already.

    And yes, since I also did find some improvement like even better focus "image" after having set that "isolation" platter. Now I am tempted to add little pieces of sorbothane beneath it's pike's feet discs.

    Thanks for sharing that and giving me the thought to improve for little money and easy adjustments my phono setting without hassle. Would the external preamp benefit from such isolation as well ?
    - Cart Denon DL-102 in bakelite Ortofon SPU 'G' type headshell
    - TA SME 3009 'Improved' converted in heavy mass with detachable headshell
    - TT Thorens TD160 'E' totally tweaked driven by an 'Eagle & RoadRunner' PSU & tachometer combo
    - Matts top to bottom: leather, cork, felt & 12" vinyl
    - Pre-amp 'Modulis' Isem
    - Amp 'Exampli' Etalon 2x40W
    - Speakers 12" Leak 'Sandwich' first generation creatively recapped

  3. #23
    Join Date: Jun 2018

    Location: Mildenhall, Suffolk

    Posts: 380
    I'm John.

    Default

    Would it be possible to post a few images of your DIY TT Cleaning system, with the modified head attachment, sounds like a good addition to a cleaning set up.
    I'm starting to view the subject of Isolation as more of a Subject of Attenuation.
    It seems to me that the end result is a control of the frequencies that influence the presentation.
    So the acceptance of certain frequencies being perceived during a replay, will be subjective across different listeners, a attractor for one will be another's detractor to the produced sound.
    Trialing and comparing different materials and set ups is key to finding the attenuation that is a attractor to the intended listener.

  4. #24
    Join Date: Oct 2008

    Location: Glasgowshire

    Posts: 9,651
    I'm Gary.

    Default

    ebay link to the sorbothane pads please?
    AC POWER
    Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
    AMPS
    Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
    SPEAKERS
    Wharfedale Evo 4.4
    DAC
    PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
    TURNTABLE
    Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
    PHONOSTAGE
    Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
    DIGITAL
    OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
    MUSIC PLAYBACK
    Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
    Ipad Roon Remote.
    Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
    SPEAKER CABLES
    Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On
    "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
    INTERCONNECTS
    All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables

  5. #25
    Join Date: Sep 2016

    Location: Brussels, Belgium

    Posts: 132
    I'm Tim.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gazjam View Post
    ebay link to the sorbothane pads please?
    The seller with some of the best prices and widest choice I have find on the eVilBay in UK is called 'dappletoft'. Hope that suffice...
    - Cart Denon DL-102 in bakelite Ortofon SPU 'G' type headshell
    - TA SME 3009 'Improved' converted in heavy mass with detachable headshell
    - TT Thorens TD160 'E' totally tweaked driven by an 'Eagle & RoadRunner' PSU & tachometer combo
    - Matts top to bottom: leather, cork, felt & 12" vinyl
    - Pre-amp 'Modulis' Isem
    - Amp 'Exampli' Etalon 2x40W
    - Speakers 12" Leak 'Sandwich' first generation creatively recapped

  6. #26
    Join Date: Apr 2008

    Location: Warrington

    Posts: 3,451
    I'm Neil.

    Default Best £20 I've spent on HiFi

    Sorbothane needs to be loaded properly to work as it should.

    Take a look at: https://www.qtasystems.co.uk/article...emispheres.htm for some loading charts.
    Mana Acoustics Racks / Bright Star IsoNodes Decoupling >> Allo DigiOne Player >> Pedja Rogic's Audial Model S DAC + Pioneer PL-71 turntable / Vista Audio phono-1 mk II / Denon PCL-5 headshell / Reson Reca >> LFD DLS >> LFD PA2M (SE) >> Royd RR3s.

  7. #27
    Join Date: Nov 2011

    Location: Seaton, Devon, UK

    Posts: 13,216
    I'm Adrian.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gazjam View Post
    ebay link to the sorbothane pads please?
    Link for Sorbothane pads https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-x-SORBO...72.m2749.l2649

    Regards

    Adrian
    Listening is the act of aural discrimination and dissemination of sound, and accepting you get it wrong sometimes.

    Analog Inputs: Pro-Ject Signature 10 TT & arm, Benz Micro LP-S, Michel Cusis MC, Goldring 2500 and Ortofon Rondo Blue cartridges, Hitachi FT5500 mk2 Tuner

    Digital:- Marantz SA-KI Pearl CD player, RaspberryPi/HifiBerry Digi+ Pro, Buffalo NAS Drive

    Amplification:- AudioValve Sunilda phono stage, Krell KSP-7B pre-amp, Krell KSA-80 power amp

    Output: Wilson Benesch Vector speakers, KLH Ultimate One Headphones

    Cables: Tellurium Q Ultra Black II RCA & Chord Epic 2 RCA, various speaker leads, & links


    I think I am nearing audio nirvana, but don’t tell anyone.

  8. #28
    Join Date: Jul 2014

    Location: Shropshire

    Posts: 2,420
    I'm Anto.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by AJSki2fly View Post
    Why not have a go its not hard, and the results are pretty good IMO, all you need is a cheap wet/dry vacuum, some duct tape to blank of the end of the hoover attachment and some glue to fix the velvet ribbon. I used a carefully held curved flooring stanley knife to cut the slit (be very careful it does not slip), the slit only needs to be about 2-3mm wide.

    Order some 99.9% Isopoyl Alcohol, get some Distilled water, and some bottles, these are great https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1, some ILFORD ILFOTOL WETTING AGENT https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINYL-REC...oAAOSw8d5ZS-LT mix up some cleaning fluid to the correct mix and off you go (I have found about 30% Isopropyl to Distilled Water works well. In 500ml of cleaning solution you only need 2.5ml of the Ilford wetting agent, it is important as it breaks the surface tension of the fluid and allows it to enter the grooves and free the dirt, and for it to be removed easier with the hoover. The brush to gently hold on the record and spread the fluid is one of these cut into 3 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Paint-Pad...UAAOSwv0tVJBE2, after cutting make sure that you use a small clean brush to get rid of any small bits of plastic before using and keep fingers off the pad head, regularly hoover it off between cleaning, when it starts to discolour throw it away and start with a new one.

    Hoovering will get about 99% of the cleaning fluid off so any residual gently remove by wiping around the record with one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Extra-Large...ds=micro+cloth and change them regularly as they will get dirty. If you wash them out then rinse them in distilled water, no soap products and leave to dry naturally.

    In extreme case I have found that some really dirty records can take 3-5 cleans, if a record is obviously dusty and dirty then I will clean it first using a mix of L'Art Du Son first https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb...=1ED0A3N2O5B4D and then rinsing with distilled water, and then clean with the above cleaning solution. I suspect that the L'Art Du Son has some form of detergent in it that helps remove tobacco smoke residue and grease, I keep separate brush pads and microfibre for use with this solution. Some people don't like L'Art Du Son but it seems to be a very effective cleaner IMO, but make sure you rinse the record after to not leave any residue behind.

    Remember if you are disappointed after your first clean of a record do not give up on it, it may take several cleans before it gets really good. Even though it looks clean you can still have dirt left in the grooves causing crackles. Having said that if the record has marks/scratches across it and you can feel these with you finger tip then these may be the issue. But you'd be surprised, I have some records that if you looked at them you would say that they will sound bad because of the marks on them, but when played they actually pretty quiet. I know some people advocate cleaning a record before playing because they believe it immediately becomes contaminated once out the sleeve. Personally I think this is a bit extreme, but I do think that cleaning after 15-20 plays is worth doing. After cleaning pop into a new sleeve liner like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-12-POL...sAAMXQd2hRYVdL

    Have Fun.
    Thanks for that Aidey !!
    You have urged me on to get my Knosti baths out for the afternoon . Rooting out an old lp case that sat in an unheated room for a while and all the records have a degree of mould in patches on them !!

    I have to kitchen to myself ,lots of hot water (not too hot !!) and a dilute fairy liquid in a squeezy bottle.
    Into the one under the warm tap a good squeeze of fairy then in with the water , in goes the lp and several scrubs 360 ,back and 2 for a minute maybe then rinse off suds under the cold tap , then straight into the other bath with my 30% IPA , distilled water and a squirt of rinse aid .
    Spin the excess off by hand ,out of clamp ,and into the drying rack on the clothes drier over the Rayburn,
    Once I have 6 in rack , and they are dry ,I tranfer to a secondary rack to dry completely , while doing 6 more .

    Lay the first one or 2 and I am satisfied . A couple of cruddy noist ELO albums sound very quiet considering the mess they looked

    I will look into your idea . I did make a wand once and adapted the wifes hoover ,but what a fag
    Maybe time to do it again
    I only ride 'em, I don't know what makes 'em work

  9. #29
    Join Date: Oct 2011

    Location: Glasgow/Italy

    Posts: 866
    I'm Drew.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Yomanze View Post
    Sorbothane needs to be loaded properly to work as it should.

    Take a look at: https://www.qtasystems.co.uk/article...emispheres.htm for some loading charts.
    Choosing the correct load type appears rather problematic with equipment of uneven weight spread, for example, valve amps sporting trannies at the rear. I'd estimate my power amp is circa 30kg with most weight concentrated at the rear. Going a size or 2 down for the front support isn't an option as the height of the sorbothane supports are different the lower the load they are intended to support...

  10. #30
    Join Date: Jun 2018

    Location: Mildenhall, Suffolk

    Posts: 380
    I'm John.

    Default

    I've just had a view of Adrian's record vacuum cleaner and it looks very powerful, I imagine it could levitate the record from the platter.
    I don't think any 'pesky varmint' particles will escape it.
    A clever little bit of improvisation.
    I think this will be better than the second hand Airblade hand dryer I was toying with the idea of buying.

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