Great video. I’m on the fence between picking up one of these versus going the vacuum route with a disk doctor. Your review helped me think through it some. You earned a subscription!
I have to agree, it's a great product and value for the money. I did have a board fail but they sent me a free replacement board which was SO easy to replace.
Robert, I have an ultrasonic record cleaner, and also a traditional record cleaner. I have found that the ultrasonic record cleaner is not designed to handle clearly dirty records. It will sort-of clean them, but not like my VIP 16.5 machine makes them look (spotless). The ultrasonic machine will then get the last of the microscopic debris out of the grooves -- after my quick cleaning on the 16.5 machine. Based on your demonstration in this video, it appears that you, too, find it necessary to do a pre-cleaning. So ultrasonic machines have their place. But as a complete cleaning solution, they fall short (and I am assuming that you agree). The ultrasonic machines are the touch-up crew, and are not really capable of doing the heavy lifting.
My gearbox that turns the record broke 4 months in. Humminguru replaced pretty quickly and sent me instructions how to install. Hopefully they continue to send parts that go out after a year
Aloha Robert, Thank you for your one year review. Great to hear your personal feedback on this machine. I really enjoy your recommendations . So thank you for your positive feedback after 1 year of use . I too have a humming guru. Which I like to used . Looking forward to watching your next video. Mahalo ed
I’ve had mine for 6 months and love it as well. I use the clean liquid that they sell, presumably a surfactant, and use 2 water tanks - one for the cleaning solution and one for distilled water. I run 1 cycle with the solution then one with distilled water to rinse. Takes 15 minutes total but it works great.
I have a ridiculously priced ultrasonic cleaner. I've been thinking about buying one of these for when mine breaks and I have to send it back to Germany for repairs. I can't envision playing a record anymore without cleaning it in one of these machines.
Great video; to the point, gave your own impressions right off the bat, didn’t rehash everything everyone else has covered. If you have a really nasty record you’re going to have to do a pre-clean, no way of getting around that. Been looking for someone who has said how many they’ve done in a row because I don’t think you can run this thing all day long.
Started with a Record DR. while it did the job for newer lp's or slightly dusty. the foam pad on the bottom would collect the gunk, fur etc. one side would come out good, other side had to be dealt with canned air due to debris. bit the bullet and got this thing. almost a year later.. all i gotta say, for price point/functions.. you are sure getting your moneys worth/then some. I've heard of folks getting crud/paper flakes leftover.. never had that problem. maintaining and cleaning every so often does wonders.
Mine had an issue too, agree customer service was good, easy fix. I’ve put well over 600 records through it, however, also pre clean before using the guru. No complaints from me, it’s a final clean/rinse for me. I use a minimal amount of alcohol in the rinse, seems to dry more efficiently. Appreciate your feedback, means a lot to those looking to jump into it.
I bought a less expensive brand of ultrasonic cleaner and I'm also very happy with the results, they exceed my expectations. I used a Nitty Gritty vacuum machone for years. It was ok. So now I use it after the cleaning to dry the lp. I preclean with tergitol solution or G2 solution, depending how dirty. I dont wipe it down I just transfer the lp to the rotisserie wet. I do 2 lps at a time in warm distilled water for about 8 to 10 minutes. That equals about 3 minutes over the whole lp. Sometimes I have to repeat the process, but I am almost always amazed at the improvement in the lp's sound after cleaning. Quieter, better dynamics, fresher.
Hey Robert, I find it interesting that your Humminguru spins in the other direction of mine. Maybe after you change the power circuit board? For the filters, as I wanted to get their stylus ultrasonic cleaner as well and the price was way better in HK, I added a bunch of filters, spare parts, a spare reservoir and even a cover for the machine (a must of people who have cats that like to sit on things ;-) ) and I got free shipping. It arrive in about 7-8 days and no custom duties. So, all in all, it was great. Yes, they are very reactive as customer service and try to help you as much as possible. I'm planning to use my spare tank as a "rinse tank", and put my cleaning agent in the first tank for a "deeper clean" (or so they say), then use the rinse tank to make sure everything is off the record. I do hand wash my used records by hand before I put them in the Humminguru. For new records, unless they look filthy, I don't. (and if they're filthy, I look online to see if I got a bad one or if it's a common issue, if it's a bad one, I don't go through the trouble if I can return/exchange it easily) Great machine and relatively inexpensive and quite easy to use. Note: some records for some reasons may not spin in the machine, that is annoying. If they're too warped, it might get stuck too. I found that if you push it gently on the side near the roller, they spin but then you're stuck there for 15 minutes. I think I've seen some fix online (reddit?) with a little pad to put behind the roller but this is from memory so I'm not 100% sure Only happened to me on 2 records out of the 150 I washed (so far)
Yes, it started spinning the other direction after I replaced the board. it may have been a mistake, but I prefer it this way so I left it like that. I've been using pet water fountain filters as replacements. Fortunately, I haven't yet had a record that won't spin.
Interesting thought on the pre clean! Mind you none of my records are thrift store finds most are VG + or better but might try in the future… good vid!
Agreed its good value. LPs I was thinking of replacing due to micro dust crackles have been hugely improved and so given a reprieve thanks to the Humminguru, saving me a tidy sum.
Thanks for the review. if those yellow microfibre cloths are from Chemical Guys then I 've had issue with mine and I returned them as they were laving fluff, residue on my LPs even after machine washes. I bought a couple of Apple microfibre cloth instead but I seldom use cloth anymore as they are hard to maintain 100% dust free. So I go through Krimuss ultrasonic cleaning first (I've also go the same brush ;) ) and then final rinse and drying with this huminguru.
They have stood by their product and are very reputable. I own one but my system is different... I dust off the records, clean in the HumminGuru with the Tergikleen and distilled water mix, then use my VPI machine for the rinse and dry. The beauty of your vid here is that you have a year of use and good results. Those who like to jump on this without every even trying one make nothing more than useless noise. Well done.
I enjoyed your original Humminguru usability test..it was very "common man" versus a lot of audiophile wanna scientists. I will say I have found that I might cherish the Guru more than even the records! I preclean only to keep dirt and grime out of the Guru. I will add that the most important step is to (dry) brush off the record with a static brush..to get the loose dirty off. If really dirty, Then rinse and vacuum. That might be what you see on your filter. The pre-cleansing might be turning your dirt into mud and pressing it into the grooves. Guru then blasts those self-made mudcakes out. In fact I ended up buying over a 100 KTel, Ronco''s cause I was tired of cleaning clean records. It was so much more fun to clean shitty records that I got addicted and had to find the worst sounding, thinnest most played records of my era. And almost all sounded as good as new. Their tag line should be "Guru My Ass".
I have had mine for a year, only a couple hundred records cleaned, but it has worked well. For what it’s worth, I use a goat hair brush and Audio Intelligent No. 6, and give records a good scrubbing before I put them in. I agree with everything you say, and I think at the price point it is a superb machine. As for filters, there has to be some filter material we can buy locally and cut to fit as opposed to having to do the overseas shipping. I haven’t checked into that yet though. 🤞🤞
I'm glad you reported on this as I've been looking for another auxiliary cleaner. I have my Okki Nokki vacuum thing which works really well, but I'd like something else to compare it to. So I might well give this a go. And yes, it's really surprising how much shit is on even brand new records. I bought 5 new bits of vinyl a few months ago and cleaned them all at once, and the brown shit that came out of them was amazing. After leaving this crap overnight it settled into a load of bornw gritty like particles. So god knows what that shit does to your stylus.
Really considering one of these. I have a record doctor, and its so loud. I cab wear ear plugs but im in an apartment so i cant ask my neighbors to ignore it or wear earplugs
Defiantly legit working machine that is expensive but the Degriters go up to 6000 usd ...I dont have a huge collection so I think I will try l'art du son record cleaning fluid that has great reviews and a and a proper vacuum attachment to dry it faster after the cleaning .
Did you have to change the rollers in the machine? And a tip i use aquarium filter the finest there is in a separate bottle. Works fine for me and is way cheaper.
This is just the kind of video I was curious to see. I'm still doing the ilfotol/vacuum/distilled water rinse/vacuum method. It's a pretty good method, but I keep wondering about the Humminguru for the occasional record where the above method doesn't quite cut the mustard. I had a Kirmuss machine briefly and just thought it was too much work, so I sold it. The Humminguru seems much less labor intensive. One of these days I'll probably spring for one.
Robert, so you don't do one last rinsing of the vinyl after you use the ultrasonic cleaner and Tergicleen? And can you turn off the dryer on the Humminguru also? I can't remember the name of the ultrasonic cleaner I bought for about $250 but I'm kind of wishing I had gone ahead and spent another $150 and got one of the HG's. I'm sure they've gone up in price and are more than $400 now. Heck, what hasn't gone up in price? I know a lot of people think that Tergicleen ruins your records but when I finally started using it I thought that it definitely made a good cleaning difference. I had just been using distilled water for a little while and I wasn't noticing a great difference in sound improvement just using the water at the time. I use one of those SpinClean, the yellow manual cleaner, things to put distilled water in and clean off any of the leftover Tergicleen just to play it safe. I don't know if that's truly necessary or not but others that I know that use Tergicleen also make sure they rinse it off before they dry their records. I'm eventually going to get an HG I think. Oh yeah, and how much do those filters cost and how many do you get at a time when you order them? Thanks for any info.. Brian in Fort Worth 🎶
No, I don't do a final rinsing. I think some people are using too much Tergicleen if they are having those results. It's just supposed to be a couple of drops in a gallon jug of distilled water. I have heard of someone using much more and it left a filmy residue on the records. I am probably in the minority, but I do not like the SpinClean. I mentioned it in the original video. I don't know how much the Humminguru filters are at this point because I have been lately using pet water fountain filters from Amazon.
@@RobertFithen Thanks for all of that info Robert. Yeah I think the Tergicleen tells you to use something like 10 to 15 or maybe it's 15 to 20 drops per gallon. I use a little less than recommended myself. One thing that had concerned me with the Tergicleen was that I had bought it about 6 months before I ever used it. It had come from Amazon and I had had it still sitting in the envelope, unopened until I finally decided to use it. But when I went to get it out, it seemed to be leaking in the bag and I was concerned it was eating through the container it's in. I learned that you're not supposed to keep it, or more accurately you're supposed to use it up within about a year. I contacted Amazon because I couldn't find a way to contact the company selling it and the company got back to me immediately. They were really nice and said that they would send me a brand new bottle in a brand new container they were just a few days from implementing with the Tergicleen in it. Apparently they're container they had originally used was failing to either seal real well or not come open if it was shipped in a number of customers had issues with it leaking. It had nothing to do with it eating through the container haha. It was a defective container and they sent me a brand new one about 5 days later and it's worked great. I tried to get as much use out of the original container contents before I opened the new one they sent. I probably got a few hundred records cleaned before I finally threw it out. But the company was really nice. And I do not like those SpinClean machines either. Not even for rinsing only use. I never used mine for anything else and I bought it before the ultrasonic cleaner and had never used it yet. I went ahead and bought the one that came with the larger bottle of cleaner and I wish I'd never got it. I've never even opened it. But if I'd taken the $75 or $100 or whatever it was that I had spent on it, and put that with the $250 I spent on the ultrasonic cleaner I did get, shoot on; I could have bought a HumminGuru instead and started off right.
I went over it in the original video. If it didn't, I wouldn't have cleaned more than 1000 records with it. Some cleaners just make the record shiny, this machine improves performance.
I purchased a HumminGuru cleaner and a Vevor ultra Sonic Cleaner both On Amazon. Used them both and kept the Vevor. In the end I saved about 250.00 returning the Hummin Guru as it did not perform any better than the Vevor to warrent the extra 250 dollars. Plus I can clean 8 albums at a time...
I’m interested in the Kirmuss process, but I’m always looking for a way to achieve results for less money. I wonder how well this would perform using a multi session cleaning with the Kirmuss solution? Also, I guess there’s a new Humminguru unit on the horizon, with a frequency sweep feature.
Ow brother U always teach me something U r as they say in the us the bomb here your grouse as f I think maybe it was U that said that new vinyl as it sets has microscopic partials witch make's perfect sence I'm getting one and since a few weeks ago vinyl has taken over cd sales and the price we pay it sure pays did U see kiss performance at our footy final it was brilliant even for us old timer's always enjoy your vids peace and love lloydy
Just got my Humminguru and love it. A couple of questions for the community. 1.) How many records can you clean with each tank of water? A range would be helpful. 2.) How often have you changed your water and air filters in a year? Many thanks.
I talk more in detail in the original video. I clean 6 records with the same filtered water. I change the filter by sight, whenever it starts to look dirty.
I never put visibly dirty records in there in the first place but I will do 4 or 5 on one tank. If the water has debris floating in it at any point, then I change to fresh. Essentially what Robert does. 💪
Great, helpful, honest video. I also appreciate you giving me pointers on the solution to make. If I missed it, I apologize: how much did you pay for it and do you know the cheapest place to get it right now?
How well does it clean if you don’t do the pre-clean? Which of course wouldn’t be something HummingGuru would say is needed … thoroughly applying the fluid, then wiping it off, both sides. So actually four little extra steps
Great to hear that it's working well for you! And glad to hear how good their customer service is. But what strikes me is how often I hear about people having parts failures like yours. But again for the price it seems to be a bargain. Take care, Elliott
Hey, Robert....What is the mix ratio for the Tergikleen and Ilfosol? You mention a couple of drops of each in the preclean bottle? and I am guessing 32oz spray bottle for the preclean and the clean water rinse? Loved the review and based on your two videos, I have my Humminguru about ready to go to work. Thanks!
I noticed you use Kirmuss goat hair brushes. Have you compared the Kirmuss cleaner with Humninguru? How are you deciding the Huminguru is actually cleaning the records? I have had the Huminguru since it first came out (I was an early Kickstarter backer) and have been using it since then (although not with the pre-cleaning process you show in this video). Personally I haven't found the Huminguru does that great of a job. The records come out looking clean and shiny for the most part, but I don't notice any material differences when I play the cleaned record. I saw Dr Kirmuss at a HiFi show recently and told him I'm using the Huminguru. He had nothing good to say about it claiming the machine isn't truly "ultrasonic" and that it is leaving a "film" on my records. His machine supposedly "restores" records with ultrasontic cavitation and opposite electrical charges between the record and the water bath that gets deeper into the grooves. I decided to buy his machine and just got it yesterday. I've only tried it once and so far I find that there is a learning curve to get the most out of it that I haven't climbed yet. But I did hear an audible difference in the records I cleaned/restored - just not quite as good as I was hoping for after 30-40 solid minutes of work applying the surfactant and running cleaning cycles. Anyway - curious if you have an opinion on the difference between these two machines.
thanks for this video. I'm ordering one very very soon. I'm going pair that with a hillbilly vaccum system. ( Old turntable and a vinyl vac for pre-guru clean.) Questions. When your power grid failed, was it free because it was still under a one year warranty? After 1000 records the rollers are still good? What kinda brush are you using?
@@RobertFithen Hi Robert. Certainly dont mean to be a pest. I have a question now that I am a Humminguru owner. I dont know anyonew here who has one, so I reach out to you... My unit seems to make a bit of a screeching sound. I assume this to be the transducers at work. When I clean some records, there is alot of this sound. On others, not much at all. Is you machine the same? How would I know if it wasn't performing correctly.
How often do we need to use hummingbirdguru for deep cleaning? If we deep clean a used LP once, does it need deep clean ever again, if we put that in plastic sleeves? How sure are we whether or not the previous owner used WD40 on that LP? If it needs only one deep clean, can I use tap water and soap and dry it and keep it clean and just brush off dust every once in a while? Just questions in my mind before investing on this hummingguru...thanks in advance
Decent machine 4 the price but issues with the circuit board. I sold mine 2 a record store 4 a good price and ended up getting the Degritter. Instead of the 40 kHz, the Degritter runs at 120 kHz. If u use an Ultrasonic cleaner, u must have 2 water tanks. One for washing the records which is Tergikleen and distilled water together. Add 17-20 drops of Tergikleen (surfactant) to one gallon of distilled water. Second water tank is for distilled water only which rinses the record. Then the dry cycle. Do NOT attempt to wash a record with distilled water alone. Won’t come clean folks!
Think of it like washing clothes. For really dirty stains you use a prewash to help breakdown the stains. Reason why you washed off the dishes for the dishwasher was the old dishwashers back in the day had no way of dealing with food particles. Like many dishwashers can now.
I've loved mine for the 4 months I've had it. Curious, have you done any of the suggested maintenance mentioned in the manual? It came with that clear stick thing that unscrews something at the bottom of the tank. I'm not 100% sure what to do with it, but if you've cleaned 1000 records without messing with it, I'll stop worrying.
Hi Robert. I’ve watched this video many times and am ready to go. I’m just confused about when the ilfotol is applied. Is it mixed with the tergikleen solution, is it mixed with distilled water and applied separately? Thanks for the help and keep it up!
I've used it without pre-clean when I first got it. Also, I heard others had the same results even with more expensive ultra-sonic cleaners. They just aren't made for surface level fingerprints, etc.
Hey there Robert, great video! In regards to to the pre-cleaning solution, you mention Tergikleen and Ilfotol added to distilled water, but what is the exact ratio of both, and is that added to a full gallon of distilled? Thanks in advance!
Thanks Robert for the update! About the filters: Are they easy to clean? Seems like one could soap them up, wash, rinse, dry and place the filter back in the slot. Thoughts?
The wheels are still fine. I change the filter after around 10 sessions. I use cheaper filters made for cat cascade waterfalls that can be found on Amazon. I change water after every 6 records, always cleaning the cleanest records first.
I just got my HumminGuru at the weekend. If anyone is considering getting one - just do it. I have been very impressed by some of the results. I have an original 1965 Animals LP that sounded like the previous owners(s) used a chisel to play, rather than a stylus and, whilst not perfect, it is amazing just how much better it plays now.
If I may - two questions Sir. 1. Did you ever use the Hummguru Cleaning-fluid-additive (called "the Small bottle") in your machine - and if so whaddayathink? 2. After cleaning and especially drying the records in the machine - did you ever experience leftover fluids and as a part of that dirt resettling on the record surface? Thanx, take care and kind regards from Germany - Uli
Hi Robert, thanks for the video. I bought this cleaner in May and have been pleased with it. Can you clarify for me if you use the Turgikleen and Ilfotol in the water you put in the unit's reservoir or do you use the additives only in the water for the pre-clean? Thanks
I'm really intrigued by this but it seems that every review I've seen has a PCB failure. Not a fan of having to replace something like that myself on a $400 purchase to be honest. I was hoping newer modules would have this issue fixed.
Hi Robert, I just discovered your “channel”, and enjoyed the video on the Humminguru record cleaner. I have some very old records unfortunately stored in my basement. Do you think this cleaner would make a difference making some possible to listen to? Or is it primarily intended for new records. Sorry if this is a stupid question …thank you
You may want to try some thin Aquarium Filter, and cut it to fit in the Ultrasonic Cleaner's water tank- so you don't have to keep ordering the filters with overseas shipping.
Ultrasonic record cleaners damage vinyl by stripping out the high frequencies in the groove which contains 20,000 cycles per second in the waveform which is the height of deviations in the groove. So very delicate. Brutal implosions/cavitation inside the groove are very destructive. Do your research before pulling the trigger on one of these machines. Dave Denyer did a telling test on youtube, so check that one out.
I've been really happy w/ mine too! However, have you ever come across a random record that just refuses to spin? happens very rarely, but still annoying AF!
I've had a couple. The way round it is to remove one of the clips at the top (they just pull out) and then refit with a thin spacer. It basically happens because the record is slightly undersized.
Much of my older vinyl and that which I inherited from a friend whom was a club DJ during the "smoking era" probably contains smoke tar residue. How does this work on this kind of grime? Since I live near LAX airport dust is plentiful. It sticks to everything, including the my anti-static slip mat. The turntable is covered with a Deck-Saver lid when not in use.
Does this help reduce the noise floor when the tonearm hits the vinyl? I understand it helps with surface noise (pops, ticks, etc.) but wondering if this helps lower the overall noise floor (hiss). Thanks.
Bought one of these and it stopped working after cleaning 16 vinyl records. Lucky for me, it was still inside the warranty window, and returned it for a refund. Perhaps I got a bad one, but for a $499 machine, I'd rather go back to my spin cleaner.
Great video. I’m on the fence between picking up one of these versus going the vacuum route with a disk doctor. Your review helped
me think through it some. You earned a subscription!
Thanks!! I still plan on getting a vacuum at one point. They would work well together.
I have to agree, it's a great product and value for the money. I did have a board fail but they sent me a free replacement board which was SO easy to replace.
Yes it was a very easy repair.
Robert,
I have an ultrasonic record cleaner, and also a traditional record cleaner.
I have found that the ultrasonic record cleaner is not designed to handle clearly dirty records. It will sort-of clean them, but not like my VIP 16.5 machine makes them look (spotless).
The ultrasonic machine will then get the last of the microscopic debris out of the grooves -- after my quick cleaning on the 16.5 machine.
Based on your demonstration in this video, it appears that you, too, find it necessary to do a pre-cleaning.
So ultrasonic machines have their place. But as a complete cleaning solution, they fall short (and I am assuming that you agree).
The ultrasonic machines are the touch-up crew, and are not really capable of doing the heavy lifting.
I have cleaned hundreds of records using my ultrasonic cleaner. It does an incredible job! No need for precleaning, as far as I can see and hear.
My gearbox that turns the record broke 4 months in. Humminguru replaced pretty quickly and sent me instructions how to install. Hopefully they continue to send parts that go out after a year
It’s a great device i love mine and use it all the time. Thanks for the tip on tergiclene
Aloha Robert,
Thank you for your one year review. Great to hear your personal feedback on this machine. I really enjoy your recommendations . So thank you for your positive feedback after 1 year of use .
I too have a humming guru. Which I like to used . Looking forward to watching your next video.
Mahalo ed
Thanks!!
I’ve had mine for 6 months and love it as well. I use the clean liquid that they sell, presumably a surfactant, and use 2 water tanks - one for the cleaning solution and one for distilled water. I run 1 cycle with the solution then one with distilled water to rinse. Takes 15 minutes total but it works great.
Thanks for the review. I was waiting for a long term review to see if it was a viable option for me. The price is certainly right.
You have been busy with cleaning. Great video and nice VHS t-shirt.
I have a ridiculously priced ultrasonic cleaner. I've been thinking about buying one of these for when mine breaks and I have to send it back to Germany for repairs. I can't envision playing a record anymore without cleaning it in one of these machines.
So my record was fully dry with the 10 min cycle at 45% room humidity and I played it immediately and sounds immaculate!
Good video i had my humminguru ultrasonic record cleaner machine for 2 months and so far i love it the best money spent on the machine.
Great video; to the point, gave your own impressions right off the bat, didn’t rehash everything everyone else has covered. If you have a really nasty record you’re going to have to do a pre-clean, no way of getting around that. Been looking for someone who has said how many they’ve done in a row because I don’t think you can run this thing all day long.
Started with a Record DR. while it did the job for newer lp's or slightly dusty. the foam pad on the bottom would collect the gunk, fur etc. one side would come out good, other side had to be dealt with canned air due to debris. bit the bullet and got this thing. almost a year later.. all i gotta say, for price point/functions.. you are sure getting your moneys worth/then some. I've heard of folks getting crud/paper flakes leftover.. never had that problem. maintaining and cleaning every so often does wonders.
Mine had an issue too, agree customer service was good, easy fix. I’ve put well over 600 records through it, however, also pre clean before using the guru. No complaints from me, it’s a final clean/rinse for me. I use a minimal amount of alcohol in the rinse, seems to dry more efficiently. Appreciate your feedback, means a lot to those looking to jump into it.
Thanks for your review man
I bought a less expensive brand of ultrasonic cleaner and I'm also very happy with the results, they exceed my expectations. I used a Nitty Gritty vacuum machone for years. It was ok. So now I use it after the cleaning to dry the lp. I preclean with tergitol solution or G2 solution, depending how dirty. I dont wipe it down I just transfer the lp to the rotisserie wet. I do 2 lps at a time in warm distilled water for about 8 to 10 minutes. That equals about 3 minutes over the whole lp. Sometimes I have to repeat the process, but I am almost always amazed at the improvement in the lp's sound after cleaning. Quieter, better dynamics, fresher.
Hey Robert, I find it interesting that your Humminguru spins in the other direction of mine. Maybe after you change the power circuit board?
For the filters, as I wanted to get their stylus ultrasonic cleaner as well and the price was way better in HK, I added a bunch of filters, spare parts, a spare reservoir and even a cover for the machine (a must of people who have cats that like to sit on things ;-) ) and I got free shipping. It arrive in about 7-8 days and no custom duties. So, all in all, it was great.
Yes, they are very reactive as customer service and try to help you as much as possible.
I'm planning to use my spare tank as a "rinse tank", and put my cleaning agent in the first tank for a "deeper clean" (or so they say), then use the rinse tank to make sure everything is off the record.
I do hand wash my used records by hand before I put them in the Humminguru. For new records, unless they look filthy, I don't. (and if they're filthy, I look online to see if I got a bad one or if it's a common issue, if it's a bad one, I don't go through the trouble if I can return/exchange it easily)
Great machine and relatively inexpensive and quite easy to use.
Note: some records for some reasons may not spin in the machine, that is annoying. If they're too warped, it might get stuck too. I found that if you push it gently on the side near the roller, they spin but then you're stuck there for 15 minutes. I think I've seen some fix online (reddit?) with a little pad to put behind the roller but this is from memory so I'm not 100% sure
Only happened to me on 2 records out of the 150 I washed (so far)
Yes, it started spinning the other direction after I replaced the board. it may have been a mistake, but I prefer it this way so I left it like that. I've been using pet water fountain filters as replacements. Fortunately, I haven't yet had a record that won't spin.
Love mine as well! Highly recommended!!!
Interesting thought on the pre clean! Mind you none of my records are thrift store finds most are VG + or better but might try in the future… good vid!
All records get dirty
Agreed its good value. LPs I was thinking of replacing due to micro dust crackles have been hugely improved and so given a reprieve thanks to the Humminguru, saving me a tidy sum.
You're a true salesman, Mr. Fithen. ❤
What a terrible thing to say. lol
I see Space Ritual there! I like your taste in music.........
Glad to hear it. Have only done maybe a 100 so far. No complaints.
Love those shorts while cleaning the record 😏 😮💨 links to the edits please 🙏
What do you mean edits?
@@RobertFithen just more time in those shorts 😂
WOW! I spy Hawkwind ' Space Ritual' on your table.
Thanks for the review. if those yellow microfibre cloths are from Chemical Guys then I 've had issue with mine and I returned them as they were laving fluff, residue on my LPs even after machine washes. I bought a couple of Apple microfibre cloth instead but I seldom use cloth anymore as they are hard to maintain 100% dust free. So I go through Krimuss ultrasonic cleaning first (I've also go the same brush ;) ) and then final rinse and drying with this huminguru.
1,000 records times 10 minutes each is a lot of minutes. Approximately 167 hours in the last year.
Then it's definitely been more than 1000 records.
Great review. Appreciate the insight on why you pre clean and care for your collection.
They have stood by their product and are very reputable.
I own one but my system is different...
I dust off the records, clean in the HumminGuru with the Tergikleen and distilled water mix, then use my VPI machine for the rinse and dry.
The beauty of your vid here is that you have a year of use and good results.
Those who like to jump on this without every even trying one make nothing more than useless noise.
Well done.
Thanks!!
I enjoyed your original Humminguru usability test..it was very "common man" versus a lot of audiophile wanna scientists. I will say I have found that I might cherish the Guru more than even the records! I preclean only to keep dirt and grime out of the Guru. I will add that the most important step is to (dry) brush off the record with a static brush..to get the loose dirty off. If really dirty, Then rinse and vacuum. That might be what you see on your filter. The pre-cleansing might be turning your dirt into mud and pressing it into the grooves. Guru then blasts those self-made mudcakes out. In fact I ended up buying over a 100 KTel, Ronco''s cause I was tired of cleaning clean records. It was so much more fun to clean shitty records that I got addicted and had to find the worst sounding, thinnest most played records of my era. And almost all sounded as good as new. Their tag line should be "Guru My Ass".
I need to eventually get a record vacuum.
😂 I can imagine an addiction counselor asking," You are addicted to WHAT!?"
I have had mine for a year, only a couple hundred records cleaned, but it has worked well. For what it’s worth, I use a goat hair brush and Audio Intelligent No. 6, and give records a good scrubbing before I put them in. I agree with everything you say, and I think at the price point it is a superb machine. As for filters, there has to be some filter material we can buy locally and cut to fit as opposed to having to do the overseas shipping. I haven’t checked into that yet though. 🤞🤞
I've been using pet water fountain filters for awhile. You can get them from Amazon.
Great idea!! Thanks!
Popped my eyes a bit to see Hawkwind on the top of your stack🤩
I'm glad you reported on this as I've been looking for another auxiliary cleaner. I have my Okki Nokki vacuum thing which works really well, but I'd like something else to compare it to. So I might well give this a go.
And yes, it's really surprising how much shit is on even brand new records. I bought 5 new bits of vinyl a few months ago and cleaned them all at once, and the brown shit that came out of them was amazing. After leaving this crap overnight it settled into a load of bornw gritty like particles.
So god knows what that shit does to your stylus.
In the original video, I talked about an AC/DC new record that was ridiculously dirty.
Very cool video. Edited very well. I’d love to get one of these. Maybe someday. Enjoyed watch you enjoying cleaning your records.
Cleaning records has become a habit.
Really considering one of these. I have a record doctor, and its so loud. I cab wear ear plugs but im in an apartment so i cant ask my neighbors to ignore it or wear earplugs
Defiantly legit working machine that is expensive but the Degriters go up to 6000 usd ...I dont have a huge collection so I think I will try l'art du son record cleaning fluid that has great reviews and a and a proper vacuum attachment to dry it faster after the cleaning .
Great broom. I have the same one.
Did you have to change the rollers in the machine? And a tip i use aquarium filter the finest there is in a separate bottle. Works fine for me and is way cheaper.
No, I haven't had to use the replacement rollers at all. I've been using pet water fountain filters for awhile and they work great, too.
This is just the kind of video I was curious to see. I'm still doing the ilfotol/vacuum/distilled water rinse/vacuum method. It's a pretty good method, but I keep wondering about the Humminguru for the occasional record where the above method doesn't quite cut the mustard. I had a Kirmuss machine briefly and just thought it was too much work, so I sold it. The Humminguru seems much less labor intensive. One of these days I'll probably spring for one.
One of these days, I need to get a vacuum and really step up the process.
I was just thinking, "damn I wish Robert Fithen would post a new video..." Alright!
Robert, so you don't do one last rinsing of the vinyl after you use the ultrasonic cleaner and Tergicleen? And can you turn off the dryer on the Humminguru also?
I can't remember the name of the ultrasonic cleaner I bought for about $250 but I'm kind of wishing I had gone ahead and spent another $150 and got one of the HG's. I'm sure they've gone up in price and are more than $400 now. Heck, what hasn't gone up in price?
I know a lot of people think that Tergicleen ruins your records but when I finally started using it I thought that it definitely made a good cleaning difference. I had just been using distilled water for a little while and I wasn't noticing a great difference in sound improvement just using the water at the time. I use one of those SpinClean, the yellow manual cleaner, things to put distilled water in and clean off any of the leftover Tergicleen just to play it safe. I don't know if that's truly necessary or not but others that I know that use Tergicleen also make sure they rinse it off before they dry their records. I'm eventually going to get an HG I think.
Oh yeah, and how much do those filters cost and how many do you get at a time when you order them? Thanks for any info..
Brian in Fort Worth 🎶
No, I don't do a final rinsing. I think some people are using too much Tergicleen if they are having those results. It's just supposed to be a couple of drops in a gallon jug of distilled water. I have heard of someone using much more and it left a filmy residue on the records. I am probably in the minority, but I do not like the SpinClean. I mentioned it in the original video. I don't know how much the Humminguru filters are at this point because I have been lately using pet water fountain filters from Amazon.
@@RobertFithen Thanks for all of that info Robert. Yeah I think the Tergicleen tells you to use something like 10 to 15 or maybe it's 15 to 20 drops per gallon. I use a little less than recommended myself. One thing that had concerned me with the Tergicleen was that I had bought it about 6 months before I ever used it. It had come from Amazon and I had had it still sitting in the envelope, unopened until I finally decided to use it. But when I went to get it out, it seemed to be leaking in the bag and I was concerned it was eating through the container it's in. I learned that you're not supposed to keep it, or more accurately you're supposed to use it up within about a year. I contacted Amazon because I couldn't find a way to contact the company selling it and the company got back to me immediately. They were really nice and said that they would send me a brand new bottle in a brand new container they were just a few days from implementing with the Tergicleen in it. Apparently they're container they had originally used was failing to either seal real well or not come open if it was shipped in a number of customers had issues with it leaking. It had nothing to do with it eating through the container haha. It was a defective container and they sent me a brand new one about 5 days later and it's worked great. I tried to get as much use out of the original container contents before I opened the new one they sent. I probably got a few hundred records cleaned before I finally threw it out. But the company was really nice.
And I do not like those SpinClean machines either. Not even for rinsing only use. I never used mine for anything else and I bought it before the ultrasonic cleaner and had never used it yet. I went ahead and bought the one that came with the larger bottle of cleaner and I wish I'd never got it. I've never even opened it. But if I'd taken the $75 or $100 or whatever it was that I had spent on it, and put that with the $250 I spent on the ultrasonic cleaner I did get, shoot on; I could have bought a HumminGuru instead and started off right.
I still use spit and a washcloth, works like a charm. Love Gordon.
Thanks Robert!
You didnt answer a vital question. Did you notice any improvement in the sound quality of any of these albums after treating them with the HG?
I went over it in the original video. If it didn't, I wouldn't have cleaned more than 1000 records with it. Some cleaners just make the record shiny, this machine improves performance.
Sucks it broke in less than a year. I wonder how much it cost the company to make these things?
Great review thanks
Nice machine!!
I purchased a HumminGuru cleaner and a Vevor ultra Sonic Cleaner both On Amazon. Used them both and kept the Vevor. In the end I saved about 250.00 returning the Hummin Guru as it did not
perform any better than the Vevor to warrent the extra 250 dollars. Plus I can clean 8 albums at a time...
I’m interested in the Kirmuss process, but I’m always looking for a way to achieve results for less money. I wonder how well this would perform using a multi session cleaning with the Kirmuss solution? Also, I guess there’s a new Humminguru unit on the horizon, with a frequency sweep feature.
I didn’t realize they were $400. That’s not too bad. That’s like 5 spin cleans, give or take.
I really don't like the Spin Clean.
Ow brother U always teach me something U r as they say in the us the bomb here your grouse as f I think maybe it was U that said that new vinyl as it sets has microscopic partials witch make's perfect sence I'm getting one and since a few weeks ago vinyl has taken over cd sales and the price we pay it sure pays did U see kiss performance at our footy final it was brilliant even for us old timer's always enjoy your vids peace and love lloydy
Thanks for the follow up. There's really no need for 2 different surfactants though.. Tergikleen itself should be more than enough, imho.
I'm going by a method that was constructed by a scientist who works with cleaning agents, PVC, and actual vinyl (not vinyl records).
Just got my Humminguru and love it. A couple of questions for the community. 1.) How many records can you clean with each tank of water? A range would be helpful. 2.) How often have you changed your water and air filters in a year? Many thanks.
I talk more in detail in the original video. I clean 6 records with the same filtered water. I change the filter by sight, whenever it starts to look dirty.
Thanks Robert@@RobertFithen
I never put visibly dirty records in there in the first place but I will do 4 or 5 on one tank. If the water has debris floating in it at any point, then I change to fresh. Essentially what Robert does. 💪
Great, helpful, honest video. I also appreciate you giving me pointers on the solution to make.
If I missed it, I apologize: how much did you pay for it and do you know the cheapest place to get it right now?
great outro
How well does it clean if you don’t do the pre-clean? Which of course wouldn’t be something HummingGuru would say is needed
… thoroughly applying the fluid, then wiping it off, both sides. So actually four little extra steps
That's one hell of a machine if its still going after all of that.
Great to hear that it's working well for you! And glad to hear how good their customer service is. But what strikes me is how often I hear about people having parts failures like yours. But again for the price it seems to be a bargain. Take care, Elliott
Mine definitely gets a lot of use, so something was bound to fail.
Hey, Robert....What is the mix ratio for the Tergikleen and Ilfosol? You mention a couple of drops of each in the preclean bottle? and I am guessing 32oz spray bottle for the preclean and the clean water rinse? Loved the review and based on your two videos, I have my Humminguru about ready to go to work. Thanks!
The fact they only give a 12 month warranty puts me off completely. My new vacuum cleaner came with a 5 year warranty!
Hello. Love your video. Where did you purchase your record cleaning microfiber cloths? I would like to buy those exact ones. Thanks.
Thanks!! I purchased them from Amazon. www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-MIC_506_12-Professional-Microfiber/dp/B00A8MZ7IA?th=1
I noticed you use Kirmuss goat hair brushes. Have you compared the Kirmuss cleaner with Humninguru? How are you deciding the Huminguru is actually cleaning the records? I have had the Huminguru since it first came out (I was an early Kickstarter backer) and have been using it since then (although not with the pre-cleaning process you show in this video). Personally I haven't found the Huminguru does that great of a job. The records come out looking clean and shiny for the most part, but I don't notice any material differences when I play the cleaned record. I saw Dr Kirmuss at a HiFi show recently and told him I'm using the Huminguru. He had nothing good to say about it claiming the machine isn't truly "ultrasonic" and that it is leaving a "film" on my records. His machine supposedly "restores" records with ultrasontic cavitation and opposite electrical charges between the record and the water bath that gets deeper into the grooves. I decided to buy his machine and just got it yesterday. I've only tried it once and so far I find that there is a learning curve to get the most out of it that I haven't climbed yet. But I did hear an audible difference in the records I cleaned/restored - just not quite as good as I was hoping for after 30-40 solid minutes of work applying the surfactant and running cleaning cycles. Anyway - curious if you have an opinion on the difference between these two machines.
Could you give more detail on your pre clean process and materials? Interested in knowing what they are
They are both available on Amazon. TergiCleen and Ilfolol. I fo into more detail on the original video.
Great teview
I get the analogy J but he started off that it was better than sliced bread and it turned to crumbs without the cake at any price.
i should get 1.Most i do is alcohol on brush to needle or alcohol on a rag for vinyl and thats not very often
thanks for this video. I'm ordering one very very soon.
I'm going pair that with a hillbilly vaccum system. ( Old turntable and a vinyl vac for pre-guru clean.)
Questions. When your power grid failed, was it free because it was still under a one year warranty?
After 1000 records the rollers are still good?
What kinda brush are you using?
It probably was under warranty. Yes, I haven't had to change the rollers. I'm using the Kirmuss brush I showed in the video.
@@RobertFithen Hi Robert. Certainly dont mean to be a pest.
I have a question now that I am a Humminguru owner.
I dont know anyonew here who has one, so I reach out to you...
My unit seems to make a bit of a screeching sound. I assume this to be the transducers at work.
When I clean some records, there is alot of this sound. On others, not much at all.
Is you machine the same? How would I know if it wasn't performing correctly.
@@ediblehorse mine makes the screeching sound,too. It's very slight compared to what I've heard from larger machines.
How often do we need to use hummingbirdguru for deep cleaning? If we deep clean a used LP once, does it need deep clean ever again, if we put that in plastic sleeves? How sure are we whether or not the previous owner used WD40 on that LP? If it needs only one deep clean, can I use tap water and soap and dry it and keep it clean and just brush off dust every once in a while? Just questions in my mind before investing on this hummingguru...thanks in advance
Decent machine 4 the price but issues with the circuit board. I sold mine 2 a record store 4 a good price and ended up getting the Degritter. Instead of the 40 kHz, the Degritter runs at 120 kHz. If u use an Ultrasonic cleaner, u must have 2 water tanks. One for washing the records which is Tergikleen and distilled water together. Add 17-20 drops of Tergikleen (surfactant) to one gallon of distilled water. Second water tank is for distilled water only which rinses the record. Then the dry cycle. Do NOT attempt to wash a record with distilled water alone. Won’t come clean folks!
Isn't precleaning them like washing your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher?
Think of it like washing clothes. For really dirty stains you use a prewash to help breakdown the stains. Reason why you washed off the dishes for the dishwasher was the old dishwashers back in the day had no way of dealing with food particles. Like many dishwashers can now.
I've loved mine for the 4 months I've had it. Curious, have you done any of the suggested maintenance mentioned in the manual? It came with that clear stick thing that unscrews something at the bottom of the tank. I'm not 100% sure what to do with it, but if you've cleaned 1000 records without messing with it, I'll stop worrying.
No, I haven't done that. I'm afraid I'll break something. To clean it, I run through the cleaning method with fresh water and no record.
It's easier to trust a product when it's endorsed by a no-nonsense born skeptic. Good stuff...
Hi Robert. I’ve watched this video many times and am ready to go. I’m just confused about when the ilfotol is applied. Is it mixed with the tergikleen solution, is it mixed with distilled water and applied separately? Thanks for the help and keep it up!
Thanks! I mix it with the Tergikleen in the distilled water jug.
Awesome video. Thank you. How do you think the results would be if you just used the Humminguru without the pre-clean?
I've used it without pre-clean when I first got it. Also, I heard others had the same results even with more expensive ultra-sonic cleaners. They just aren't made for surface level fingerprints, etc.
Hey there Robert, great video! In regards to to the pre-cleaning solution, you mention Tergikleen and Ilfotol added to distilled water, but what is the exact ratio of both, and is that added to a full gallon of distilled? Thanks in advance!
Thanks! 3 drops of each to a gallon.
Excellent! Thanks
@@RobertFithen
Just got mine
Thanks Robert for the update!
About the filters:
Are they easy to clean?
Seems like one could soap them up, wash, rinse, dry and place the filter back in the slot.
Thoughts?
Isnt a bit redundant having to pre clean the records before the machine cleans them?
where can I find record cabinets like the black one in your video?
Ikea
Have you compared the audio of a record both before it was cleaned and then after? If you have, what did you notice about the sound quality?
I did a demonstration in the original video. Many of the crackles disappeared.
How often did you change water and air filters within this year? What about the wheels, are they still OK after spinning of thousand records?
The wheels are still fine. I change the filter after around 10 sessions. I use cheaper filters made for cat cascade waterfalls that can be found on Amazon. I change water after every 6 records, always cleaning the cleanest records first.
@@RobertFithen Thanks for your quick reply. 1 session how many records? Did you change water filters too already?
Do you have a lot of friends asking you to clean their albums for them because they know you have that?
Oddly enough, none of my local friends are into records except the one that has an ultrasonic themself.
I just got my HumminGuru at the weekend. If anyone is considering getting one - just do it. I have been very impressed by some of the results. I have an original 1965 Animals LP that sounded like the previous owners(s) used a chisel to play, rather than a stylus and, whilst not perfect, it is amazing just how much better it plays now.
Mine sounds like a dentist office. Lately the screech has gotten louder and louder.
If I may - two questions Sir. 1. Did you ever use the Hummguru Cleaning-fluid-additive (called "the Small bottle") in your machine - and if so whaddayathink? 2. After cleaning and especially drying the records in the machine - did you ever experience leftover fluids and as a part of that dirt resettling on the record surface? Thanx, take care and kind regards from Germany - Uli
1. No, I've only ever used the solution that I talked about in the video. 2. No, I've never experienced that. Thanks for the questions.
Hi Robert, thanks for the video. I bought this cleaner in May and have been pleased with it. Can you clarify for me if you use the Turgikleen and Ilfotol in the water you put in the unit's reservoir or do you use the additives only in the water for the pre-clean? Thanks
I also put it in the unit, but I don't say that in the video because technically it voids he warranty.
Thanks @@RobertFithen
I use one drop of G-Sonic.
I'm really intrigued by this but it seems that every review I've seen has a PCB failure. Not a fan of having to replace something like that myself on a $400 purchase to be honest. I was hoping newer modules would have this issue fixed.
They did what they could and it was an easy fix, but I agree, newer models should have been upgraded to avoid the issue.
What about fingertips? Removing?
What are these brushes he's using called? I couldn't quite understand the name he is saying.
Kirmuss brushes.
Hi Robert, I just discovered your “channel”, and enjoyed the video on the Humminguru record cleaner. I have some very old records unfortunately stored in my basement. Do you think this cleaner would make a difference making some possible to listen to? Or is it primarily intended for new records. Sorry if this is a stupid question …thank you
I think it's more intended for older records with residue buried inside the grooves.
Thanks for your response. So I might be lucky to rediscover some of my old vinyl. Excellent!@@RobertFithen
Hi Robert, do you have a recommendation for a record flattner? Thanks
I love mine...
Have you used the kirmuss system? I have one that I’ve been using for a couple of years but just ordered the guru. If you have give me your thoughts.
I've only ever had the Humminguru.
You may want to try some thin Aquarium Filter, and cut it to fit in the Ultrasonic Cleaner's water tank- so you don't have to keep ordering the filters with overseas shipping.
I've been using pet water fountain filters and they seem to work well, too.
@@RobertFithen Do you have a link to the pet water fountain filters you use? How do you use them -- remove the charcoal and cut the filter to size?
Ultrasonic record cleaners damage vinyl by stripping out the high frequencies in the groove which contains 20,000 cycles per second in the waveform which is the height of deviations in the groove. So very delicate. Brutal implosions/cavitation inside the groove are very destructive. Do your research before pulling the trigger on one of these machines. Dave Denyer did a telling test on youtube, so check that one out.
Never got mine-anyone know how to contact these people as to where mine is?
I've been really happy w/ mine too! However, have you ever come across a random record that just refuses to spin? happens very rarely, but still annoying AF!
I've had a couple. The way round it is to remove one of the clips at the top (they just pull out) and then refit with a thin spacer. It basically happens because the record is slightly undersized.
No, it hasn't happened to me yet.
How about a video on half-speed masters?
I don't really have very many.
I used to see them in the record store. I was too young to appreciate it. But I remember Sticky Fingers had a foil zipper.
Is Ilfotol safer to use than Kodak Photo-Flo, or a drop or two of for instance Dawn?
Much of my older vinyl and that which I inherited from a friend whom was a club DJ during the "smoking era" probably contains smoke tar residue. How does this work on this kind of grime?
Since I live near LAX airport dust is plentiful. It sticks to everything, including the my anti-static slip mat. The turntable is covered with a Deck-Saver lid when not in use.
I have heard not to use Dawn. I've never used Photo-Flo so I really don't know.
Does this help reduce the noise floor when the tonearm hits the vinyl? I understand it helps with surface noise (pops, ticks, etc.) but wondering if this helps lower the overall noise floor (hiss). Thanks.
It depends on what is causing it. If it's actual grime in the grooves, then yes, if it's damage, then no.
Bought one of these and it stopped working after cleaning 16 vinyl records. Lucky for me, it was still inside the warranty window, and returned it for a refund. Perhaps I got a bad one, but for a $499 machine, I'd rather go back to my spin cleaner.
Probably too much mass-production on these now. Still a spin cleaner is basically running a record between two brushes, I can do that by hand.