Review on 💧 Adjustable Power Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner Rack - Essential Audio Accessory for Superior Cleaning by Eric Nelson

Before I bought this I wasn't sure if it was so expensive because it was well designed/constructed or was it just a normal premium what all "for records" entails. Having used it, I have to say that I am very inclined to think that it is a cheap to make product that turns out to be expensive because it is "for vinyl". The same product is sold by several different vendors under different names, but as far as I can tell it's the same thing, they're probably all made in the same factory. I had issues with several areas, one of which made it so I couldn't even use this thing out of the box. This device works by clamping the record between these large plastic discs/spacers. The clamp is very simple - it's a hand-threaded cap that screws onto the standoff. The device I received couldn't get it right with one entry. When the lid was fully tightened there was still a gap of about 1mm preventing the record from being held in place so the shaft could not rotate the record. Either the shaft threads were too short, or the shaft was too long, or the spacers were too tight. I had to provide my own shims so the shims actually hold the record as the spindle spins. When I removed the pads they were all badly scratched and there was a pile of black sand between them. The spacers are clearly cut from damaged plastic panels. In theory, that's fine - they don't have to look pretty or be perfectly smooth to work, but there's no reason not to clean them before shipping. Also, some of the scratches were deep enough that I was concerned they might damage the label. I might end up sanding them down before attempting to clean some records. The device has a cutout that allows it to be hung on the side of the ultrasonic cleaner, but it is very poorly designed/implemented. The weight of a 150 gram plate causes it to tilt inward by about 10-15 degrees, which is a problem as the water level is higher on one side of the plate than the other. You could solve this problem by adding some kind of counterweight to the motor housing, adding a magnet to the motor housing, or a clamping mechanism on the inside edge. I ended up wrapping the tape around the body of the ultrasonic cleaner to hold the spindle against the outside wall. The recess/housing has no non-slip or abrasive pads or coatings. The vibration of my ultrasonic cleaner was strong enough to move the cleaner to one side during use, causing the edge of the plate to scratch the wall of the water tank. I had to tighten the strap I used to adjust the incline to keep it from "wandering" sideways. Finally, the only mechanism to turn this device on or off is to plug in and unplug the power adapter. These barrel connectors are not designed to be mated and unmated regularly. At this price I would not need to provide my own built in power switch to reduce wear and tear on the barrel plug. I really don't see the $80 value for this product, especially considering how sloppy the implementation is. Pros: - WorksCons: - Expensive - Doesn't seem like $80 material/construction here - Gaskets/shank/threads weren't the right width for actual platter clamping - Gaskets were deeply scratched and dirty - Housing tilts under the Weight of even an inward single vinyl record - The case has no non-slip surfaces and the vibration of the cleaning agent will cause it to "wander" in one direction or another, scratching the edge of the vinyl record on the water tank. - No power switch to turn the spindle on and off - unplugging and replugging the barrel wears it out prematurely. I've been able to circumvent all of this device's shortcomings and use it to successfully clean a few records, but I didn't have to provide my own washers, friction pads, power switch, and belts. Keep records of water levels.