mohan@uscvax.UUCP (Rakesh Mohan) (04/19/85)
1. I have a Magnavox turntable (FP 7130) with the following cartridge: Model # (Magnavox) GP 330 Sensitivity (1 kHz) 0.8 mV/cm/sec Output Asymmetry (1 kHz) <= 2 dB Channel Seperation (1 kHz) >= 22 dB Stylus (diamond) 15 um (spherical) Stylus Force 15 .. 30 mN (1.5-3.0 gm ?) Dynamic Compliance (lateral) >= 20 mm/N Trackability >= 80 um ( 2gm) The cartridge is Magnetodynamic (could someone please explain what this means) and does not seem to be a P-mount type ( I tried to remove the cartridge from the tone-arm but couldn't). Is it worthwile replacing it with a different cartridge ( < $50) and if so, which one? 2. I recently obtained about 50 LPs at a sale. Most of them are not sealed and although not scratched, they are dirty. How should Io give them a first time cleaning? Thanks Rakesh Mohan mohan@usc-cse mohan@eclc
herbie@watdcsu.UUCP (Herb Chong [DCS]) (04/21/85)
In article <180@uscvax.UUCP> mohan@uscvax.UUCP (Rakesh Mohan) writes: >2. I recently obtained about 50 LPs at a sale. Most of them are not >sealed and although not scratched, they are dirty. How should Io >give them a first time cleaning? > >Rakesh Mohan the best thing is to try find a place that has a Keith Monks or a Nitty Gritty record cleaning machine. some audio places have them. also, a radio station may be able to help you out. failing that, one of the gel plastic cleaners that you wipe on and peel off when dry may be the next best thing. my best experiences have been with the Keith Monks. Herb Chong... I'm user-friendly -- I don't byte, I nybble.... UUCP: {decvax|utzoo|ihnp4|allegra|clyde}!watmath!water!watdcsu!herbie CSNET: herbie%watdcsu@waterloo.csnet ARPA: herbie%watdcsu%waterloo.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa NETNORTH, BITNET, EARN: herbie@watdcs, herbie@watdcsu
mat@hou4b.UUCP (Mark Terribile) (04/22/85)
> the best thing is to try find a place that has a Keith Monks or a Nitty > Gritty record cleaning machine. some audio places have them. also, a > radio station may be able to help you out. failing that, one of the > gel plastic cleaners that you wipe on and peel off when dry may be the > next best thing. my best experiences have been with the Keith Monks. On this subject: Musical Heritage Society advertises a cleaning machine for about $300. They quote a glowing review in one of the golden-ears publications. Has anyone had any experience with this unit? It sounds like it's similar in principle to the K.M. By the way, why are such machines so expensive? Granted they have to be gentle, but wow and flutter specs aren't very critical, are they? -- from Mole End Mark Terribile (scrape .. dig ) hou4b!mat on 5/1/85 ..,,. mtx5b!mat ,.. .,, ,,, ..,***_*.
ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (04/23/85)
> > On this subject: Musical Heritage Society advertises a cleaning machine for > about $300. They quote a glowing review in one of the golden-ears > publications. Has anyone had any experience with this unit? It sounds like > it's similar in principle to the K.M. By the way, why are such machines > so expensive? Granted they have to be gentle, but wow and flutter specs aren't > very critical, are they? > -- They aren't critical. The Keith Monks uses a turntable inside that looks like the cheap ones that you find in all-in-one $199 stereo systems. The tone arm is cheap, too. I'd expect one large aspect of the price is the vacuum pump but most is labor and profit. These things are manufactured in pretty low quantities. You know what the KM machine uses to keep the tonearm off the record? "Yellow Thread" Go down to the notions store and buy some more. The thing is a pain. When it works, it works, but it is pretty cheap and goes out of operation frequently. I think I'll stick to the ol' Cecil B. Watts disk scrub brush. -Ron Back when I was involved with Polk Audio it was interesting to know that the parts that go into a Polk Model 10 sold for about $40 (in 1978). The rest was labor and markup.
dca@edison.UUCP (David C. Albrecht) (04/25/85)
> On this subject: Musical Heritage Society advertises a cleaning machine for > about $300. They quote a glowing review in one of the golden-ears > publications. Has anyone had any experience with this unit? It sounds like > it's similar in principle to the K.M. By the way, why are such machines > so expensive? Granted they have to be gentle, but wow and flutter specs aren't > very critical, are they? I finally broke down and bought a Nitty Gritty unit 340$ (ouch!) and maybe I can say a few things about them. Probably there are many reasons why these cleaners are so expensive but I will speculate a little about it. The thing has a 2.5hp vacuum motor which ain't cheap or quiet (check out the vacuums at Sears sometimes) it also has a injector to automatically apply fluid to the venturi felt cleaning lips, a rotation motor and capstan, and a spify genuooiine oak case. Even if all these components were mass marketed the unit I am sure would still cost $150-$200 just looking at compareable vacuum cleaners. It is not mass market, however, but rather addressing a rather small market which tends to spend big bucks to buy status items to display in their living rooms (some people call it esoteric audio, I call it status items). They probably figure the more they charge for it the more bozos would buy it ;-). But seriously, given the cost of the materials and the size of the market the price is only slightly outrageous. David Albrecht General Electric
rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) (04/29/85)
[] For heavens sake, Albrecht, you bought one and all you can do is talk about the price? Look, we don't really care about how you feel about the status of the price. What the net would like to know - and, of course I know I speak for the net as surely as...anything - is, WELL, HOW DOES IT WORK? NOT, mind you, the (pardon the expression) nitty-gritty of how the gears interact with the framziz bar, but DOES IT CLEAN THE RECORDS? And, if it does, is their any music left on them when it's finished? Thanks. Please try again. -- "It's the thought, if any, that counts!" Dick Grantges hound!rfg
dca@edison.UUCP (David C. Albrecht) (05/02/85)
> [] > For heavens sake, Albrecht, you bought one and all you can do is talk about > the price? > Look, we don't really care about how you feel about the status of the price. > What the net would like to know - and, of course I know I speak for the net > as surely as...anything - is, WELL, HOW DOES IT WORK? > > NOT, mind you, the (pardon the expression) nitty-gritty of how the gears > interact with the framziz bar, but DOES IT CLEAN THE RECORDS? > > And, if it does, is their any music left on them when it's finished? > Well EXCUUUUSEEEE ME! Seriously, The article I was replying too was inquiring why the thing was so expensive so that was what I addressed. As to how well does it work: It works simply AWESOME! The NITTY GRITTY system actually has two fluids to put on the record. One called "FIRST" which is supposed to turn the mold release compounds used to pop records from the mold to dry matter to be removed by the vacuum. "FIRST" is only applied once and they supply a little sticker to put on the album so that you know you have already treated it. The other solution is a cleaner like others Discwasher etc. which is squirted on the record and vacuumed off. It seems to treat the record with kid gloves and I have observed no bad effects from using it. When it's done the grove is microscopically clean. The results on fair to high quality records can be simply amazing. NITTY GRITTY argues that it makes a more audible improvement than the upgrading of any other component in an already decent system and I would agree. The result on even the "Thelma Houston and Pressure Cooker" D-D was quite audible, tightening the base and sharpening attacks on what was already and outstanding sounding album. I found considerable detail and tightness improvements in normal off the rack albums as well. Recommendations: If you have lots of records and want them to sound the best possible before you run out and buy the latest greatest Blivitz AMP with extra snap, crackle, and pop, consider checking one of the Nitty Gritty cleaners instead. The local sound shop here has a deal for a fee where they will clean a small number of albums which probably other audio places do also. Take a couple of reasonable albums and have them cleaned and decide for yourself. David Albrecht General Electric