Best Record Cleaning Machines

The Spin-Clean System is a purely manual design—nothing to plug in. A little elbow grease and fresh air do all the work. Fill the taxicab-yellow basin with distilled water, add a capful of the cleaning solution, and spin the record between the brushes. The results speak for themselves—clean surfaces mean less noise and more fully resolved music. For lighter duty it’s tough to beat. PS, 201

For those who love and care for their vinyl but don’t want to break the bank on a cleaner, the Record Doctor VI offers a smart design compromise that keeps its—and your—costs down: Most of its functions are performed manually, but it still uses a powerful motor-driven vacuum to handle the final step of dirt extraction. Setup and operation are a snap. JM, 274

Using the VC-E is simple, but good technique is essential to maximize its potential. The machine comes with a small bottle of concentrated cleaning fluid, a larger bottle for the mixed-with-water cleaning solution, and a cleaning brush. The Pro-Ject VC-E supplies the basic tools necessary to clean records efficiently and easily. For any LP lover who wants to hear every bit of potential sonic goodness from his records, the VC-E is an excellent way to boost your LP collection up to a cleaner state of being. SS, 306

The breadbox-sized Degritter brings all the benefits of ultrasonic LP cleaning to an effective, easy-to-use, and relatively affordable product. You can adjust the Degritter’s many cleaning parameters, or simply choose a standard cleaning cycle for easy operation. Sonically, the Degritter delivers, with fewer ticks and pops, less surface noise, a blacker background, and a heightened impression of instruments in space. Easy to use, well-built, with many sophisticated features, the Degritter delivers on all the promises of ultrasonic LP cleaning. RH, 320

This completely automated record cleaner is simply the state of the art. The ultrasonic cleaning technique loosens dirt embedded in groove modulations that are too small for even the finest bristles. The sonic results go far beyond quieter surfaces. The Audio Desk renders a dramatic increase in resolution, soundstaging, and immediacy. JHb, 234

The latest version of Clearaudio’s record cleaning machine retains all the convenience of the Double Matrix (simultaneous cleaning of both sides of a record) while adding ultra-sonic scrubbing to the original brush-and-fluid method. Built like a tank and easy to use, this is a highest-quality record cleaner. JV