Category: StackAudio

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Record cleaning!

Hi!

Many people have asked either personally or electronically what record cleaning fluid and machine I use to clean my LP collection since they sound pretty good even on not-so well cared used copies I’ve collected 2nd hand.

For more than 25 years my record cleaning machine or RCM has been VPI’s 16.5. Currently I’m on my second one since the first one I bought used (from a good old friend who passed away several months ago) gave up the ghost about 15 years ago.

For record cleaning fluid I use my own concoction of distilled water, 91% Isopropyl Alcohol, and a small squirt of Kodak’s Photo-Flo 200 fluid to ensure that the water film gets penetrates well into the LP grooves.

My formula for my record cleaning concoction is as follows:

FluidVolume
Distilled water183.4 ml
91% Isopropyl Alcohol51.6 ml
Kodak Photo-Flo 2001.2 ml
Record cleaning fluid ratios for a 235ml plastic bottle

It is perfectly fine to deviate from the above based upon the type of Isopropyl Alcohol available. The higher the Isopropyl Alcohol percentage, the less amount you need to use. It’s just a matter of remembering your High-School Chemistry class and do some math to adjust the volumes based on the capacity of your plastic bottle and Isopropyl Alcohol concentration.

If you need any help on the above don’t hesitate to contact me.

Enjoy!

Vic

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Options

Most of my work is around setup and fine-tuning of Linn Sondek LP12 turntables, including the installation of the full suite of upgrades made by Linn. In fact, I own a Linn LP12 turntable with all Linn components (Ittok LVII tonearm, Arkiv MC cartridge, Cirkus subchassis/bearing, and a Lingo 2 power supply.

A while ago I did own a non-Linn subchassis (Greenstreet) which I consider provides an excellent price/performance value and significantly raised the performance level of my LP12 for a relative small investment at that time, and surprisingly maintained its ‘Linn sound’ signature. Some customers were aware of this and have come to me looking for advise regarding alternative upgrades (non-Linn) since they have read much about then in internet forums. In some cases I have made clear my point of view stating that if you like the Linn sound you should stay on Linn’s upgrade path, but there may be other options which may provide a satisfying musical enjoyment experience without a significant investment, and maintain the characteristic ‘Linn sound’.

As such we are pleased to announce that we have been appointed as dealer/representative for Puerto Rico of the Dynavector line of moving coil cartridges, and StackAudio line of Linn LP12 upgrades.

Dynavector was founded in Japan back in 1975 and is highly regarded as a manufacturer of one of the finest high-performance moving coil phono cartridges in the world.

StackAudio manufactures a series of affordable Linn LP12 upgrades which are focused on the source (the turntable). Everything flows from the source, and obtaining a pure clean signal is paramount to realizing the finest musical experience from any system.

These brands are excellent options for Linn LP12 owners who want to follow an alternative upgrade path for their Linn LP12 turntable, at a very reasonable cost.

Vic