Home Vinyl Asylum

Welcome Licorice Pizza (LP) lovers! Setup guides and Vinyl FAQ.

REVIEW: KAB KAB EV1 Record Cleaner Accessory

Model: KAB EV1 Record Cleaner
Category: Accessory
Suggested Retail Price: $159
Description: Manual Record Cleaner
Manufacturer URL: KAB
Model Picture: View

Review by blake (A) on January 21, 2006 at 08:38:49
IP Address: 69.156.116.78
Add Your Review
for the KAB EV1 Record Cleaner


The KAB EV1 is a manual record cleaner, essentially providing the record cleaning capabilities of the Nitty Gritty machines, but requiring the owner to provide their own vacuum, which is attached to the KAB via a provided hose/adapter.

The KAB ships with the abovementioned hose/adapter, a velvet application brush to apply fluid, and 4 oz. of Nitty Gritty cleaning fluid. Any vacuum (dry household model, or wet/dry unit) may be used as no fluids will actually enter your vacuum, being trapped in the KAB unit itself, but large shop vacs are not recommended for providing too much suction.

The KAB is infinitely simple to use. For cleaning, fluid should be applied evenly to the record, but in my opinion, doing it on the KAB is not the place to do it, although it is certainly possible. I have opted (and I think it is undoubtedly the best way) to source an older turntable, which I've set up next to the KAB on a workbench in my basement, which still has a functional platter to use to apply fluids. I essentially do a dry clean with carbon fibre brush first to get as much dry dirt off the record. This may be followed (with say extremely dirty thrift store records) with quick runover with an old Nagoaka rolling cleaner I have. I then apply RRL fluid (not totally keen on the Nitty Gritty that comes with the KAB) using a pipette to the record and brush it into the grooves using another carbon fibre brush totally dedicated to the wet clean part of the process.

From there, the record gets "flipped", wet side down, onto the KAB, which features a rotating puck sized platform about the same size as a record label, and a similar puck sized piece which then fits over the spindle and record which is used to manually turn the record while it is being vacuumed. Flip wet record onto KAB, turn vacuum on, rotate record. It's as simple as that. KAB recommends 3 revolutions; I'm doing 3 clockwise and 3 counterclockwise per vacuum with excellent results. I do between 1 and 3 "cleans" with RRL, depending on how dirty the record is and I then do a rinse with lab grade water (my wife is a research tech at the university and is kind enough to bring that and the pipettes home for me). The vacuum slot on the KAB is velvet and is supposed to be good for about 200 records before requiring a change. Replacement velvet strips are available at $15 per four (to get you another 800 records cleaned) and I've cleaned about 75 records so far and see absolutely no reason that I won't get at least 200 records out of a cleaning strip. Bear in mind that I am also trying to get the record as clean as possible before applying fluid, both to extend the life of that cleaning strip as well as limit contamination of it, although it can easily be cleaned using a small brush that KAB also supplies in the package (which of course is recommended). Lots of common sense can be applied here.

In my view, there are a number of advantages that the KAB may have over certain fully automatic cleaners. First of all, you are actually vacumming fluid "down" off the record, taking advantage of simply gravity to get the fluid off the record. Secondly, and more importantly, in my opinion, you choose the vacuum you use. I have a couple of older Filter Queens in the house, having sold them for a few years about 27 years ago. The Filter Queen is an excellent machine doing about 80 lbs. per square inch on a pressure guage in the suction department, and also being relatively quiet for a domestic vac, which is often one of the criticisms of the many fully automatic record cleaners. Clearly, what you attach to the KAB is going to have a huge effect on what kind of a result you get out of it. In my case, I figure I have a pretty good vac on it and I can tell you I am getting fantastic results with it using the RRL fluid, and I have had records professionally cleaned on a Keith Monks machine. Records I've cleaned on the EV1 finish up looking absolutely pristine. Unfortunatley, it won't do much for groove damage, but I have albums that have been purchased at thrifts looking really grim that have cleaned up superbly and play almost as new. With already decent records, such as some in my collection that looked clean, but played a bit noisy, it has basically put them into "as new", or in fact, better than new condition, playing flawlessly without ticks or pops. Even brand new records are noticeably improved from a sound perspective with a thorough wet clean.

The one weakness I have encountered with the KAB is that the vacuum does not quite extend out far enough to thoroughly dry all of the lead-in grooves. When I'm doing my final vacuum, I will take a very small piece of paper towel (or usually a kimwipe-a non abrasive tissue-once again courtesy of my wife) and just hold it at the edge of the record for the first rotation of the final vac to get that rinse water off the edge of the record. I'll then carefully lay the record up against the wall (just the edge-no groove contact with the wall of course) for about a 5-10 minute air dry before popping it into a sleeve. It's questionable as to whether this is really necessary, as the records are very "dry" following a vac on the EV1, at least with the 6 revolutions I am doing.

Combined with the RRL fluid and a powerful vacuum, the EV1 is "serious" and I mean serious, record cleaning for under $200. I fully believe you could spend much, much more, not get anything better, and quite possibly end up with something that does not do as good a job. Very impressive.


Product Weakness: Would be difficult (in my opinion) to apply fluid effectively while directly on the KAB-a junk turntable as a "cleaning station" should give you much faster and better results in my opinion, and most likely better results. Doesn't quite get all the way to the outer edge of the lead-in groove in terms of vacuuming dry.
Product Strengths: Combined with RRL fluids and a powerful vacuum, the KAB offers exceptional record cleaning at a very affordable price. Manual operation offers the user lots of options in terms of actual cleaning or rinsing. Super affordable and possibly better than much more expensive commercial, fully automatic units. Small, light & easily packed away should one want to.


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Jungson 88C
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): none
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Michell Gyrodec/FT3/Ortofon MC 20 Super
Speakers: Elipson 1313
Cables/Interconnects: Various
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Various
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Signature Sound   [ Signature Sound Lounge ]


Topic - REVIEW: KAB KAB EV1 Record Cleaner Accessory - blake 08:38:49 01/21/06 (4)


You can not post to an archived thread.