Awesome Audiophile Snake Oil

the shit he says about electrons in crystals vs vacuum isn't actually so bad

it's accurate and also hilarious

The very '80s effects rack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuTLl1JbUdM

I think a timing error at the mastering or production level would cost more than this machine, so (if that is in fact the use of this machine) if I were delivering files for production I'd err on the side of the too-accurate insurance policy

― she carries a torch. two torches, actually (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi)

so would blaise pascal

Alexander Dumble is a legend

Dumble musical instrument amplifiers are custom manufactured in very limited numbers by Alexander "Howard" Dumble of Los Angeles, California. Dumble is a one-person operation; each amp is handcrafted by Dumble himself, and Dumble amplifiers are the most expensive boutique amplifiers on the used market.[1] These costs are rising rapidly. In 2012 the Dumble Overdrive Special was described as the most valuable, with used amplifiers fetching on average between $70,000 and $150,000 apiece.[2] Other examples have sold for more. [3]

http://www.wiredguitarist.com/2016/06/04/analyzing-the-hype-dumble-overdrive-special/

Why Is It So Hyped?

It’s probably better to ask why not isn’t it? The myth surrounding both the amp and the man is ridiculous, but here is a breakdown of the main reasons.

it's as if the amps have a special power, making it impossible to speak or write coherently about them.

Hey is this the thread wherein I can ask legit questions about record cleaning machines?

It depends, how much can I charge you for a microfiber that came free with my glasses?

*checks wallet, bank statement, HELOC*

xxp I think my friend has one of those spin-clean ones and is content with it

local record store has a nitty gritty or w/e but obviously they receive some absolute garbage

I get where silby's coming from, but buying used stuff or digging through bins you do end up with the occasional record that is in fine condition but looks like someone dunked it in mud

don't you want the warm mud tones to come through on playback tho

I’ve been buying & selling enough LPs that I think I could use one. I’ve been looking at a VPI 16.5 and a Music Hall wSc3

the real question is whether it can clean the mud off the mp3 download code card, right

i'm a big SpinClean convert, p sure i've raved about it on this or some other thread. mud removal is excellent, sometimes doesn't end up changing much, sometimes it's the sonic equivalent of windexing a window that's been accumulating dirt for ten years. but fwiw it's not a machine, just a well-designed plastic bathtub. you do all the spinning with your hands.

I am told wood glue can clean even the filthiest record

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gyvipBs6Vs

I bought a junker deck for the express purpose of trying this but I have yet to actually do it.

WHOA. I wonder what the removed gluesheet would sound like if you played it.

seem to recall that there are some pretty scary stories re the glue method out there.
its definitely for the more adventurous record collector.

maybe get an anti-static gun too

I've heard people irl that have done it w/success

I mean...I'd try it on a dollar bin record first

I just used Record Revirginiser for the first time (specially formulated wood glue type product) and it has made a crackly old copy of Avalon sound pretty incredible

Mr. Dumble, a man, a human in flesh
But not by law
I feed you dignity to stand with pride
Realize that all in all you stand tall
Go ahead, Mr. Dumble
Mr. Dumble, yeah
Lord, Mr. Dumble

I tried the glue thing, and the hardest part was removing the glue from the outer edge of the record - you have to make sure it's as thick there as on the grooves.

Haven't tried this, but it seems easier, ultimately

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_jrJZuf5oA

I kind of want to make a video like that with a very subtle intro that ends with me blasting the heck out of some records with a pressure washer at a car wash

i've had the guy at my local record store clean records with his VPI machine, i wish i had one of those

I just took the plunge and ordered one.

Matthew McConaughey lives more casually than I had imagined

I just took the plunge and ordered one.

― Scam jam, thank you ma’am (Sparkle Motion), Friday, January 18, 2019 9:48 AM (seven hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

awesome !!

enjoy all your new dirty-vinyl-toting friends :)

in all seriousness, a friend of mine has one of these. given the size of his collection and the amount of records he sells online, it was a solid investment and it’s been running nice n smooth for years.

well I just bought a bunch of dirty country LPs from an estate sale so this time next week I'll be able to give a report.

David Allan Coe?

haha close enough

WHOA. I wonder what the removed gluesheet would sound like if you played it.

the voice of satan

horse ghosts. with just an abominable soundstage.

I don't want to bump one of the real vinyl threads but as a self-soothing enterprise for not getting a job I bought some hifi shit and a turntable, which all works fine, but then I bought one (1) record which I evidently immediately warped before even opening it by inadvertently resting it next to a heater vent on the bus ride home. It seems to play mostly fine but I'm mildly bummed out that I've now learned that you have to be careful not to let your records get wibbly on the bus.

Anyway can I damage my turntable by playing a wibbly record on it?

It might have been warped already...QC at pressing plants these days is real hit & miss.

I think you can press it between a couple of big books and leave it in a warm place and it will de-warp, to some extent. I don't think playing a warped record can hurt your turntable at all.

thank u

yeah I leave 'em between two big art books on my balcony during the summer, does the trick for mildly warped LPs... of course it gets up to like 100 here. the oven is also an option but riskier... too hot and it ruins them pretty fast.

wikihow suggested the oven option and I was all o_O

I will try not to worry about it too hard and enjoy my new audiophile phase

anyone got any hot tips on an unguent to rub onto my speaker cables

you COULD pay top dollar for cable treatment if you hate having money! OR you could simply whip up a batch yourself using equal parts thermally stable machine oil (i prefer LSA's [Lubricant Specialists Australia] Heat Transfer Oil 32, which to my ears produces a more musical flow with near zero thermal cracking) and tea tree oil. if you can't stand the smell of tea tree, or if you are allergic, try neem or even lavender.

You should be putting it on your ears, not the cable itself, otherwise you risk voiding the warranty

Sounds like a harrowing bus ride!

It was a 10 minute bus trip at most and I’m not convinced that exposing my record in the sleeve in a paper bag to the heat vent is the cause of this but it seems possible

oh the entire HiFi was a separate trip?

my phone keyboard knows to write HiFi like this.. damn, fancy

No that came via fedex lol

I mean couriered from the B&H warehouse by white-gloved eunuchs

It might have been warped already...QC at pressing plants these days is real hit & miss.

― a large tuna called “Justice” (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, March 8, 2019 12:22 PM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I suspect this is it not something you did

A record clamp might help....

I'll probably try the book thing. I'm not gonna start buying tweaks in my first week of being a hifi owner

Welcome to audiophilia, and just so you know, it's pronounced "hiffy". It's shocking how many HiFi enthusiasts get that wrong.