HumminGuru Ultrasonic Record Cleaner Demo & First Impressions
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 4 сен 2024
- Demo and initial Impressions of my newly received HumminGuru all-in-one ultrasonic record cleaner.
Made by Happy Well (China)
Kickstarter campaign from 2020
Official release is 11/18/2021 on the HumminGuru website.
Video is purely MY opinions.
Let me know if any questions or comments.
Thanks for watching
Ben (polypetalous)
#humminguru #vinyl
I was in the preorder group. All in with both adapters and shipping was around $500. They said it would be the same price during the official release. So about $450 without adapters and $500 with for people in the US.
Great info! Thank you for sharing.
$500 really? I was also in the preorder group and I only paid about $350 with both adapters, shipped after tax. I live in the USA FWIW
@@thefleshexperience Interesting, as I am unsure on final pricing. Right now the Humminguru website lists prices as: Cleaner ONLY HKD 2,956 ($380 USD) With Adapters HKD 3,354 ($430 USD), IF they add the same $60 shipping as the kick-starter, you'd be at Cleaner ONLY ~$440 USD and with Adapters ~$490 USD.
But I dunno (perhaps prices are listed WITH shipping), we will have to wait until November 18th to truly know.
Thank you very much for sharing your info, appreciate it!
@@polypetalous honestly it was so long ago that I forgot the precise total but I remember it being around $350 all said and done. I should note that I also bought the two pack as my buddy wanted one also and we did get an additional discount for that.
@@thefleshexperience That was Kickstarter pricing. They did a preorder run after the Kickstarter run which was at the current prices.
I’ve cleaned about 20 or so records since receiving the unit on 11/15. Some were brand new records and others were used records from the 70’s to the 90’s. I have a Spin Clean that I use religiously but for my test case records the Spin Clean previously used but unable to get those records sufficiently clean.
As far as the new records go, all of the deeply ground in production grit was removed and the records play just about dead quiet. A couple probably need another run through on the HG to get them to my satisfaction.
The used records all came clean. Examples of what I cleaned are Cowboy Junkies: Trinity Sessions, ZZ Top: Tres Hombres (London), Dire Straits: Love Over Gold/Solid Rock 10” EP. The only remaining issues were slight scuffs causing pops and clicks.
So for ultrasonic record cleaning this is great unit to have. How it compares to the Degritter and other similarly priced units is unknown to me.
I’ve collected records since the early 80’s and this is the best product I’ve used.
One thing users will want to do is get new inner sleeves because you don’t want to put a clean record back in a dirty jacket.
That’s fantastic to hear HG success stories… anytime you end up with a clean “love over gold” it’s a good day.
As well, excellent advice on changing out inner sleeves after cleaning.
I had just started switching over to mofi inners prior to getting the HG and now replacing them yet again on some with the HG use.
Thank you for sharing your experience with the HumminGuru.
I got mine yesterday and I couldn’t be happier!! Going from a Spin Clean to this is an absolute game changer. So far it has removed the surface noise on some of my rare VG records that had more noise than I thought they should by 75% to 80%.
It’s removed the surface noise on some of my VG+ UK 60’s & 70’s pressings almost COMPLETELY. They’re dead silent now which I never expected. It has far exceeded my expectations. Those records had only previously been Spin Cleaned by me (and with a vintage Discwasher as well) but still had far more crackle and pop than I thought they should’ve…turned out I was right. It even removed the two little skips on my Zepp II Hot Mix that I recently pulled out of a dollar bin. I’m ecstatic.
As far as oily fingerprints, a little wipe with a cloth & some solution before putting it in the US is easy enough. Not an issue at all for me personally.
Thanks for sharing your actual HG experience... I agree 100%, for me as well, this is a BIG step up from my previous cleaning methods (or lack there of).
This video shows some "worst case records" which is asking a lot of ANY machine.
Will be doing some more records that are "more representative" of average records in my collection.
also... I am STILL looking for a $1 bin Zepp II hot mix... gives me hope hearing you found one!
I should note I only used the 5 minute clean cycle. The biggest WOW moment I had was with my UK Mono 1st press of the White Album. It’s visually VG+ and I’d cleaned it several times with my Spin Clean yet there was a persistent crackle throughout, especially on quieter songs to the point that I was pretty disappointed and planning to upgrade at some point. No joke- after one 5 min clean on each disc, I heard only the lightest crackle here and there…no pops…absolutely no need to upgrade now. Same results with UK 1st of Pepper & Abbey Road. I just did not expect that big of a difference. My Stooges debut is VG with only light scratches all over but has always been extremely listenable until We Will Fall…that had surface noise to the point of distraction. It is easily 70% quieter on that song.
Sorry for the long comments but I just wanted to share my experience which has been nothing but positive. The only “complaint” I can even think of is that there occasionally is a drop or two of water left after drying even at 10 min. A quick wipe with a microfiber towel and a couple min to air dry that spot and it’s done. Most records have been completely dried with 10 min dry time tho.
Great review though! Wish I could edit videos and I’d make my own and try to share some before and after sound clips because THAT is where the benefit truly shows.
@@thefleshexperience NO worries, I TRULY appreciate your comments and sharing of experience with the HumminGuru. Kind of feel like its our duty as early adopters to share ALL experiences good, bad and otherwise so others can be informed and products can evolve.
And by watching my video, I hope you (and others) see that ANYONE can make RUclips videos. I edit using iMovie on my iphone and even then its minor edits at best.
I sometimes stress that my videos arent "polished enough," but often its more about sharing true/actual experiences and info than having a Flashy/Polished video.
@@polypetalous again- great video! I’ve just been having such great results that I’m super pumped. And haha yeah I lucked out FINALLY finding a Zepp II doubled sided RL in the dollar bin about 3 months ago after 20 years of looking. I’d almost given up and paid up for one. I thankfully was outbid on one the weekend before I discovered mine. It can still happen! Keep looking!!
don dude cool.to see you had great results anither youtube personalty mentioned and store where i recently bought new ttable speciality store big investment but seeing if worth local store wont have them probably at least 6 months from now maybe longer so just looking into for next year see what yall think about the unit but sales guy said looks like good unit but didnt know until they test one in the store 3 4 5 6 months from now when they are able to get a few in the shop
Thanks for the video looking forward to hear your opinion? Maybe a sound comparison should be next.
Welcome back with new video. Great video. Interesting machine. I need to have some machine for cleaning.
Thanks Tommy! This is definitely a step up form my "brush cleaning" routine... time will tell if it is "the one."
Thanks for watching, appreciate it!
Thanks for the video. Saved me a lot of money!
Ben! So good to see you! Wow you got yourself a nice looking (and working) record cleaner. I have a spin cleaner like the other one you showed and it is OK i think. I remember seeing an add for the Humminguru when it was still in kickstarter stage. Cool that it became a real thing. The drying function is pretty neat I must say.
Still waiting to hear your thoughts on the Zappa albums you got 😂
I enjoyed this a lot. Hope we see you more often from now. Night coffee? sure why not! Coffee does not anymore work on me like it used to. No problems going to sleep after a coffee. Cheers man!
Hey Mika, great to hear from ya as well... Been enjoying your Dr & the Kid videos (those thumbnails are beyond amazing) and of course enjoy all your vids!
Still working on my "Zappa journey," but its been a good path!
Thanks for watching and the kind words as always, appreciate it my friend!
I have a Humminguru. I did an intensive 5 min clean on two records both from around 1979 which were both cleaned a year ago with a traditional bath cleaning. I was very pleased with improved bass rendering and 3d stereo image. I was not able to locate the water filer at the bottom of the main well. I agree about the 5 minute dry cycle. Great review.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I plan to run some of my more "well known" records through the HG this weekend for a more accurate "listening" before and after test.
Records used in this video, were definitely mores to the "worst case scenario" side for dirty records.
Thanks again!
I haven’t removed the “filter” from the bottom of the main unit yet, but they included a tool to remove it for cleaning. Instruction book covers it.
I have found best results by using records that are relatively clean and addition of a surfactant to the distilled water. Really reduces background noise.
Cleaning doesnt improve bass or imaging.
@@leon9021 Not in and of itself. But the records being thoroughly cleaned allows better contact between groove and stylus resulting in better sounding performance.
A local shop actually has a dollar wagon they put on the sidewalk.
I’ve never even looked at the selection as I’m too particular to get vinyl in the best condition possible.
Nice video. I'm planning on getting one Nov 18th. My question is more along the lines of the cleaning liquid. Distilled water alone? how about adding a surfactant and isopropyl alcohol (90%)? What are the machines recommendations on this?
Again, thanks for the video~!
As of right now HumminGuru (Happywell Co.) is stating to use ONLY distilled water and nothing else (which is why I wanted to "demo" the unit per manufacturing instructions). Conjecture on my part, I assume the company is concerned with "Other Ingredients" damaging or breaking-down the pump mechanics, hoses etc. A bit of "cover their butts" I feel, but semi-understandable on a new product. There ARE people that are experimenting (and will be) with homebrew cleaners and other cleaning agents. I will be keen to see their results. There is a HumminGuru Facebook user group that is heavily discussing this "distilled water only" thing.
Thanks for watching appreciate it.
I purchased a degritter a couple of years ago and I honestly do not see the benefit, just as you noted (and I have tried the surfactant). My VPI 17.5 has done an adequate job on used albums for over 20 years. I think we all jumped on the bandwagon, not my best audio investment.
Learning through investment, seems to be how the hi-fi hobby goes a lot of times... I often push back against people who say hi-fi and records are for people with deep-pockets, but you know it cant hurt!
Thanks for the comment and watching!
Hmm. I have one too. Trying to find out what the recommendations for changing the water are - 350ml each time is a lot.
As I understand it, it’s either use new water each time or just use the filter in the water tank to “filter” out the dirt while you pour it into the unit.
I plan to use new water each time, but you are right it’s a lot of water…
@@polypetalous Yeah, I think you're right. I tried to clean 3 (clean alone) keeping the water in the main tank without draining, and then drying them one by one. The first drying cycle drains the water then dries, the second one also tried to drain water (that isn't there anymore). Plus you need a place for the wet vinyl as they wait to be dried in the machine. Not a great workflow. I did get spare filters so I'll try the re-use water method and see how it goes.
Also they don't recommend it for 78s when I asked them the other day. That's a shame because that one the main reason I got it , and other ultrasonics are supposedly 78-safe. In the end I tried one of my 78s and it seems to have emerged unscathed.
@@polypetalous I've reused the water numerous times without any issue. Any larger debris is caught by the filter when the tank is drained, and microscopic debris is unlikely to cause issues with the cleaning.
@@kvetcha Thanks for the good info! Seeing how slow the water flows through the filter, I believe you are absolutely correct that most of the debris/dirt of concerned would get filtered out.
Especially, if you are dealing decently clean records this could save a TON of water (and $).
Thanks again for sharing your experience, appreciate it!
Btw - records are cleaned in distilled water to prevent mineral deposits from tap water. Basically all records cleansing machines will require distilled water. Not unique to this unit.
26:04 - dude, have you drinked the water from the cleaner, or what ..?
Funny , does kinda looks that way… I was unprepared in making this video and had no where to dump the water. So I drank down my coffee in the cup to make use of the cup. Thanks for the comment and watching.
Did you first dry(wipe) clean the records before inserting them for the wet cleaning process? I would assume doing this prior to placing the records in for the wet clean cycle must be productive? thanks for the video!!
No i did not wipe or brush or anything… I’d say this was the equivalent of finding a thrift store or garage sale record and putting it directly into the machine.
Kind of “worst case scenario” in terms of dust, dirt and debris.
A wipe first certainly wouldn’t hurt!
Thanks for the question and watching.
Great video. If you don't me asking, I am also a backer #1005 and I haven't received my unit yet, what number were you? Trying to figure out if they are going out in backer order. Thanks
I was backer# 236, I got my first "ship notice" email from PledgeBox on 10/26/2021 and received my HumminGuru on 11/1/2021. China to Kansas USA in 5-days not so bad, made me feel better about paying $60 shipping!
Thanks for watching and I hope you get your HumminGuru soon!
@@polypetalous thank u for the info i appreciate it
I just got mine and after six records it has stopped spinning
Oh man I’m sorry to hear that… is it only one record that won’t spin or NO records will spin? Every once in a while you’ll come across a record that’s slightly undersized and the spinning wheel won’t engage, can be fixed with a shim/pressure. BUT if NO record spins and the little turning wheel doesn’t spin, then you got a problem and need to reach out to HumminGuru/HappyWell. If you use Facebook you can join the HumminGuru group that’s run by HappyWell and reach out from there, I’m sure they will respond (aside from time difference). Good luck hope you get it sorted out!
Ya that was it lol
It’s fine now
@@lauher21 awesome!
How do you fix it? If it happens again
is the water bubbling during the cleaning? can you see micro bubbles at all
Yes, I can see bubbles moving at the record while cleaning. It isn’t a ton of bubbles going at a fever pitch, but bubbles in sporadic groupings.
Nice job, Im just starting out, would you like to sell the spinclean?
Sorry, I may be holding on to the Spinclean a bit longer yet...
Good luck on your "starting out," and thanks for watching!
@@polypetalous thank you
Thank you, seems a bust to me.
Dude, you spent $300 to clean a $3 second hand LP????!!!
Yes,...Yes, it appears I did...
Though there was a time when nearly ALL records were $3 and back then no one even really cleaned 'em.
What a time we live in, ehhh?
Thanks for the comment!
@@polypetalous I've been collecting vinyl since I was a kid back in 1971. The very idea that "no one really cleaned them" is a myth. Many of us DID INDEED clean and care for our vinyl collection properly. That $3 record back in the 70s is the equivalent to $20.50 in 2021. My point is I don't quite understand why anyone would want to buy an LP that's in such obvious bad shape for the pleasure of "cleaning it" in an over priced piece of plastic. It doesn't make economic sense and defies common logic. It's nuts!
@@knockshinnoch1950 Great comment! No arguing with what you said here... and really this was my overall line of thinking prior to purchase of the HumminGuru.
Nail on the head, that it ALL starts and ends with "well cared for records," whether a "cleaning machine" is even necessary is totally debatable IMO.
I've got one more video in me about this machine, with my overall thoughts and opinions on effectiveness etc. and I'm going to touch on this point a bit in it.
Thanks again, truly appreciate the perspective.
@@polypetalous Thanks man, I'm just trying to apply some perspective. I've had my vinyl in the attic since 1998. I turned 60 this year and retired. I've upgraded my hi-fi system and decided to recommission my vinyl and buy a new turntable after all these years. I've been amazed at the number of record cleaning gizmos that are now available that make all sorts of promises. Snake oil and over priced white elephants everywhere. Guys online talking about their "vinyls"!!!! placing warped records in the oven or slathering them with PVA glue!!!! So much of it sets my teeth on end. I see guys cleaning records that no sensible person would ever buy in the first place- its madness! I'm really sceptical about all these gizmos. Look after your records and equipment properly in the first place and save all the expense! Another tip- never buy 2nd hand records unless from a reputable dealer, you have no idea how badly damaged they might be and could seriously damage your equipment beyond repair.
@@knockshinnoch1950 yeah you cleaned them then put them right back into a harsh plain white paper inner sleeve that absolutely wrecked them! Great job!
Dude stop saying “I don’t know” 😂. You know. We know. That machine sucks! Lol. But thanks for the video, now I know I’ll never by it! Good old elbow grease is a lot cheaper and works a ton better.
What on earth was the point of this video?
Sit down and a logical pre/post process don’t just wave your hands in the air and say “I dunno” “I dunno”
If only there was a way to warn viewers that the video would be a "Demo & First Impressions" type video. I aside from the title and all...
In all seriousness, if you can bare it, my "part 2" video has "before and after" clips and my "part 3" video (which is uploading now) has my final verdict and overall opinions.
Good news is you can fast forward and or skip over, however you see fit.
Thanks for the comment and watching!