HumminGuru Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner—two Audiophilia writers' views after six months use
We recently published a review of the $3280 Degritter MARK II Ultrasonic Record Cleaning Machine. It was a rave and well deserved. I loved its functionality and its effortless way of producing sparkling clean records. With so much minute grime gone from previously cleaned records (VPI 16.5), the soundstage, imaging and timbral accuracy of records all improved. It is a marvellous device akin to an important analogue component. It received a well-deserved Star Component Award and was nominated as one of Audiophilia’s Products of the Year 2023. Also very well deserved.
Yes, the MARK II is that good. So I asked two of our writers rocking the much cheaper ultrasonic record cleaner from HumminGuru to jot down a few thoughts about their experiences over the last six months.
The HumminGuru retails for $429 and is bundled with 7" + 10" Record Adapters.
Thoughts from Jesús González-Monreal
Some months ago I was at a used vinyl record store. After hours of debating whether to purchase my stash of records, I decided not to purchase any of them. I was afraid of how they might sound in my audio setup (even though I have a good eye for vinyl scratches). So I started that same day to research the market for a good vinyl record cleaner. Of course, I’ve had for years the ritualistic—liquid cleaner solution, micro-fibre cloth, the brush that removes static, the soft velvet record brush and the like, but I felt only a new vinyl cleaning machine was going to give me the confidence (or at least buy into the idea) to purchase vinyl with almost no doubt.
I decided on the HumminGuru Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner. What drew me to it was the size and, I hate to say it, the price. I mention this because as I write this short review, (and even though it’s somewhat expensive at over $400), the market for a state-of-the-art vinyl cleaning machine is going up.
The HumminGuru is a very quiet (60-70dB) ultrasonic (40 kHz sound waves for cleaning debris) vinyl record cleaner. The machine surprised me with how easy it is to use and is very compact, (you can store it practically anywhere). Its size was also a reason for me to get it; my wife’s approval was necessary (after all the records and audio equipment around the house).
It’s necessary to use distilled water for the system to do a better job according to the manual (350 ml). It has a cool-looking finish as well, gray with a three-button-light mode that makes it easy to see what you want the machine to do (clean-dry-auto).
Two more things sold me on the HumminGuru. One thing that is vital for this system (over others on the market) is its cleaning time options (2-5 minutes) other competitors have a long wait, almost an hour for some. The second essential thing was that it had an air filter/drying system (5-10 minutes) for each side of the record. The auto mode has a hybrid/combo of cleaning and drying times.
It may sound that I got what I wanted, and I did. The HumminGuru doesn’t have any more gimmicks, it does the job, it’s quiet, it leaves my vinyl clean (sometimes it needs maybe two cleanings on some old recordings), it dries it so I don’t have to, and it doesn’t require a lot of space. The system is pretty straightforward, I got it running in under 5 minutes. But if you need to there’s a clear instruction manual. And it comes with two adapters.
So, if you’re looking for an easy and fast way to clean those vinyl finds in yard sales and used record stores, this is a great find.
Thoughts from Ian Kershaw
After using the excellent (but all manual process) VPI HW-16.5 record vacuum cleaning machine for the last couple of years on my extensive record collection (1600 and growing), I heard many vinyl lovers were using various brands of ultrasonic cleaners and getting good results. Since I have some stubborn albums that still have underlying surface noise, I wanted to try one out for myself. Enter the HumminGuru (CAD799 on Amazon plus taxes).
Once it was set up the HumminGuru took each record in stride and had noticeable results with the removal of surface noise. It didn’t eliminate all the noise as other more expensive units might do, but it did a pretty good job of cleaning and drying each record (despite some stories of needing an extra drying cycle). After about a week of use I started to notice that the ultrasonic pitch was much louder than it was supposed to be, so I started the return process with Amazon to get a replacement.
When ordering the new unit, and hopefully my last, I opted for the same machine but now including the 10” and 7” adapter kit. The new unit arrived a few days later and once it was running there was a definite difference with the pitch, now much quieter. The unit cleaned as well as the first, but this time certain records wouldn’t spin during the drying cycle only (very bizarre).
I have read that some people have experienced issues with the rollers not spinning and records slipping, so HumminGuru has included extra rollers and a couple of pre-cut 3M double-sided sticky pads in the box. One of these pads goes on the back of the left spinner to create more tension when the wheels are spinning and to prevent slipping from happening. I have not tried this yet to see if it will fix my issue since most records do both the wet and dry cycles without issue. I did, however, switch to the second set of backup rollers and it seems to dry significantly more albums than the first set did on this unit.
Overall, the machine cleaned and completely dried the records to my satisfaction, and I would recommend it to any beginner audiophile. I will be reaching out to HumminGuru directly to try and solve the problem with the non-moving drying cycle.
More information: HumminGuru
