Interesting All-in-One Ultrasonic Cleaner - HumminGuru

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Joe Spivey, Dec 4, 2020.

  1. Geordiepete

    Geordiepete Tippet tyer

    Location:
    Japan
    Hmm. Well, the testimonial video on the Kickstarter page shows it's not just a design but that they have started making them, as the guy there tests one.
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2022
  2. killerofgiants

    killerofgiants Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    Yeah - the fact that at least one exists is promising. If this works as well as the Humminguru, $149 shipped is an absolute steal.
     
    andrewrona and Geordiepete like this.
  3. Geordiepete

    Geordiepete Tippet tyer

    Location:
    Japan
    I backed the VinylSonic. Have a question: What are the important differences between something like the Humminguru or Vinylsonic and a generic ultrasonic machine sold with a record rotator, such as this one?
     
  4. killerofgiants

    killerofgiants Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    Ease of use and aesthetics basically. With the Humminguru it's unbox, fill with water, put in a record, press a button. If you don't like tinkering, those Amazon ones are not for you.
     
    Geordiepete likes this.
  5. Geordiepete

    Geordiepete Tippet tyer

    Location:
    Japan
    Thanks. I'll probably add a drop of the Groovewasher ultrasonic fluid, too, if the VinylSonic arrives. Groovewasher say it doesn't require rinsing off.
     
    djost likes this.
  6. killerofgiants

    killerofgiants Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    Definitely do that - I buy distilled water by the gallon and put 10-12 drops in the jug so I don't have to keep taking out the Groovewasher bottle. One wet/dry cycle with the water+fluid and you are good to go.
     
    nightenrock, djost, PineBark and 2 others like this.
  7. Geordiepete

    Geordiepete Tippet tyer

    Location:
    Japan
    Cheers, Jack (Giant Killer)! Good to know.
     
  8. bearpaw10

    bearpaw10 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Florida
    @pacvr, I apologize if this has already been covered; I didn’t find it with a search on my phone:

    If I’m using the Nalgene 2 oz dropper, how many drops of undiluted Tergitol 15-S-9 should I add to a gallon of distilled water?

    I saw earlier that 0.3ml is recommended per gallon, so I’m thinking 7 to 8 drops gets me there?
     
  9. pacvr

    pacvr Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maryland
    Recalling what I recently wrote: For the HG, a nice procedure has been worked out to get the best of that device - here is one summary - HumminGuru - an inexpensive desktop RCM | What's Best Audio and Video Forum. The Best High End Audio Forum on the planet! (whatsbestforum.com) it depends on what concentration are you going to use. To that end, each drop from Nalgene 2 oz dropper = 0.04 ml, so the following has been modified to address drops/gallon DIW:

    Three options for drops of 100% Tergitol 15-S-9 per U.S. gallon of DIW (noting that 1-U.S. gallon = 3785 ml).

    1.-Add 6 drops to get a no-rinse required wetting solution (~63 ppm).

    2. Add 8-9 drops to get a no-rinse required wetting solution with a touch of detergency (~84-95 ppm). Note: If you have very sensitive hearing, you should post rinse distilled water. Buy a 2nd HG tank to allow easy rinsing.

    3. Add 11-12 drops to get a wetting solution with detergency (~116-127 ppm). Post rinse with distilled water is recommended to avoid audible residue. Buy a 2nd HG tank to allow easy rinsing.
     
    Kevin-Audiophile, Shawn and bearpaw10 like this.
  10. sublemon

    sublemon Forum Resident

    Well, you can do a chargeback on your card and it may work. Kickstarter likes to say they are not a pre-order etc. system, but this is clearly being sold as a pre-order, **** what the shysters at kickstarter say, if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck. I am pretty sure they would lose in court case.
     
  11. bearpaw10

    bearpaw10 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Florida
    Thank you @pacvr. This is very helpful!
     
    pacvr likes this.
  12. Candyflip Records

    Candyflip Records vinyl lover

    Yes this is what most disturbs me about VinylSonic (and KickStarter lately).
    A group who can afford to advertise their new product on Facebook ( as these guys are doing over the past weeks) AND want seed money from rubes off Kickstarter?

    Seems to be way off the original ethos, to me?
     
  13. austingonzo

    austingonzo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    I've had my HG for several weeks now. I have a fair number of old jazz records in rough shape, including pulls from the dollar bins. I don't think I've seen this question addressed yet: is it possible to *overdo* US cleaning? What would that look or sound like?
     
  14. Johncan

    Johncan Always learning

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    After two or three cycles it is not going to get much cleaner from an ultrasonic. They only removes dirt and contaminates. It does not fix damaged grooves or scratches.
     
  15. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Why did you sell the VPI? Did the HG give you cleaner, quieter results, or was it the convenience? An advantage to the VPI is that it gives you a surface upon which to scrub your dirtier records before the cleaning, right?
     
  16. TSWisla

    TSWisla Forum Resident

    I’m my experience, the extra scrubbing never gave any added benefit.
     
  17. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Okay, so I have been reading some of this thread (I'm through about 2/3rds of it). I have had a Monks basic Prodigy machine for about a year and a half. When it works, it works really, really well. That might have to do with their proprietary DisCovery fluid. I did a shootout with the L'Art Du Son fluid on it and the DisCovery rendered a quieter surface with a deeper black background, and images were more vivid. That the nozzle only passes over yet to be cleaned vinyl, that appealed to me. Surface static is kept to a minimum.

    The problem has been its reliability. It is built to relatively lower standards than their high end machines, with a belt and pulley system rather than the gears of their high end models. I have had periodic sticking (getting stuck in place) as well as occasional backwards movement of the armwand. Jonathan Monks has claimed that this is due to either too much suction (the amount of suction is user adjustable) and lack of sufficient fluid. I have debunked both of those, with it occasionally occurring in spite of proper suction and sufficient fluid. The Prodigy has been both a disappointment as well as very frustrating. Once, the machine started to suck fluid out of the waste cup back into the machine. While my Record Doctor II didn't get the records as deeply silent, it is a workhorse and it has never had issues in the many, many years I have owned it.

    I was hoping to get a RCM that cleaned better and was, at the very least, semi-automated. (Manually turning the record gets tiresome). Back when I was considering the Prodigy, I was also considering the option of a VPI 16.5 or Cyclone (they cost less than they do now). A local retailer sells the DeGritter, and while it seems to be impressive (I have gotten a few LPs cleaned with it), it's very expensive, really beyond my budget. I could stretch to $1000. And a major advantage to the VPIs is durability. Their machines last decades, they're upgradeable, and VPI provides great support. There's never going to be a worry about the company falling apart or abandoning their product (Heck, they still support their original HW model turntables).

    This HumminGuru has come onto my radar. I'm seeing mostly positive, but some niggles. And I have been reading about the concept of using a 120khz machine vs 40khz one. And since I have heard machines that 'clean', but others that clean to another level of clean, I'm interested in what level of clean the HumminGuru really offers.

    I still have my Record Doctor II. I was going to sell it to a friend who was getting back into vinyl, but then he decided getting back into vinyl was too much of a pain in the rear end. So my Record Doctor II has been sitting in its cover for about a year and a half. I suppose that given that both their footprints are small, I could use the RD to clean the worst records before using the HG.

    Anyway, do y'all have any advice? Is this the best bang for the buck for under $1000? I don't need a machine that does more than one record at a time, although it seems as if you do multiple 5-minute cycles plus drying with the HG, we're talking 15 minutes per record. The Prodigy takes about 6-minutes per LP. A standard vacuum-style machine? Maybe 3-minutes?
     
  18. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    It does in mine, though. I have gotten a quieter surface from doing so. Perhaps it was just the mere action of cleaning it a second time.
     
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  19. Vinyl Archaeologist

    Vinyl Archaeologist Forum Resident

    The HG will never work well as a single step for used records. Even the degritter I only use alone on very clean/unplayed used records. A used VPI cyclone with HG as a second step will probably work very well. You could either rinse with pure water or use a super low concentration Dehypon + IPA solution in the HG to get deeper UltraSonic cleaning.
     
    this_machine and AnalogJ like this.
  20. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    And/or in conjunction with the Record Doctor I own (which is a rebadged manual Nitty Gritty). I already own that.
     
    Vinyl Archaeologist likes this.
  21. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    In case anyone hasn't answered this (I'm only up to page 49 of this thread), their website states that the water tank is not microwave safe.
     
    aunitedlemon likes this.
  22. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Sorry to hear about your leukemia. A vos sante.
     
  23. Ripblade

    Ripblade Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Six
    +1. Do it right....do it once. :righton:
     
  24. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    What a pu$sy!
     
  25. LP426

    LP426 Member

    Location:
    PA
    Hi, longtime lurker here. I’m very curious about the Humminguru. But curious - what level of sound system would you guys say merits the investment? I have a Project Debut Carbon and a nice Marantz receiver and some speakers I love. It’s a nice system, but I’m sure it pales in comparison to what a lot of you are running. I got a spin clean in the last few years and it’s done a nice job… but for whatever reason, I keep being tempted by the HG. Curious to hear any thoughts about whether it’d be worth it or if I should save the $450 to upgrade my turntable or receiver first. Thanks.
     

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