There are videos of the unpacking on YouTube if thats your thing, but suffice to say its well packed, and complete with a SMPS power supply, the 7" and 10" adaptors, maintenance tool, spare filters and rotation wheels, and a well printed set of instructions. READ the instructions. Then read them again. Its not immediately intuitive to use so READ THEM.
Thinking ahead, I checked out the maintenance section so that I knew what I would need to do once the time comes. Again I am glad I did as the removable parts are a little tricky to get hold of, especially the rotation wheels. Those with 'sausage fingers' (like myself) will find the available space a little tight but its doable. The Water Basin Filter is easy to remove for cleaning with the supplied tool, again take your time.
Basics over its time to give it a first run. Filling the water container as instructed I added two drops of the fluid. The lid is a nice snug fit and lets you pour it in to the container easily (unlike some of the videos you will find on line. Maybe the container has been redesigned since then)
Wanting to test it on a known noisy record, my first choice was my original copy of Suzanne Vega "Solitude Standing". This has been through the Okki Nokki many times, but I was never really happy with the surface noise that remained so it’s a good first test. I played side one just to get familiar with it again, then it was time to try the HumminGuru.
I used the default settings (2min wash, 5 min dry) and switched on. The (lack of) noise was astounding. Buzzing, whirring, a bit like a dishwasher in the next room, and when you go into the next room its barely audible. Nice change from the Okki Nokki which sounds like the Avro Vulcan on a QRA takeoff (well, not quite but it is noisy)
7 min later and one clean looking record (not that it looked dirty before) and no static either (which I quite often get using the Okki Nokki) but the proof is in the playing, so on to the LP12, settle back and listen. The improvement was marginal, but it was certainly noticeable. The SQ was also marginally improved. A result but not a night and day one.
Next was a Charity Shop copy of Joan Baez "Diamonds and Rust" which like Solitude Standing was still noisy after several runs through the Okki Nokki. I refilled the tank, used the same settings and let the machine do its work. On to the LP12 and ....
Bloody hell, its a new pressing. Not only is the vinyl totally silent (there was a fair bit of surface noise previously) but the recording has also improved. "throwing the window wide open" and all the other cliches. Mrs O couldn't believe it.
Next up an original Housemartins "London 0 Hull 4" on ultra thin vinyl via the charity shop. Its always been noisy despite many cleanings. The 'normal' cleaning settings reduced the noise, but the soundstage and overall quality was improved well beyond what I expected. Still a bit noisy though, so I wonder if a longer clean cycle will work. Only one way to find out, so a 5+5 cycle later and the SQ is up by several levels. The crackles have been reduced but they are far less noticeable. Whether its because the muck has been removed or that music (now being more dynamic) is masking them I have no way of knowing. Its also noticeably less shrill.
The only issue was being ultra thin it needed very carefully sitting into the drive system, the movement was very stuttery on first attempt
How about a Charity Shop Beatles "Help!" in mono? Its not got that good a surface so a 5+5 seems ideal for this one. We have another winner. The vinyl is still a bit crackly in places, but the SQ is brilliant. Sounds exactly how you would expect a record of that age to sound, especially as its probably spent its previous life on a Dansette. Yet again the increase in dynamics and overall SQ is making you ignore the remaining crackles.
As the 5+5 seems to work, I thought I would revisit Solitude Standing, and I am glad I did. Its much better. Lower noise floor, less surface noise, better recording.
At this stage I thought I had better try cleaning a new record. Brahms Cello Sonatas 1 & 2 Its a great pressing so I didn't expect much improvement, and thats exactly what I got. There was no surface noise before so no change there but the SQ increased marginally. Worth doing but not essential which is how I felt about the results with the Okki Nokki, which I always used on new records just to remove any dust that remained from the factory.
So it works, and it works very well. Good price (I paid £440) quiet and compact. Like all record cleaners, what it won’t do is repair a damaged or scratched record, so don't expect it to. the 5+5 setting gives the best result on used vinyl (yours or second hand) and as you will be listening to a record while it does its work the extra time it takes does not matter
Disadvantages? Well, it takes longer to clean a record than the Okki Nokki, theres a bit more preparation involved (measuring the water etc) more to do after (wiping out the tank, cleaning the water container and filters) Also its a lot of faff if you only have the one to clean. I wouldn't like to leave it full of water with all the problems that might create, but then if you are cleaning one there’s the opportunity to start working your way through the rest of your collection.
I got mine from Juno (link below) and there is a 'contact us for a better price' link on the page. I saved a total of £28 which meant that the fluid was free, as was the postage. You could buy direct from HumminGuru in Hong Kong, but then you have to pay shipping, VAT and Duty on landing, the carriers fee for collecting the VAT and Duty, plus a longer lead time. In the end I doubt you would actually save anything and any warranty problems would be a real problem.
Better off with Juno.
As you may have guessed I am very happy with it. Would I be happy with my Okki Nokki if I hadn't tried the HumminGuru? Yes, of course but I think this is record cleaning at the next level.
Recommended
Disclaimer
As I said in my review I (Well Mrs O) purchased this from her hard earned shirt buttons.
Download the HumminGuru Manual here
Juno
HumminGuru
ADDENDUM 1
Having experimented some more with my existing records, everyone was improved after using the HumminGuru. Some only marginally, some were a revelation, almost like a better pressing. It doesn't matter if they are charity shop finds, or new to me pressings there is always improvement despite already having been previously cleaned on the OK
Also these previously "clean" records left the fluid tank visibly cloudy after around a dozen lp's have been through it, so its not all in the mind
I have yet to test whether the OK + HG is better than the HG alone as I haven't had any new purchases to test since the HumminGuru arrived, but there will be an update when I do.
ADDENDUM 2
I don't own many non 12" records but as I do have a few I thought it was time to test the adaptors. They come with the rubber 'fingers' loose so they need to be slid in place before use.
Two are fixed, two can slide making it easy(ish) to fit the record, although not all records are equal and the 10" I used was more like 10.1" so was a bit of a fiddle to fit. Once in place the adaptor drops in just like a 12" record does and the cycle is the same.
There are only two 'problems':-
1) As above the record is a bit fiddly to remove, so I used a lint free cloth to assist the process and keep the record fingerprint free
2) The record did not emerge completely dry but had some water remaining where the rubber fingers held it in place (as to be expected really) so I let it air dry before playing. Any water is on the rim not on the playing surface, so not a big deal but something to be aware of.
ADDENDUM 3
Finally having got a few records from the nearest charity shop I have been able to experiment with using both the Okki Nokki followed by the HumminGuru versus the HumminGuru alone.
The results surprised me as I was expecting little difference however using the ON first did make a large difference (I cleaned one side on the ON then the whole LP in the HG to give the comparison) Yes its more expense and hassle but the result is a better sounding LP which is what we are after.
Oh, and reversing the process (HG followed by the ON does not give as good results.
So then I thought that as it sounded better with the HumminGuru being again used after the HG/ON pairing, what about just two runs through the HG (as I did in the earlier tests with my existing records) One side HG/ON/HG the other HG/HG. Result? Little (if any) difference between sides.
The life of the cleaning fluid (distilled water + 3 drops of HumminGuru fluid) very much depends on the records being cleaned.
I have got anything from 10 to 30 records cleaned before I felt the need to change the fluid.
I determined this by the cloudiness and/or the number of floaters (clumps of dust) in the tank.
Also as not all of the fluid will be drained back into the tank you will need to top it up every 4ish cleaning cycles. In total a 5l container of Distilled Water cleaned ~150 records, which equals ~4.5p a record plus 3 drops of the HG fluid however much that works out.
Sometimes the record hasn't emerged totally dry, so after a bit of head scratching I discovered the reason. If it’s a damp day and/or you have washing drying around the place then the rooms humidity will rise making it less able to absorb the moisture from the record.
Solution? Use the 10 min drying cycle on those occasions.
CONCLUSION 2
With second hand records cleaning the record twice (or more if they are really mucky) is a must. Whether you do two runs through the HumminGiru or use another machine first appears to make little difference, but using the HG last gives the best results.
On new (or you own previously cleaned) records 5min clean + 5min dry works the best most of the time, just increase the drying time if needed.
All of the records in my collection that I have done a before/after listen have an improved SQ. Sometimes its marginal, sometimes its truly dramatic, but unless you do a before/after listen you won't know so just clean the lot.
I have started working my way through my record collection, which sound like a chore but isn't really.
I fill the machine, put the record in, go and do something else for 10-15 min then repeat.
The big bonus is you get to rediscover all of the records you forgot you owned.
You will need to change the water filter reasonably often as it does get a bit mucky.
Around 100 LP's maybe, but again that depends on how dirty they are to start with. If you were doing a charity shop pile you might need to change it after 50. As with the fluid, it all depends on how it looks and how dirty you consider to be dirty.
Oh, and you may get funny looks from your pharmacy wondering why you are buying so much distilled water. Tell them its for cleaning records and get an even funnier look
