Keith the prodigy
But if you want superbly clean records for what is ultimately a fair price then you will be delighted. In summary then, the aesthetics might not be for everyone and there's a bit of smoothing needed to the transition from prototype to retail from a user experience, so I've (perhaps unfairly) docked a star for that. I'm not even sure where to buy one as I can't find them anywhere. The brush does pick up quite a bit of fluff / dust from the record before the machine does its deep clean. An additional wand / brush would be helpful. Although some may see the lighting as a little gimmicky I like it.ħ. It would look better in my opinion and also enable the lighting feature to be shown to best effect. Rather than the bamboo "coffin lid" I'd have preferred the option of an acrylic dust cover. Lighting - the remote has to be pointed pretty close to the machine, it won't work from a normal "TV remote" distance.Ħ. I therefore got some 5ml pipettes from eBay for next to nothing which helps enormously both in terms of reducing waste and accurate application.ĥ. The method of using the cleaning fluid straight from the bottle isn't very elegant, in fact it's a bit hit and miss because of the nozzle on the bottle and usually results in too much expensive fluid being used or getting some on the label. Again however, after speaking to the team at KM, I'm convinced that the core of the machine - the bits you don't see - are built to last so it's more of an aesthetic consideration.Ĥ. Also the bamboo arm feels a little lightweight in a construction sense so time will tell how it fares over many years. For me it makes the machine still look a little like a prototype and being natural wood, of course, there are small blemishes. The bamboo construction will no doubt split opinions. At around 35p per clean it's cheaper than a PVC cover for your cherished record.ģ. For new records the difference isn't as noticeable but you would expect that, and I am convinced by the argument that it removes manufacturing residue thereby giving the record the best start in life, and protecting an expensive stylus. Of course they've had years of dirt build up and mine have never had a proper clean but, wow!, they never sounded so good. The improvement in sound quality in older records is truly transformational. I happened to come across this by accident - a link in the box would have been helpful.Ģ. There are no instructions included in the box but there is an instruction video on YouTube. It certainly takes a little bit of a leap of faith to pay £800 for a cleaning machine (for me anyway) but here's my initial critique after cleaning several records, both new and those up to 50 years oldġ. It enhances every record that you own.That’s a satisfactory outcome and makes this worth every penny. It’s looks, not without charm, are secondary to its performance. My experience is that you will feel hugely excited by what this machine does. Mine was an Ex- Dem product but there’s nothing second class about the record cleaning. The attached plug feels a little like an afterthought and doesn’t fit as snugly as I would like.However,I like the way it looks and what I like more is the way it cleans a record. The remote control is flimsy and ‘silly’ - its not a piece of furniture but a functional device. There are caveats - you are not sure how much liquid to use, or how long the brush will last, or when you should clean or replace it. Listening to ‘Avalon’after a clean was breathtaking the rhythm and pace of the recording shone. It is a quietly miraculous and immediately addictive device.So much fun.
#KEITH THE PRODIGY UPGRADE#
It is fairly noisy and I wouldn’t recommend cleaning and listening for the ears but I would recommend buying one if you desire a hi-fi upgrade that makes you want to play all your records again. It is odd that there are no instructions but also arguably refreshing in its simplicity. Voices are revealingly defined and the musical depth and range of the production suddenly emerges and this makes for thrilling listening. The way records sound after a cleaning with the prodigy is exciting. This is my first RCM but I owned a Knosti Disco-Antistat before this - the difference in outcome is night and day. Layers of sound reveal themselves after cleaning. The change in the way a record sounds is unquestionable.