Kirmuss Audio KA-RC-1 240V Ultrasonic 4 Record Vinyl Restoration System

Kirmuss Audio KA-RC-1 Ultrasonic 4 Record Vinyl Restoration System

No matter how you store and use your records they inevitably will require maintenance. When playing records, dust particles and contaminants always build up on the stylus as the tone arm moves across the record. This dulls the sound. Furthermore, a chemical release agent is used during the manufacturing process of a record and if these chemicals haven’t been completely removed from the record surface, any dust particles in the record’s grooves will be fused into the agent, resulting in those nasty “pops”.

The Kirmuss Audio Record Cleaning and Restoration System will increase your listening pleasure by removing most of those annoying unwanted pops and crackling sounds from both new and old records. This ultrasonic cleaning system safely cleans records of all sizes by efficiently removing dust particles, fungus, remnants of prior cleanings and contaminants from your record’s surface.

Apart from its simplicity of use, this system brings you ultrasonic technology at a very affordable price and justifiably, has caught the attention of the world’s audiophile press. If you have a record collection, it not only makes practical sense to have an ultrasonic restoration system, but now finally it makes financial sense. Use it once and you’ll wonder how you ever got by without it!

How does it work?

Kirmuss Audio’s record suspension system assures that records of any speed and size can be cleaned safely with no possibility of any damage because there is no mechanical intervention. You simply create a de-grease bath that is comprised of distilled water with a maximum of 40mL (1.4 oz) of ISA (Isopropyl) 70% solution. The alcohol is used in a safe quantity (per the PVC Chemical Compatibility Chart) and kills the live and dormant fungus that resides on records.

The first 5-minute initial wetting cycle does remove some of the surface dust, fingerprint oils, etc. This as both the record and the water retain the same charge. During subsequent restoration cycles of either 2 or 5 minutes, followed by a 5-minute rinse, a PVC friendly, water soluble, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-static ionizing surfactant spray is applied onto the record. When brushed in using the supplied goat-hair brush, the application of the surfactant changes the charge of the record with relation to the water in the tank.

This facilitates the groove cleaning and restoration process. A plasma wave created by cavitation travelling at 805 kph travels through the bath and due the charge differential, is attracted to the record. The plasma wave interacting with the applied surfactant removes accumulated surface contaminants present from other cleaning systems and processes. Then as the records are processed in multiple cycles of 2 or 5 minutes, the release agent found below and the contaminants that were micro-welded into the grooves by the heat of the needle are removed. These were responsible for causing those unwanted pops and crackles.

You can actually see when a record is clean and restored. As the surfactant is brushed onto the record and into the grooves over multiple cycles, a decrease of the appearance of a toothpaste-like substance that has been brought up by the goat-hair brush is observed. The last cycle is determined when this material diminishes and the records come out dry.

Videos

Awards

Reviews

Michael Fremer, Stereophile, 2019

I have an original UK Pressing (Tommy 2 LP’s, Track Records 613 013/4, limited edition #161737… The last time I played Tommy, I realized it had gotten noisy. …worse than that, it seemed to have lost its top end, and worse than that, the music seemed to have faded into the distance. …five cycles… Best of all, when I played it… HOLY CRAP! The top end was fully restored, the backgrounds were super quiet, transients were sharpening and the amount of inner detail – particularly the micro-dynamic shifts in Pete Townsend’s rhythm guitar strums – produced an almost new listening experience. THAT’S NOT HYPE.

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The Absolute Sound, Andre Jennings, 2020

If you can devote the time and energy needed to get the best of this restoration process, you should seek out a demo and give the KA-RC-1 vinyl restoration system a try. It works…

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Linette Smith, HiFi Pig Magazine, 2019

For anyone serious about vinyl I would say it solves the cleaning issue very elegantly… There are a lot of record cleaning solutions out there but for me, carrying on trying different methods now would just be a false economy. You buy the machine once and then all you need to buy as you go on is distilled water, 70% isopropyl alcohol, fresh sleeves and more surfactant. The Kirmuss system should not be seen as simply a record cleaning machine, it is a professional grade archival system that has been made affordable to anyone wanting to preserve or restore their vinyl collection and as such thoroughly deserves Hifi Pig’s Oustanding Product award.

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Stereo DE Magazine, 2018 (German)

A new, exciting record washing machine comes from Kirmuss Audio of the USA. The KA-RC-1 cleans with ultrasound – and the power of bursting bubbles.

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HiFi World, 2019

To say that I was pleased with the performance of the Kirmuss was to issue a laughable understatement. The KA-RC-1 not only removes troublesome noise efficiently, to give new life to your vinyl, it also provides a level of sonic transparency that is truly astounding. Once you hear the effects yourself, you’ll realise that you’ve never actually heard your record collection. Not properly. Have to declare that the KA-RC-1 is the best record cleaner on the market. Bar none.

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What Is Included with each KA-RC-1-240V?

The KA-RC-1-240V package includes the actual machine, and:

• KA-B1 combination carbon fiber brush / parastatic felt brush x1.
• KA-AS1 60mL (2oz.) combination anti-bacterial, anti-static, ultrasonic surfactant spray solution x1.
• KA-B-1 Goat-hair brush x1.
• KA-N-1 20 mL (0.67 oz) stylus cleaner with brush x1.
• One KA-MT-2 5″ felt mat x1.
• KA-MF-1 Workstation Microfiber Rabbit cloth for drying out the rinsed goat hair brush between surfactant applications x1.
• KA-MF-2 Optician’s Microfiber cloth x1
• User Manual

Please note that not supplied but required with the system per washing session: 6 Litres of Distilled water, 40 ml (1.4 ounces) of Isopropyl Alcohol 70%

Why is the 240V version more expensive than the 125V version?

It is important to note that most of the pricing information available on the internet relates to the 125V version of the KA-RC-1 which is designed for the USA and other 125V markets. The 250V version sold by Nirvana Sound has a higher price than the American version for the following reasons:

• 240V models require power supplies designed for specific regions to meet additional RF and EMI regulations stipulated by the Authorities. Electrical and Governmental regulatory approvals are also different than in the USA and require additional documentation and testing at significant cost.
• The power supply designed to meet international regulations and work reliably with the ultrasonic system is larger than the 125V power supply. This has required a complete re-design of the internal architecture of the machine. This means that the 240V version is a completely different product build and has to be manufactured as a separate product. Volumes of the 240V version are much lower than the 125V version so they cannot benefit from economies of scale. Therefore, the individual manufacturing costs are a lot higher.
• Lower volume shipping to countries & regional centres outside the USA attracts higher costs. There are also variations in import duties, taxes, and VAT.

Product Specification