Record Doctor VI High-Performance Vinyl Record Washing Cleaning Machine (Gloss Black)

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

After careful research, I picked this up. I tested the cleaned records for audible noise improvement but mostly visible debris left behind on stylus. Thumbs up on both. It's still new, so time will tell. So far, excellent results.

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

This is, as advertised, a great little cleaner. Thunderously loud, it will (in combination with a pre “wet cleaning”) vacuum off dust and fingerprints to exacting standards.But keep your expectations right there. If you have that copy of “William Shatner’s The Transformed Man” you’ve been using as a charcuterie board for years, this isn’t going to magically restore it. Gone is gone.

I purchased this to replace a "spin washer" style record cleaner as that one was leaving deposits on my records, some of which are expensive.I have to admit, i was initially skeptical. This contraption seemed to me to just be a spin washer with a built-in vacuum cleaner but, after using it on approximately 100 records so far, I can honestly say there is a difference.If you follow the directions, your results should be good. In some cases I did need to give it a few more spins than indicated (manual says 2-3 rotations are enough), but no big deal. The included 4 oz. bottle of fluid was enough for me to do about 90-100 LP's (only a few drops per side are needed). The fluid itself is odorless and alcohol free so I have a sneaking suspicion that you might be able to re-fill the bottle with distilled water and a drop of Dawn dish detergent and be all set (I have not tried this yet).I did not think the vacuum was going to be "sucky" enough at first, but have been proven wrong. If you want to get a really good idea of how effective the RDVI is, put a clear record on there first so that you can see the vacuum working on the underside. The vacuum is quite loud, almost as loud as the mini shop-vac I have in the garage. It also gets quite hot so I would recommend cleaning records in spurts and would not recommend trying to clean all 1,000 of your collection in one sitting. The manual says to empty the drain plug after 8-10 records but so far, nothing has come out.Now for the results. I cleaned and then played at least 10 second hand records that I had purchased recently, and then played 5-6 records cleaned with my old cleaner. The ones cleaned with the spin-washer style system left dirt and debris on my stylus, the records cleaned with the RDVI did not. I had to clean my stylus after every LP side (sometimes before the last track!) with records cleaned on the old machine, after playing 5-6 full LP's (cleaned on the RDVI) nothing was coming off of the stylus at all. As you can imagine, the old washer is now in the garbage, and I have a new favorite.

You've possibly noticed an essay some guy wrote on this machine. Won't compete with that. But it is important to know that this machine cleans records well but does not repair damage. All records are damaged to some degree because of the extreme heat generated by the stylus; the hot, soft vinyl expands and contracts leaving permanent cracks, and dust will leave divots in the impressionable surface. Use LAST record preservative to reduce this heat -- it serves as a kind of lubricant (for lack of a better word). But all records pop and crackle.For you newcomers, a cleaning machine is just one element in a larger equation. You have to keep the stylus clean and replace it every few years... Records are a lot of work. But if it's worth it to you (as it is to me), this machine -- small and convenient -- is a terrific device. I particularly like the fact that it's all manual. Mechanical things break.I've used a variety of liquid solutions for vacuuming records over the years. Distilled water with a little iso-alcohol works just fine (but carful with alcohol, as it softens vinyl). I'm occasionally using Boundless record fluid. Works fine. A friend of mine is diluting Record Doctor fluid with distilled water or using distilled water with a touch of isopropyl alcohol and couple drops of Foto Flow (a film developing agent) and says it works great. Best to carefully research it yourself. But you do have some inexpensive options.

It's more than I ever expected to spend on a record cleaner but this is an excellent device, it's the best record cleaner I've found that wasn't an ultrasound machine (which cost significantly more and but don't do much better of a job). 2 caveats: since it's manually operated an indicator arrow on the turning puck would make it easier to tell how many rotations you've made and I also noticed an improvement when I started a "rinsing cycle" after cleaning the record with the Record Doctor cleaning fluid. I lightly mist the record with some GrooveWasher rinsing mix and vacuum dry the album a second time. It's more work but I did notice an improvement. I'll also use a light misting with the rising fluid for new albums rather than the deeper clean the detergent provides - it works just fine for getting rid of any debris from the pressing plant and saves cleaning fluid.

Is it a bit pricey? Yes.Does it do a fantastic job cleaning records? Absolutely!In my opinion it is worth every penny. I've had new vinyl releases as well as records dating back to 1970. The Record Doctor VI cleaned them all incredibly well. Minimal to no hissing and popping. Those that still had those issues I cleaned again and they were just fine. I've cleaned over 125 LP's with this and have had to clean only three of them more than once. After that second cleaning they sounded perfect!Where it really impressed me is I purchased a few jukebox 45's from 1996 and 1997. One of them had an area towards the end of the song where the needle "stuck". Manual cleaning helped a little bit with the sound but not with that area. One cleaning with the Record Doctor and not only did it sound wonderful but the 45 played through with no more issues!The one downside is this machine is LOUD! I wear earplugs when cleaning records as I am going through my collection to start them all on a nice clean slate when they get played. I normally clean between 7 and 10 LP's per day. Almost done! :)After cleaning I also place them in nice new protective sleeves as to minimize the dust/paper from older record sleeves.Without a doubt I would highly recommend this Record Doctor VI cleaner as it does the job and it does it undeniably well. You won't be disappointed if you make this purchase to protect your vinyl.