As I said in my August editorial, one of the most surprising things that I’ve discovered since adding vinyl playback to my reference system is that I really love the process of wet-cleaning LPs. Weird, I know. But it’s sort of half the fun of the hobby for me right now, whether I’m using my Big Fudge–branded Spin-Clean rip-off or the Record Doctor VI that will only really be mine once I’m finished making the $22/month loan payments to Affirm.
But as with any purchase that involves a choice between a budget option and a fancier model, I had twinges of FOMO as soon as I unboxed and started using the Record Doctor VI. The Record Doctor X ($599.95, all prices USD), after all, is a more advanced option that promises greater automation and effectiveness in order to justify the $270 premium built into its MSRP (although, in practice, the machines generally sell for $299 and $499, respectively, making the actual premium more like $200 on most days).
Both are vacuum cleaners designed to suck wet-cleaning solution off a record after it’s been given a good scrubbing with a surfactant and brush. But whereas the VI requires people-power to spin the record, and only has a vacuum slot on the bottom, the X has a bidirectional spinning motor and a second vacuum nozzle that comes down over the record and sucks the debris and cleaning solution on that side upward. Not that the box really gives a good indication of any of the above, mind you. But chances are that if you’re buying one of these things, you’re doing it online and not really perusing the packaging for specs.
Cracking open the box doesn’t give that big a hint as to what lies within, either, but there are a few nice touches off the bat. The packing foam is cut from stacked sheets of expanded polyethylene foam instead of expanded polystyrene, which I always appreciate. Pangea Audio Distributing, which owns the Record Doctor brand, doesn’t lean hard on pomp or circumstance, though. The packing does its job, but doesn’t really focus on niceties or purely presentational packaging. The power cord is just sort of whatevered into the box, and accessories are mostly tucked along the sides.
With everything pulled out of the package, you can see all that’s involved here. From left to right, there’s the cap that goes on top of the record to secure it and protect the label while cleaning; the telescoping vacuum arm that sucks off dirt and cleaning solution from above; the goat-hair brush (still in its little box); the cleaning solution itself; and, of course, the detachable power cord, which is a nice upgrade from the hardwired power cable that comes affixed to the more affordable Record Doctor VI.
I’ll admit, the telescoping arm for the Record Doctor X took me somewhat by surprise, in that it didn’t appear to have any sort of locking mechanism, and the spring seemed quite loose. See that screw, though, on the thicker cylinder? Near the bottom?
That screw indicates the direction in which the arm should be turned before insertion. You really just have to drop the spring into the hole with the arm turned in that direction.
That said, even with things lined up properly, that arm felt a little tenuously positioned when the machine was turned off. So far, it’s the one thing I don’t particularly care for when comparing the Record Doctor X with my VI.
The VI has a standard sort of spindle holding the flat disc that supports your record and the knurled puck that you turn to rotate it, the two parts forming a sandwich with your dirty records as the meat, all held together by gravity and the weight of your hand. The X has a screw-on spindle for reasons that become obvious when you consider the fact that we’re talking about a motorized system that rotates your LPs between two vacuum-cleaner nozzles.
The X’s supporting disc and record clamp perfectly cover a standard LP label and have plenty of grip but a surprisingly soft touch. Here you can also see a closeup of the replaceable sweeper strips, designed to create a vacuum seal with your records without running the risk of scratching them.
And here you can see my (well, soon-to-be-my, as soon as I pay it off) Record Doctor VI next to the X. The latter is obviously more complicated, with more moving parts. It’s also a good bit larger—I’m guessing due to the extra motor.
I’m honestly chomping at the bit to discover whether that extra vacuum nozzle coming from above makes a difference in terms of cleaning, and I’ve got just the record to test it with. Not only that, I’ve purchased a cheap digital microscope to scrutinize the results. But I’ll wait for the full review to dig into those sorts of details. Keep your eyes peeled for that thorough evaluation, coming soon to the pages of SoundStage! Access.
. . . Dennis Burger
dennisb@soundstagenetwork.com
