Reddit mentions: The best audio & video cleaning & repair products

Here is what I came up:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor | $209.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler | Phanteks PH-TC12DX_RD 68.5 CFM CPU Cooler | $49.99 @ Newegg
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $113.99 @ NCIX US
Memory | A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $76.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $109.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $99.99 @ Dell Small Business
Video Card | XFX Radeon R9 290 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card | $367.98 @ SuperBiiz
Case | Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case | $99.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply | EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $119.99 @ NCIX US
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) | $89.98 @ OutletPC
Case Fan | be quiet! Pure Wings 2 51.4 CFM 120mm Fan | $10.99 @ NCIX US
Case Fan | be quiet! Pure Wings 2 61.2 CFM 140mm Fan | $6.99 @ NCIX US
Case Fan | be quiet! Pure Wings 2 61.2 CFM 140mm Fan | $6.99 @ NCIX US
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $1363.85
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-10 15:13 EDT-0400 |

My short rationale for the chosen products:

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CPU: Quad-core intel CPU clocked at 3,5GHz with a turbo of 4,0GHz. Codename: devils canyon. But it's an unlocked CPU meaning you can overclock it.
CPU Cooler: Very clean looking and solid CPU cooler, pretty easy to install and it will perform very well. Here is a review, wich you can look into more after you buy it. It's the same cooler, just different color.
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z97 gaming motherboard. Z97 is the latest intel chipset for devils canyon CPUs. Wich our CPU is. It got a seperate PCB part on the motherboard for just audio, wich in theory will help the sound quality because it can interference with other parts. It as well makes use of better audio capacitors and overall should give you a very solid listening experience. It as well comes with a killer NIC. This allows you to prioritise the internet towards your game to get slightly better performance out of it.
Memory: RAM is RAM. The only thing that really mathers is capacity. I went with 2x4GB, 1600MHz, CL9 kit from A-Data. This is a low profile kit that will fit under the quite large CPU cooler without any problems. You have the option to upgrade to 16GB later.
Storage: 250GB SSD and 3TB HDD. You have the budget for it, the samsung EVO is a very good SSD for the price, comes with some fancy software and got pretty solid read/write speeds. The 3TB HDD is just for mass storage and likely will never be filled, but games are getting like over 50GB in sizes these days.
Video Card: In my opinion the best GPU if we talk performance for money. It is around the same performance as the GTX780 from Nvidia. This XFX card is very good looking and performs very well. You get 3 free games with it as well (if the retailer let's you, I would suggest to check out different retailers to make sure you get your free games!) I can highly suggest Payday 2.
Case: I will get this exact case tomorrow. I can not wait! Here is a very good review of this case wich should make you go "oké! I want it" It as well will let you later watercool if you want to go for that. I stayed with air cooling as a start.
Case fans: Now I will add a few more fans. I would suggest to relocate the 200mm front fan and place it at the top as exhaust. Leave the 140mm stock fan there. These fans are actually very good and quiet silent. Then add the 2 140mm be quiet! fans in the front as intake. Then place the last 120mm be quiet! fan on the HDD cages to get more air towards the GPU. Here is a video that explains you how you know how to place the fans as I described you should.
Power Supply: 10 year warrenty, 80+ gold, fully-modular black sleeved cables, 850W PSU from EVGA. This PSU is a beast. JonnyGuru is considered as the best PSU reviewer and he did as well review this PSU. TLDR: 9,9/10.
OS: Windows 7 as you asked for. Windows 8 is better tho, just takes some time to get used to. Games will perform slightly better on 8 compared to 7 as well. But with this system, it won't really mather.

---------

Here are 2 video's that guide you pretty well. It's pretty much the same for the whole build process, Ignore the components, it's outdated!

Linus $1500 gaming PC
Linus $2000 gaming/workstation PC

One thing to note; if you install the stock intel cooler. It got pre-applied thermal paste on it. Wich you have to remove after. You can buy 90%+ isopropyl alcohol and a lint free cloth to remove the thermal paste of the CPU. An other option instead of the 90% isopropyl alcohol is this kit that I personally use as well. You don't need to use to much to clean it.

###Hope you like it and If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

That is a setup I've also played around with making but haven't gotten to work, at least not yet.

For starters, 250 titles should be able to fit on a single 3TB HDD without any processing/removing of titles. Thus, for now, you'd actually be able to hold all of your movies uncompressed and with all features on a storage HDD.

When I rip them, I mostly use AnyDVD to get around the CSS protection and mostly just copy the files off into appropriately named directories. The advantage of this over ISO files is that I can do this to all DVD drives simultaneously and thus I'm able to backup four DVDs at the same time. When you're moving your collection onto a digital medium, sometimes this is a really huge time saver! (In addition, having four different DVD drives gives you flexibility in dealing with hard-to-read DVDs since sometimes different models can read ones that the others can't.)

Once I run into DVDs that just copying doesn't work with, it's usually a Funimation title from the time when their DVDs showed up as 90GB behemoths (most likely a filesystem bug or copy-protection trick?) Anyways, CloneDVD knows how to understand the titles. You can also use that to just rip specific titles and remove the menus, leaving you with just the movie itself like you want, although this will narrow down your ability to process DVDs to one at a time.

I have CloneDVD output to multiple files just like the copying procedure but at that point you have the option of outputting to an ISO which may work better for what you're trying to do. If you've got the space, something like this would probably be ideal over reprocessing and unintentionally introducing more compression artifacts, although you'd probably not really notice anyways.

Both of those programs haven't been able to deal with unreadable bytes, though, so I purchased DVD Fab to take care of that. However, I might have read that one of those programs might have been updated to better deal with that?

Also, around the time I started doing this was when I got my DVD resurfacer. Some DVDs have permanent errors introduced in the manufacturing process and some have really deep scratches that I haven't been able to work around but many titles that I had trouble reading became more readable. This is what I got. Seems alright but as my only disc resurfacer I can't claim that it's necessarily better than any others.

Now, the way I watch my stuff isn't quite what you're looking for. Basically, since all my DVDs' individual files are in directories, going into those directories looks exactly like looking at a DVD's directory, thus anything that knows how to handle those should work with the setup. In my experience this includes VLC, PowerDVD, and TotalMedia Theatre, but I imagine more players should work. I have all of that data between two media servers which are simply running Ubuntu and sharing those folders using Samba (so that Windows machines can access them.) I use symlinks to organize the DVDs into series/folders so I don't have to worry about if volume 1 is on disk 5 and volume 2 is on disk 7 ; wherever there's space I can simply put a ripped DVD. (Note that with over 4,000 ripped discs that I of course use a script to automate the creation of these symlinks.)

Thus, on the TV on my computer, I simply go to //Anime/ and navigate to the DVDs folder, find the series/movie I want, click on that folder to see the individual discs, and right-clight "Play with VLC media player" and voila! The DVD starts up.

Now, my only experimentation into playing these in a more fancy setting has been using XMBC and BOXEE (which is based on XMBC). All I know for certain is that these don't quite work like I'd want. I'm not sure how to manually add stuff and I don't think they played DVDs in this format too well. It's possible that they'd work better with ISOs, though, but I suspect things would still be better if you were able to manually mess around with XMBC's database.

Now, I want to note that some of the above-mentioned tools can sort of work on blu-rays but that is still a much more experimental field for me and with the price of HDDs being so high at the moment combined with so much of my time/money/energy going into moving out I haven't played around with all of those too well. (Since I still have to dig out the discs anyways.) All I know is:

• AnyDVD itself can backup the contents of a blu-ray to your drive.
  
• I don't know how to reprocess the videos. (Only interested in backing them up.)
  
• VLC seems to have trouble playing back these blu-rays. (It stutters like it can't buffer correctly.)
  
• TotalMedia Theatre is pretty good but I don't know why some blu-rays are completely silent.
  
• XMBC can play the movie content itself but sometimes doesn't find all audio tracks for some reason? (Boxee can't even play them at all.)
  
  EDIT: I should also note that many of the tools I mentioned above are not free ; I was willing to spend money on the solution that worked for me for keeping my anime DVD collection organized.

This is ridiculous for an $8 flashlight. You should complain and insist they replace it. The squeaky nail wheel gets the greasy pounding.

These cheap lights often have crappy contacts, and what you describe happens a lot. The good news is that they're electrically extremely simple. Except for the driver (the circuit board that regulates the voltage and current from the battery to the LED,) it's about as simple as a circuit can get, so it's a good device to learn on.

I have several cheap flashlights, ranging from a few bucks to ~$30. Many of them have poor contacts in at least one place and exhibit exactly the behavior you describe. A simple flashlight consists of the following basic parts:

• Battery/batteries. This is where you keep your electrons.
  
  
• Conductors. This could be wires, and the body of the light is often used to carry your electrons.
  
  
• The emitter. The LED(s), often mounted on a heat sink of some kind so it doesn't burn up.
  
  
• The driver. This is a circuit board that regulates current and provides the logic for what the switch does.
  
  
• The switch. Turns the light on/off, sometimes cycles through modes. In cheap lights, sometimes does nothing.
  
  
  If you took a battery and an LED, and connected them, it might light up, if the battery let out electrons at the right rate, and with the right pressure. It might melt the LED. It might not be enough to light the damned thing at all. LEDs have needs, just like women. You must (well, should,) give them the right voltage (electron "pressure,") and current (electron "volume,") and, as we all learned from Geordi LaForge, if it doesn't work, you might need to reverse the polarity.
  
  Batteries and LEDs have polarity--they both have a positive and a negative side. Light emitting diodes (and diodes in general,) only allow electrons to go through them in one direction. That's most of their job. The glowing brightly thing is just a side gig. If you connect two AAA batteries up to a 3 volt LED, and you don't get the polarity wrong (50/50 chance of getting it right without looking,) the LED will make light. (And heat. More on that later.) If the polarity is backwards, nothing will happen because fuck you, I'm a diode. I only go one way.
  
  If your battery doesn't put out the right voltage (the unit of electrical pressure) or amperage (the unit of electrical current,) you want some way of stepping those things up or down. The driver circuit does that. Better drivers are called "constant current" drivers; they'll keep pumping out the same current until the battery drops below a critical level. That means that your flashlight will be the same brightness (more or less) from the time you pop in a new battery to the time when the battery croaks.
  
  Some driver circuits are very efficient, and others suck balls, wasting some of your battery's precious electrons on stupid shit, like lipstick and shoes. Different LEDs also have different efficiencies, converting energy into heat and light in differing proportions. High efficiency LEDs turn more of your electrons into light, and less into heat. There will always be some energy wasted as heat, that's just how the universe works. An example of a very efficient LED is the XM-L2, made by a company called Cree. They kind of rock, and flashlights that use good Cree LEDs usually rock.
  
  All of the stuff I've mentioned so far is probably stuff that you can't fix (at least not yet.) The following stuff is stuff that you can fix.
  
  Conductors: This usually includes stuff like the battery contacts (which may be a spring, or flat tabs,) the body of the flashlight (usually connected through its threaded parts,) some wires (sometimes connecting the switch, the driver, and the LED.) The switch is also a conductor, but it only conducts in a specific position.
  
  The first thing to do is to identify the electrical path. It'll be something like: from the battery, through the switch, through the body of the light, to the driver board, back through the top of the battery. You need to test (or at least mess around with, AKA "experiment with,") each place where there's a connection. Each connection should be solid and uninterrupted, and if it has contacts (places where two conductors meet,) they should be clean, and firmly touching the mating contact. It's really a good idea to get yourself at least a cheap multimeter (an electrical test meter.) It makes a huge difference in fixing electrical things.
  
  Here are some examples of stuff to check. Contacts can be cleaned with a pencil eraser, or with Caig DeOxit, if you're fancy.
  
  
• At the bottom of the battery: are springs nice and strong, putting good, hard pressure on the battery? Clean them, and the battery ends. Maybe stretch the spring so the battery is held more tightly.
  
  
• At threaded parts of the body: Are threads clean and free of oils? Do the threads mate tightly? This can be hard to see--it can feel tight, but not be making a great electrical connection. Here, a multimeter can help, though you could also just use a battery and light. Disassemble the entire light until you have just the body. Screw it together, and make sure that a battary & light connected through the top & bottom provides good conductance. A meter can tell you the "resistance," ie. how well or poorly the body is conducting electricity. (Should be almost zero resistance.)
  
  
• At top of the battery: Is the bump making good, solid contact with the driver board (or top contact.) Clean contacts.
  
  
• Wires on driver board -- are they solidly in place? A meter can help test the connection here. Resoldering may be in order, but you need to be careful not to damage the board or LED with excessive heat.
  
  
• Wires to the LED -- as above.
  
  Now... the switch. If the switch is bad, you can fix it if you're really enthusiastic, but usually people just swap them with a good one. To test this, use a piece of wire to bypass the switch. "Shorting" it out--this cuts the switch out of the electrical path. (You probably need to do this with the bottom removed, so you need to replace the threaded body connection with another wire.) If everything works fine with wire replacing the switch, you may have a bad switch.
  
  My caffeine level just dropped, so I'm stopping. Hope that helps you figure out what to Google, anyhoo. Take your light completely apart and test all the parts. Learning how isn't hard at all. All the answers are one the web!
  
  Have fun!

If you're only seeing large dust particles on the surface but not hearing much in terms of popping and crackling, then I'd go with just a basic carbon fiber brush like this AudioQuest one. If you're new to vinyl and don't already have one, it's a good thing to pick up anyway. It's good practice to brush each side before each spin. While these types of brushes won't clean a truly dirty record, they'll help your clean records stay clean.

If your records are noticeably loud and noisy then you'll probably have to go the route of wet cleaning. I see kits like this one a lot but I don't think they're really worth the money. You can do a better (and cheaper) job with:

• Microfiber Cloths - Run them all through a cycle in your washing machine (just water, no detergent) to get rid of any fuzz.
  
• Isopropyl Alcohol & Distilled Water - Put a solution of 1 part alcohol and 2 parts water into a spray bottle. You could even use as little as 1 to 4, I don't think it makes a huge difference. Make sure to get 90% plus alcohol and avoid any types of additives like menthol.
  
  You can lay one cloth flat to set the record on, spray it down and scrub around lightly with one of the cloths (it can help to dampen this with the distilled water). Personally I like to then dry the record with another cloth, spray it down with just distilled water to rinse it then dry again and repeat on the other side but you can find a method/system that works for you. If you're being super particular about it then remember to flip and replace the cloth the record is on so as not to contaminate the side you just cleaned. Also if you're worried about getting your labels wet, car applicator pads like these actually cover a label almost perfectly and they can also be used in place of a microfiber cloth to scrub the record, they work great.
  
  If you plan on sticking with vinyl for awhile though it's worth it to save up for a SpinClean. I was a skeptic for a long time but I'm glad I finally got one, it really is worth the money. It does a good job, it's well built and it's stupidly easy to use. If $80 seems too steep for a yellow plastic trough (which it really is, unfortunately) there are cheaper models such as this. Doesn't have a lid and comes with different cleaning fluid but it doesn't seem like a half bad option.
  
  Whichever option you go with always make sure you're putting your newly cleaned records into clean inner sleeves. If they were dirty in those sleeves it's very likely those sleeves are dirty too. Also remember to keep your turntable mat and stylus clean.

Thanks for the detailed reply!

> I'd recommend using www.vinylengine.com[1] to search both makes and models. What you'll find is that the PL-600 was one of the finest, highest performing with top specs, full auto turntables ever made. Then look at the specs for the Dual and you'll have your answer. I don't mean to step on the toes of Dual fans, but it's not even close.

I have heard the PL-600 is a gem. I was pretty pleased to pick it up. Now, I will say, once I got the Dual up and running it was a really warm sounding table. It has an old Shure Hi-Track head on it (which I believe is now branded the M91E) whereas my PL-600 has
a brand new M92E on it. I'm not experienced enough to know if that has any real bearing on it.

> It sounds to me like your PL-600 needs a new tonearm belt (easy to find through Google) and some Caig DeoxIT sprayed under the buttons. The power button on my PL-600 stuck and that solved it.

The tonearm belt diagnosis is indicated by the failure of the arm to move and the motor hum I hear from the area? Also is this the cleaner you're talking about here? I assume I need to remove the shell and gently squirt it up into the contact area on the underside of the buttons? Remove the buttons and actually clean them in detail like I would clean a gun part?

> While you're at vinylengine.com, download the service manual for the PL-600 and it'll take you step-by-step through the belt replacement process. If you're not comfortable doing it, print out the relevant pages and take it and them to an electronics tech. Explain that you have the service manual and you'll save him time, and yourself money.

Already printed them out and reviewed them. I think I can pull this off. I'm 95% inexperienced with turn tables but I'm pretty handy with all sorts of other stuff. Let's say I need a hand though... when you say electronics tech is this the sort of thing a general electronics repair shop can handle or should I seek out a table repair shop?

> Your PL-600 is a real find. They had all the performance of the legendary PL-630, but due to a minimalist appearance they flew under the radar and didn't get the props they deserved. That said, if you can get it up and running well, you'll have something right on par with the Technics SL-1600MK2, which is saying something.

I think the appearance had a lot to do with it. I also think Pioneer really screwed up by releasing a later PL-600 (why they used the same model number I'll never understand) that was a really junky nearly-all-plastic model that sorta look like the original PL-600 but didn't perform like it at all. I bet a lot of people who had experience with the newer PL-600 looked over the older ones and/or told their friends not to bother picking them up.

> One last thing, check to see that your PL-600 suspension is active. The platter and tonearm should bob up and down a little when you touch them. When I bought mine from the original owner, the transit (shipping) screws under the platter were still in place, and had been for 35 years.

I'm pretty sure the suspension is active. The platter/tonearm bobs gently about 1/8th to 1/12th of an inch or so independently of the chassis. It moves a lot less than the Dual, however, which bobs all over the place. Should there be more give in the PL-600?

Thanks again for the helpful reply!

Hey! Stoked on your purchase! Curious though, did you mean LP120?
But hope I can help answer your questions!

1. I tend to not, the main dust cover is plenty imo.
   
2. A stylus brush, a wet anti static record brush, along with the one you have in your post. Basically just cleaning tools. Another good buy is one of these record sleeve packs. Once you start collecting, its best to replace the paper sleeve a new record would come with or an old sleeve from the thrift store. Keeps the records in their best shape. Lastly, one thing ive been eyeing is one of these. Seems to have some pretty good reviews.. haha
   
3. Stick er on the turntable, turn it on and use the wet brush for a few rotations. NEVER move the brush in terms of side to side motions, always let the spinning do the work. This video has some tips on cleaning, give er a watch
   Hope my answers help!! Enjoy your new turntable!! Whatcha listening to??

as others have said, its worthwhile to upgrade to a turntable with an included dust cover. this will significantly cut down on dust on the tt.

some dust is inevitable, short of a white room. no one has really answered your question about maintaining a clear playing space or how to clean the stylus/records though. here's some more info.

---

cleaning the stylus

i use one of these.

however, if you want to go the inexpensive route, i dont recommend any alcohol based cleaners because it can degrade the connection of the diamond/ceramic/etc. tip to the cantilever. instead, you can use a magic eraser. dont go out and buy that mr. clean shit either, its a rip off. buy it in bulk for cheap and clean your whole house while you're at it! just keep in mind that this shit can and will snag on to your stylus and, if you're not careful, ruin your whole day with a bent cantilever.

if you want to go the alcohol route, make your own liquid. be sure to use distilled water(80%) and a mix of isopropyl alcohol(20%). i did this for a time with out any problems, but its not ideal. apply it with a stylus brush. APPLY THE SOLUTION DIRECTLY TO THE BRUSH. NEVER DIRECTLY TO THE STYLUS.

i even hear some people use contact lens cleaner.

if you be fancy...give this stuff a try. a good buddy swears by it, but im a cheap shit and can't speak to its quality or performance.

---

cleaning your records

you have many options here.

• least expensive - hand held cleaners.
  
• more expensive - spinclean
  
• even more expensive - squeaky clean.
  
• "pro grade" cleaning options such as loricraft, okki nokki, or smart matrix, etc.
  
  if you're just starting out, i would just go with a hand held cleaning solution for now. plenty of youtube videos online on cheap DIY cleaning methods as well.
  
  ---
  
  cleaning the platter and plinth
  
  i do this at least once a week. more if i'm spinning a lot. use a microfiber towel. NO WATER. water attracts more dust, and doesn't belong near sensitive electronics. remove the platter if you are able and be sure to wipe it thoroughly before using again. clean under the platter as well. DON'T wipe off any exposed bearings that are oiled/greased as doing so could harm the equipment over time.
  
  ---
  
  record storage
  
  if you live in a very dusty place, it might be worth it to invest in some outer sleeves for your records. for the most part though, as long as you keep everything clean you should be just fine. many people get by just fine without them.
  
  ---
  
  enjoy your new tt! :)

You can get a Spin Clean which uses proper fluid (not soap) to clean your records and doesn't submerge the middle of your record and ruin it. It also includes microfiber towels and brushes to dry and also to get out any embedded dirt from grooves.

Or if you're cheap like me, you can just use microfiber cloths and anti-static spray like this and just spritz your microfiber towel/cloth with it like 2-3 times and give your record a quick wipe. Gets rid of any static that built up in the pressing process and taking your record out the first time, which 1) prevents it from picking stuff up and 2) gets any excess vinyl out of the grooves so you won't have any issues.

If you have a TON of money to blow, get a VPI machine, which is basically a bit like a mix of the Spin Clean or just some anti-static spray in that you wet the record with special fluid, spin it around on a special turntable while it's locked in, and then vacuum dry it. If you're lucky, places nearby may even have a machine. I have a shop where if I buy like $20 worth of stuff they clean a record for me for free or if I want, it's $1 a record to get cleaned and the results are amazing.

Hope that helps!

Speaker amplification:

• Stereo Recevier: Cambridge Audio Topaz SR10v2 $399 $135. Has a great built in phono preamp, possibly a $100+ value. Manufacturer refurbished with a one year warranty. May have a scratch or small dent that does not affect the performance. Or PIONEER SX-10AE $149.99 $119.99. Manufacturer refurbished with a one year warranty. As good as or like new, may have never left the factory.
  
• AV Recevier for better TV sound as well as turntable: Denon AVR-X1500H 7.2 $599 $299. 4K HDMI switching, Audyssey MultEQ XT room correction EQ speaker setup, HEOs WiFi networking and streaming, smartphone app remote and Amazon Alexa voice control.
  
  Larger speakers:
  
  
• Closeout DCM TP160 by MTX Audio $249 $85 pair or black $109. Review by u/DieselWang and Video Review.
  
• Or the tower version and you don't need to build or spend $65+ on speaker stands, DCM TP260 2-Way by MTX Audio $399 $149 pair.
  
  Speaker wire:
  
  
• Pure Copper Oxygen Free Speaker Wire then 4 Ways to Strip Wire. Optionally add banana plugs.
  
• Already with banana plugs AmazonBasics, Crutchfield, DFWCableConnection, Blue Jeans Speaker Cable and Blue Jeans at Amazon.
  
  Bookshelf (misnomer) speaker stands:
  
  
• Dayton Audio SSMB24 or Monoprice Glass.
  
• Sturdy Monolith by Monoprice Speaker Stands. DIY Custom Speaker Stands.
  
  Speaker Placement: Stereo Music Listening and Home Theater.
  
  Subwoofer:
  
  
• Low budget on sale: 12" Infinity Primus PS312 $499 $199. Value of around $300 compared to better $400+ options.
  
  Add WiFi streaming to any recevier without it:
  
  
• Dayton Audio WBA31 $42 + shipping, has app based WiFi streaming, Apple Airplay, DNLA and NAS compatibility and also Bluetooth as a backup.
  
• Chromecast Audio $38 shipped from the UK.
  
• Or an Alexa Dot or Input for voice control and it also has Bluetooth as a backup.
  
  Cleaning:
  
  
• If not getting a Spin-Clean machine or similar lower cost clone, try DIY cleaning: How to clean vinyl records and make your own cleaning solution • Best way to clean your vinyl records. It is also the most economical! • DIY record cleaning • How to clean Vinyl • Wet and Vacuum Clean a Record On the Cheap. After drying, place your vinyl in new anti-static inner sleeves.
  
• Stylus: A stylus brush back to front, ONZOW ZeroDust, or a magic eraser.
  
  Guides:
  
  Home Audio: Intro to home stereo systems • Zeos Tutorials, Diagrams and Videos • r/audiophile Guide to Home Audio • Introduction to Audio Components • What is a Phono Preamp? | Audio Advice • How to Connect a Turntable to a Receiver
  
  Home Audio and Home Theater: r/HTBuyingGuides FAQ • How to Set Up a Basic Home Theater System • How to Set Up Your Home Theater Receiver • TV vertically centered at eye level while seated • r/hometheater
  
  Also check out r/BudgetAudiophile.

You probably have some build up from arcing and general oxidation on your contacts. Clean them and try to fire it again. I highly recommend getting some DeoxIT and applying it to your contacts and even your battery terminals. It helps keep things clean and performing well, and reduces damage from arcing.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002BBVN2/ref=pd_aw_sim_sbs_267_of_11?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WY5FYSTXXSWTAP6ZJRH5

The brush applicator is perfect for use with vaping gear.

Mechs need to be cleaned regularly. On a nice one like the spade I would be doing this once a week if you want to keep it in top shape and maintain its value.

BTW nice combo! Love the radius v2. One of my fave attys currently.

If none of the other things listed here work I can also give you a couple things to try. I had several issues with my Pro-Ject turntable and but FAR the two biggest things I did to improve sound was buying a scale to measure the ACTUAL downforce on the needle and adjusting it to the correct weight. I followed the directions included with the turntable over and over again and I kept getting the same muddled sound that I knew just wasn’t right. Once I got the scale I was able to see that the downforce on the needle was WAY too much, once I backed it off it sounded 1000 times better. Also, too much downforce on the needle will ruin your vinyl prematurely. The second thing was an anti static platter mat, which helped a little with the popping. Also get yourself a really good dust brush.

1. Stylus scale
   
2. Anti Static platter mat
   
   Dust brushes come in a few different styles. I have been using the skinny one I listed first below but I am going to order the 2nd one I’ve listed soon, it looks promising. The other is like a shave cream style that I’ve heard others say works very well.
   
   
3. skinny style brush
   
   
4. [roller sticky style ], the one I’m trying next (https://www.amazon.com/Vinyl-Buddy-Cleaner-Cleaning-Required/dp/B071Z2GZ5N/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=Vinyl+dust+brush&qid=1557788460&s=gateway&sr=8-10)
   
   
5. shave style
   
   Good Luck! Keep us posted on what solves your issue!

Here are my tips:

1. Get some sort of record cleaning device. Could be a Spin Clean, could be a Squeaky Clean, or something more expensive than that. But get something. Once you have it, make sure you wet clean your records within a week or two of getting them. They'll sound better and it's worth it.
   
   
2. Now that you've cleaned your new or used record, why not put it into a nice anti-static sleeve. I'm a sucker for the MoFi sleeves, but just find something that works for you. If you're wondering why you'd want to spend another $20 right now it ends up being $.40 per record.
   
   
3. And once you've put that record in a nice anti-static sleeve you should put the whole thing into a nice poly outer sleeve to protect the jacket. Again, you can get a bundle of these (30 or so) for $5 at your local record store or find any number of places online. But the point is that if you're going to spend $15 - $30 for a new LP it's probably worth an extra $.50 total to protect it. People do things differently, but I put the jacket in the outer sleeve and plop the record in the anti-static sleeve inside the outer sleeve behind the jacket.
   
   Store those well-protected records vertically and out of the sunlight and you should be good to go.

http://www.amazon.com/Simotech-DSR-1-DVD-Repair-Machine/dp/B000GX31G6 works the best

or

I have something similar to this that works well too and is much cheaper

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015ACUKC/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687542&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000GX31G6&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=02E4A7N8YPDGNB8HMD42


You could get the right grit sand paper to do it yourself but thats only $15 and works much better.


It makes the discs look like they are really scratched when you are done but they work great / its just because it literally scrapes a layer of the plastic off so it is not polished anymore. You could try to carefully flame polish the plastic when you are done if you wanted a shiny finish but you would need to be REALLY careful since you have to use a very hot flame / like a butane torch.

Google flame polishing plastic.

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  > Hey! I buy and sell video games on eBay and have been meaning to buy a disc cleaner for a while, as sometimes I come across discs that look nasty but work, or even don't work, but can be fixed. I'm looking at this one right now, we used to have one at the shop I worked at and it worked very well:
  
  
  JFJ Easy Pro Video Game, CD, DVD, Blu-Ray Repair Machine 110V
  
  I wanted to get a refill on the compounds used for cleaning, which is $20
  
  
  I just recently purchased a large lot of Xbox 360 games from someone locally and they're very scratched, but almost all of them still work, they just need polishing. Now seems to be the time to buy one, but I'm short on funds! Will pay back $175 on the 27th of January! Thanks so much!
  
  
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I own a game store right now, and to go beyond your methods, an Ultrasonic cleaner can work miracles. I have a Crest that is a bit out of the price range of most hobbyists, but small jewelry cleaners like this will clean PCBs with even heavy corrosion easily. Can use a formulated mix for PCBs, or just stick to 99% iso alcohol (turn off the heat setting if you use iso). And obviously remove the game from the shell first :) Had a copy of Demon's Crest come through that had no visible pins (that badly corroded) and after 10 minutes in the cleaner it worked perfectly. It also stops future corrosion. Pretty neat machine.

Sorry it took so long, I don't hang out here much ... :-)

Scanner Bed glass - Yeah, I tried glass from a picture (the frame and pic were just junk), but it wasn't level and not very thick, so that didn't work well. I got pretty jazzed when I realized I had a dead flat piece of glass sitting in the corner of my office! One of those "OH!" moments, LOL.

Here's the mounting plate I printed from Thingiverse:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2230682 (Universal Hotbed Mosfet Mount).

The install instructions come with the unit, but here's the low-down:

It's basically simple:
1.Disconnect from AC mains! (after you disconnect, turn the power switch ON for 20 seconds, THEN BACK OFF. LEAVE UNPLUGGED!). Do this BEFORE you open the control box!!

2.Next you disconnect the bed wires from the current PCB, and connect them to the output of the new board. (Labeled "Hot Bed")

3.Then you connect the input of the board to the original connection points on the main PCB. Mine came with the wires. (Labeled "Control In")

4.Now you have to make some leads for power. This is the only "tricky" part, and if you don't immediately know how, get someone else to do it that's electrically savvy! Use 4 spade terminals and 14 gauge wire. DON'T USE SMALLER WIRE, IT'S A LOT OF CURRENT. Some people say 12ga (heavier), but it's a short run, 14ga is fine.

5.Connect your new leads to the power supply's 12V output, be sure to get polarity right, and connect to new MOSFET PCB. (Labeled "DC IN").

Tip: Personally, on ALL connections below 200 volts, I always use a little DeoxIT on the connections. It improves conductivity without being a "short" hazard, and protects against oxidation of the connects. Something that's a problem in hot electronics boxes.

Don't go overboard! Just enough to dampen the connection, NOT wet!
Here's the one I use most times (there's one specifically for gold connections, different formula):
https://smile.amazon.com/Booster-Electric-Connection-Enhancer-Lubricant/dp/B0002BBVN2/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0002BBVN2&pd_rd_r=WGKXZGQG9QJK3PKPYGSJ&pd_rd_w=dQcRF&pd_rd_wg=BbLju&psc=1&refRID=WGKXZGQG9QJK3PKPYGSJ

----(REGULAR FORMULA ABOVE)

And here's the Gold contacts one:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015A7CYG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use this stuff on EVERYTHING that has electrical contacts. No more slapping the remote control because the batteries have a bad connection, LOL! Again, be sparing with it, wipe the brush off WELL before applying, you don't want running liquid, just a very light dampening of the contacts.

Magic stuff - all the "Roadies" for the major touring bands use it by the case. Don't want to be the guy to to track down a "Hum" in two miles of cables with 15 minutes to showtime for The Rolling Stones, eh? Expensive stuff, worth EVERY cent.
Have fun!
PuterPro

You're not supposed to use cleaning products with alcohol/ammonia in them because they could potentially strip anti-reflective coatings or cause clouding or other damage. Water and a regular cloth should work just fine (no paper towels), but I think microfiber cloth is also preferable to avoid scratches.

I'm sure there are other fine similar options, but I bought a product called screen mom from amazon a few years ago and it works really well, plus came with a microfiber cloth. Obligatory I'm not associated with this company at all - I just have used the product multiple times and can confirm it does what it says it does and works really well.

Now whether or not you could use windex on your screen and get away with it I have no idea, I prolly just read the same warnings you did and rather than risking it or researching more I took the easy route and spent $15 on a big bottle of the stuff. Considering how much I spent on my monitor not taking the risk and having the peace of mind was worth it to me, also that bottle is gonna last me forever so for my intents a one time payment basically. It's worked great on phones, laptops, tvs etc too. Again any similar non-alcohol/ammonia based solution should work.

> I'm convinced I'll never find another copy of the ones I love if I destroy them even when I know that's not true.

So, 2 things here:

First, it might help ease your mind if you actively know where/how a replacement can be found, and for how much. I'd suggest checking out discogs. This will allow you to see all the vinyl releases for a specific album, and how many are for sales and what the going prices are. For Carpenter's records, you're talking about albums where the shipping cost of $4 would likely be more than the album itself. And if you have a local record store, the task is even easier.

Second, vinyl records are much more resilient than people will give them credit for. Yeah, ideally each album you have will be pristine forever and never encounter dust and not have any pops or cracks in the playback. But, in reality, most vinyl has some inherent flaw right off the press. Whether that's debris from the paper sleeve that got into the groove, or a finger print from a worker that packages the album, or light scuffing from distribution. It's a physical format and that means it will interact with the physical world. Embrace that. It's what makes this hobby fun - it's tangible art. And it's not perfect. But that's okay. Because you'll still be able to drop the needle and hear the music and enjoy the music. And that really isn't going to change if a bit of dust gets on the album, or the jacket gets a little scrape, or even if you accidentally sneeze all over the record.

If you want to be meticulous with your albums, I'd suggest the following 3 products:

• Spin Clean
  
  
• An anti-static brush
  
  
• A gel stylus cleaner

To be clear, this is the pen issue we're talking about.

There is a large pen offset, when you touch the metal frame of the device while resting your palm on the screen. This only happens on the SP2017 and Surface Book 2 in combination with the new 2017 Surface Pen.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUw0W68SfPs
  
  
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK1Sqrjo7ic
  
  And here another consequence of this issue
  
  
• https://assets.change.org/photos/9/rj/iv/sJrJIVVNrRvTLxM-800x450-noPad.jpg
  
  More than ten SP2017 and five SB2 13" devices I tested, some with LOTs as late as 1750, and with 4 pens, some with LOTs as late as 18xx, had this metal touching offset issue. See also stickied thread.
  
  
• https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/7of68m/surface_pro_intermittent_pen_inaccuracy_when_hand/
  
  
  Here some interesting comment from the support forum that might be helpful.
  
  > I also use a bamboo pen for when the surface one starts acting up. I also felt at first like the latest update solved the problem, only for the problem becoming worse shortly after. However, it got worse around the same time a cold front hit my country and the air became drier resulting in higher static electricity. I even noticed my hair getting attracted to the pen due to this. When I tried discharging myself it got a little better and now the cold front has passed us, the performance of my pen seems to be higher as well. So I feel like there’s a corelation between the jitter and static electricity. I always keep hand cream on hand now, and when the jitter gets worse, applying it to my hands seems to help as well.
  
  Also, someone suggested this.
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Milty-5036694022153-Zerostat-Anti-Static-Blue/dp/B0033SHDSS
  
  And this might also be helpful.
  
  
• http://www.electrostatics.net/articles/static_build_up_on_people.htm

1. I'm guessing that the sub filter is designed to be used if you don't have a sub -- i.e. prevent your speakers from blowing out by removing some of the low end of the signal.
   
   
2. Looking online, it looks like these are rated at 50W per channel at 8 ohms. You can find a pair of Polk bookshelf speakers on amazon for $90. Your budget of $500 gives you some pretty great flexibility in what you could buy. I like AudioEngine's gear (example), but it's really up to you.
   
   
3. Don't drop it, get some contact cleaner if any of the knobs are sticky or cause static when you turn them.
   
   
4. An antenna would definitely help. Get a cheap one off of amazon and it should make a difference. You shouldn't need anything fancy.
   
   
5. Have fun!

Meta-hobby! I've only been back into collecting for about 3 months. I have about 60 at the moment.

My washing method (3rd time I posted this today...I should probably just make it a post :) is as follows:

• Tergi-Kleen: http://www.amazon.com/TergiKleen-Alcohol-free-Tergitol-based-Concentrate-Cleaning/dp/B019YI38Z2/
  
• paint edger: http://www.amazon.com/Shur-Line-500-Premium-Paint-Edger/dp/B0001MQI9E/
  
• some large pans (I ended up getting some oil change pans for $2.50 each from WalMart)
  
• rubber pads (large rubber washers work great, as would small squares of rubber)
  
• distilled water
  
• lint free towels
  
  The technique:
  
  Pan 1 has the water, tergikleen (just a few drops) and rubber washers. Pan 2 has clean water for rinsing
  
  I fill pan 1 just deep enough to cover the rubber pads and the top of a record when placed in.
  
  I then place in a record, submerge it, then take the paint pad and do a few laps in one direction, then a few in the other. The rubber pads allow you to wash the record right in the pan without hurting the underside of the record. It also prevents the LP from 'sticking' to the pan due to suction.
  
  Flip the record over, repeat.
  
  Give it a bath in the rinse water.
  
  Dry with the towels.
  
  Prop up on a shelf to finish air drying.
  
  Works great.

I'd love some input on my current homemade record washing fluid dilemma! Basically multiple questions.

I've used up my record washer fluid that came with my cleaning system (VinylStyl). Now I want to make one of two cheaper, homemade record washer fluids but I don't know which one is a better idea. I also use a vinyl vac for when I don't need to do deep cleaning.

I have a VinyStyl Record spin cleaning system (basically what I think is a better spin clean) and don't want to buy the manufacturer record washer fluid again.

Option one is tergitol with distilled water. And if I do this, would buying a pint of tergitol for ~$22 be more cost effective than buying a product called tergikleen for $22 from Amazon?

Option two is making the more well known 4 part distilled water/ 1 part 99% Isop. alcohol / 0.5 % Ilford Ilfoto wetting agent for ~$23 (cheaper on B&H).

I'm leaning towards option one, with a tergikleen/distilled water setup. My further question is if tergikleen is ok to use with a plastic and goat hair brush spin system like the vinyl styl? Would it have a bad reaction in any way? Or is sticking with an alcohol washer fluid like the manufacturer gives you a better idea?

Also, the con of the tergikleen method is having to rinse in water after. So idk. Tergikleen doesn't contain alcohol (which does damage 78 RPM shellac-based records) so that's nice.

Here are the discussion sources I gathered my cleaning fluid info from: 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 .

Lastly, the prices that record cleaning companies are able to charge for their small volume cleaning fluids is a sham.

If dusting it out entirely didn't solve your problem I highly recommend tearing it down entirely & replacing the thermal compound on the APU. Be mindful of the 16 heat dispersion pads on the memory chips encircling the APU (8 on one side of the main board & 8 below). Get yourself some good thermal compound & use quality solution to fully clean/prepare the surface of the APU. Some people may tell you to get higher end thermal compound than what I've listed below but I'm telling you truthfully, I've tried a bunch (including the higher priced stuff) & this works just as well. Replacing the thermal compound fixed my loud fan issues. I've since done this for several friends & none have experienced further issues.

Cleaner & Purifier

[Microfiber Cleaning Cloth] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B019O1RG9I/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469112524&sr=8-1&pi=SL75_QL70&keywords=Small+microfiber+cleaning+cloth)

Thermal Compound

Edit: Formatting

I suggest upgrading your CPU cooler to something possibly like the Cooler Master Hyper Evo, use some ArctiClean to clean up the CPU before the install after you remove the old cooler. I suggest using coffee filters to clean it up because they are lint free and work very well. You can find tutorials online on how to install a new cooler if you have any issues with it. You can either use the thermal paste the cooler comes with or get some Arctic Silver 5, I think Radioshack repackages it and sells it.

I also suggest setting it up so the fan is pushing air through the cooler towards the back of the case and if you can afford it, get a second fan for the other side and do a push/pull config and that will help temps a lot.

Or if you have enough room and want a good solution to lower CPU temps I suggest getting something like the Cooler Master Seidon 120XL. I have one in my build and helps the CPU temps since my case is so small


Also get some cable ties, that shit is a mess

I feel your pain, I've been printing 20x24... with a glass carrier... and contrast masks. So sometimes 8-10 surfaces for dust to collect.

90% of household dust is said to be human skin, so don't lean over your negs too much. Static makes dust stick, so keep the humidity up - run some hot water, get a small humidifier. Darkroom are usually easy to get the humidity up.

Clean your enlarger every few weeks - take off the condensers, disassemble, blow with compressed air, and put a clean trash bag over the enlarger when not using it. heat from the bulb will make dust float around in there.

I use a zerostat gun, but that's pretty luxe. But for $20 or so I rigged up an LED magnifier on a magic arm. My process:

Wipe down the work area with a damp towel and run some hot water (I have an electric kettle that I turn on).

Zerostat the neg if you have one. Then give it a good blast of canned air, front and back. Look at it under the LED light (with no backlight). Twist and turn it so the surface reflects - you'll see individual dust spots. Use a small artist brush to sweep them away.

I clean the glass carrier first (if I use the glass) and inspect it. Then the neg, and seal the neg in the carrier. I'll do a test print and if I see something that's tough to spot, at least I know where to look for it on the neg. Hairs and fibers are much harder to spot (EDIT - by "spot", I mean paint out of the print with spotting dyes as the last step) than dust spots, so avoid wearing those cotton gloves. They seem to dump some fibers.

Are you spotting your prints? It's unavoidable. You'll still get a spot or two, so get some spotting dyes and a #000 and #0000 artist brush (get decent ones, check them out vs. mail order) - use them only for spotting prints. I have long-discontinued Marumi spotting die set, but I do lith printing and toning (so I get reds, browns, ochers, yellows, blues), so I use a good quality watercolor set. I have an awesome loupe with an opening for a paintbrush, so I can actually "paint" film grain back in. That's not necessary for basic spotting but it's nice to have. Sort of the BMW of loupes.

Spotting matte prints is very easy - go light and it will be invisible. Spotting gloss is harder - I use gum arabic powder and mix a little slurry of it to mix with the dyes/watercolors and try to match the gloss. Spotting is an art unto itself, but I really enjoy it, kind of a zen thing. Google has some videos, don't know if they're any good but have a look.

What's the best way to make sure my record collection lasts a long time? Is it fine to just store them on a shelf as is in a cool area? Or is it advised to store each in their own polypropylene sleeves like these here? New to collecting so I want to make sure I'm doing everything right.
Also cleaning. Am I good with just one of those brushes like this? Or do I need some spray too?

The experience has been good overall.

The built in preamp is good but the level is still not as high as you might like, so in the Sonos settings the line input level for the connect has to be more or less all the way to the top (resulting level is loud enough at ~2/3 volume for the two gen1 Play5s to fill the combined lounge/dining/kitchen area). Not a problem at all for how I want to use it, and turned up unbearably loud the sound is still really clear (definitely recommend cleaning your records before each play, I use a carbon fibre brush like this).

Sonos' detection of the line in seems to be good too, switching the turntable on reliably turns the Play5s to the streamed line input. No problems with dropouts with uncompressed audio (that said, the connect and left channel are both hardwired, and the right channel is using my WiFi, not SonosNet).

I'm definitely considering a Sub now given the size of the room, but it's hard to decide between it and more speakers to just have music in more rooms.

1 - No, not really. Watch out for the tip of the pickguard and don't over tighten the screws or you can crack it, but that's kind of a general thing. The pickup should have a brass plate soldered into the ground connection beneath it, be careful if you pull the pickup out that you don't pull the wires off of the pickup bobbin, the shield can stick to the body pretty strongly. The foam under the pickups can get compressed a lot with age so if you need to raise the height just add some new foam.

2 - I'm assuming from this that it's a rosewood board? Don't go too crazy. There's a good piece from premier guitar here on cleaning rosewood boards. If it's a maple board it should be poly coated and should clean up with some polish.

3 - The truss rod adjustment is at the heel of the neck.

4 - Deoxit, sprayed into the mechanism. You'll have to remove the pickguard or at least lift it on the control cavity end to get at the pot, spray it into the gap between the lugs and the body. Just a little will do. Run the pot back and forth a bunch to clean any oxidation off of the wafer.

Edit to add - if you do have to replace any parts keep the originals.

So I know this has nothing to do with the question you asked but if you have discs that are scratched up so they won't play but they're not destroyed try the Skip Dr I didn't believe it would work but it rescued 30 DVDs that my kids wrecked pretty good. There were 4 that I was unable to repair but otherwise it worked amazing.

I have found the best way of cleaning my vinyl is with the Spin-Clean. At first I was skeptical about buying a piece of plastic at what seems to be a pretty high price. I figured I would give it a try and if it did not work I would just send it back. The Spin-Clean worked very well to my surprise. All my new and used albums gets cleaned by the Spin-Clean before it hits my turntable.

It is almost like a bath for records. The tub holds the water and the cleaning solution. The record is then spun on two rollers between two nice and tight velvet pads. The pads are just like the velvet cleaning brushes people are recommending. So when you are spinning the record in the tub both side are getting cleaned at the same time.

You would think that the record would get even more dirty by putting it in a tub of dirty water. The special formula cleaning solution binds to the dirt and sinks it to the bottom. They say that you can clean about 50 records with each tub. I find this not to be accurate, (I buy alot of used records that are dirty as sin) I get about 20-30 albums cleaned before I have to switch out the water. The solution goes a long way. You only need 3 cap fulls for each bath. I just bought a new replacement bottle (32ozs) of cleaner and it states only use one cap full for cleaning. That stuff is going to last forever.

I have tested albums by listening to them before and after and you can hear a major difference. I would 100% recommend this to any collector.

Woosh and a microfiber cloth (specifically a cloth that came with glasses). https://www.amazon.com/WHOOSH-Award-Winning-Screen-Cleaning-Antimicrobial/dp/B00DOPW5L0
The good thing about Woosh it's antimicrobial and nontoxic. It's perfectly fine for lenses, but 99.9999999% of the time, I simply just wipe the lenses clean. Even though Woosh has no ammonia, alcohol and is completely safe, I find wiping the lenses with a lens cloth work perfectly fine.

Edit:
I realize I didn't answer your question the first time so I'm back haha.
Two years ago I asked an Apple store employee what they used to wipe down all Apple products because everything was so clean. Like no fingerprint stains on any of the keyboards, immaculate iPad and iPhone screens.

He told me they used "Whoosh" cleaner and microfiber cloths, both available on Amazon.
https://smile.amazon.com/WHOOSH-Award-Winning-Screen-Cleaner-Antimicrobial/dp/B00DOPW5L0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1502605520&sr=8-3&keywords=whoosh
I've used Whoosh on my own Macbook Pro and indeed it cleaned my screen effectively, but I haven't needed to use it on the keyboard since I use keyboard covers. Also, this was on the 2015 Macbook Pros. Ymmv since we're now talking about the 2017 MBPs, but if you ever stop by an Apple store, you can always ask them what they use - or if they use/ever used Whoosh.

Original post:
If you don't mind the frosty look on your keys, I'd recommend a keyboard cover. I've used one on my Macbook Pro 13 2015 since the launch week and buy a new one every half year or so for cleanliness reasons.

In my limited experience, a brand called Uppercase has pretty consistent quality. Good luck!

https://www.amazon.com/UPPERCASE-GhostCover-Premium-Keyboard-Protector/dp/B01MRKLH27/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502598784&sr=8-1&keywords=UPPERCASE+GhostCover+Premium+Ultra+Thin+Keyboard+Protector+for+MacBook+Pro+with+Touch+Bar+13%22+or+15%22+%282016+and+2017%2C+Apple+Model+Number+A1706%2C+A1707%29

Not sure what is making yours pop, but a Spin Clean record cleaner is handy to have, either way. Especially if you are buying used vinyl. There are DIY solutions out there, too, but this works really good if you have the budget. Cleaned up a lot of records I had that looked perfect, but still had some pops. Also, something to remove the static helps. I use anti-static sleeves.

> There were certain biodegradable plastic inner sleeves used in the 1980s

Interesting! I picked up a copy of "This is the Moody Blues" from a flea market recently. Looks like it was produced in the mid 70s. I don't think it was a biodegradeable sleeve, but the inner sleeves WERE all plastic (of some variety).

When I inspected the records, it looked like they were in awful condition. Then I gently wiped at the surface of the record and low and behold it was a just some super fine dust that had rubbed off those old plastic sleeves! I grabbed the discs, brought them home, and cleaned them with my trusty In The Groove. After a cleaning those records shined!

I replaced those awful sleeves and have been enjoying the records ever since. I'd never seen or heard of these plastic sleeves or this awful dust they left before.

Something like this? Also, I think the shavings are being created from taking the top off and putting it back on so I don't know if the cleaner will help with that. Seems like a great way to clean your mod though!

I've had personal experience with this machine but I can tell you that it isn't as good as some of the old tanks that they used to make. Best results I usually get on one of these is very close to full shine, but slightly hazy. Plays well, which I suppose is the important part.

With any surfacer, you need to have a stack of games that you don't care about to practice with and get a feeling for it. On this one, I use the soft (1200 grit) sandpaper for 20 seconds, and a buffing pad with the white compound for one minute (use it sparingly after you break the pad in). Then I wipe with a lint free cloth, spray with the anti static spray, and wipe again with another lint free cloth. The thing is, what works for me, does not work others, and vice versa.

It should go without saying that you need the right care and calibration tools to make your day to day listening the best. This is what I use for those purposes;

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005KR15HU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B2AMSYS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HRJ9NAY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KAFG8EG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ERPWAK2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GOOAEVK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Of these things, the OnZow is probably the most important, along with the Studebaker record cleaner. If you buy used records a cleaner is a MUST, and even new out of the wrapper records have crap on them. The OnZow gets the junk off your needle, which is a must.

AFTER those things are taken care of, cart or preamp. Both have the most immediate effect on the sound, presuming you are playing quality good condition records.

I picked up a PS2 disc at Goodwill, but the console wouldn't read it (it gave a "insert Playstation compatible disc" error). I bought one of these things on Amazon and it worked like a charm:

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015ACUKC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Took all of 2 minutes to use. You spray on a little bit of the distilled water / alcohol mixture from the spray bottle (which is included), pop the disc in, turn the crank, and it buffs out the scratches. There are Youtube videos if you're curious. Definitely worth trying.

My favorite cleaning product is the Klear Screen stuff:

http://www.amazon.com/Klear-Screen-iKlear-Complete-Cleaning/dp/B0023WU6OI/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1311187261&sr=8-15

One of the things I really like is they make these travel packs, keep one or two in your laptop bag and if something gets on the screen you can clean it right off:

http://www.amazon.com/Klear-Screen-iKlear-Travel-Singles/dp/B001W2UYYC/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1311187376&sr=1-6

They make a ton of interesting products, and are actually manufacturer recommended by a few folks:

http://www.klearscreen.com/

As long as you're not treating your monitor like a touch screen you should only need to clean it every 3-4 months.

> but should I be brushing my records for dust before each play?

It's a good idea. Also before doing a wet clean. Get a carbon fiber brush. I'm using something very similar to this Record Doctor one, but I've also heard very good things about this one from Hunt.

For your standard light dust removal I love the classic discwasher like this one. RCA has since bought out discwasher and uses a different tan color material on the bottom which doesn't work nearly as well as the old black felt. If you want to clean records that have actual buildup on them you could look into a record cleaning machine, but those can get pretty pricey. There are some DIY was to clean off record that you could look into too.

As far as damage goes, you're mostly looking for scuffs and scratches. If there's a scratch on a record you can usually tell how bad it it if it crosses an area of deadwax, like the small lines between songs. If the scratch doesn't show up on the dead wax, then it likely won't affect playback too much. It can be hard to tell by just looking at records. i have some that look pretty beat up, but play well and some that look pristine, but have places where they skip. If you can listen at the store before you buy that's the best way to judge.

If a record just has a little dust or a hair or something, I'll roll over it with my in the groove record cleaner. It's a great value, and I highly recommend it. Just don't drop the thing, they break easily.

If a record needs a quick wet cleaning I'll use an old RCA discwasher I stole from my parent's house.

When I buy a used record I thoroughly clean it with a homemade solution and microfiber cloth.

A good way (not the best, but easy and affordable) is with a Spin Clean. I’ve returned quite a few mold-covered records from the dead with mine. https://www.amazon.com/Spin-Clean-Record-Washer-MKII-Complete/dp/B002UKSZUU/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=Spin+clean&qid=1570374947&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A2LY9PGKPA6CIT&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyVVpMWkRGUkdYMjVJJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODcwNzUxMUI4TFM2TTA3NlZSWCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTU5MTIzQ1NGQjZWNVo5TkdXJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I’ve heard that vacuum-based cleaners are better, and I’ll believe it, but for now I’ve been really impressed with the Spin Clean, especially for under $100.

Hey all. Two weeks ago I posted about how I was getting a lot of static electricity on my records after playing a few songs. Link here. I have since bought anti static sleeves and wet washed my records, since one of the comments (which is now deleted) suggested wet washing new records. After that the static problem got a lot better! Every now and then there will be a little bit of charge but I think it is now in reasonable levels. But, even though there is little to no electric charge after playing my records, they still sound as if they are very charged. I've only had these records for a little over a month and they sound like I've been playing them non stop for 10 years. Is it possible the static permanently popped/damaged my records? I use my brush every time I take one out of it's sleeve, and I take good care of them, so I don't think its just because of dust. Any thoughts/advice greatly appreciated!

The submersion in the cleaning fluid is what really does the trick with the spin clean. I used to have a velvet brush that I would wet with cleaning fluid and then water and had mixed results.

I would highly recommend the spin clean. Keep in mind new records may be somewhat dirty but when I say dirty I mean filthy records with smoke, fingerprints and general gunk on them like the kind you find at thrift shops. Your new records cannot be that dirty. But one new thing I purchased recently that I have incorporated into my cleaning routine is the In The Groove record cleaner. I use this first on new records to get rid of the mould release agent, then I clean with the spin clean, then i run a rinse with the spin clean and then use my antistatic device.

https://smile.amazon.com/In-The-Groove-Record-Cleaner/dp/B004MG9YYQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1484277422&sr=8-2&keywords=in+the+groove+record+cleaner

okay, here is the deal in case you don't know. For future reference, because it will happen again eventually, buy some Caig Deoxit 100. It is a tiny bottle it is like $15 it will last you forever. Easiest way to do this is to put a couple drops of the stuff into the base of the toggle switch/pickup selector. (lay guitar flat, being careful not get it on your guitars finish / have a moist and dry cloth handy). Let it soak into the toggle for a bit . then work the switch through all of its positions up and down like 50 times just back and forth. Switches and pots get corroded quite easily. and that is how you clean and lubricate them.

here is a link to amazon so you can see what i am talking about.

http://www.amazon.com/Booster-Electric-Connection-Enhancer-Lubricant/dp/B0002BBVN2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1310675904&sr=8-2

As an aside, if you don't already have a can of Deoxit or a similar product, now would be a good time. You use it to clean your switch and pots. It will lubricate and clean them and get them all moving properly and quietly. Its very easy to do.

That being said...Have you contacted the sales person and asked them directly if it was a floor model or B-stock? No one else can answer that for you. Does your invoice say anything regarding the status of the guitar (new/used/bstock) Most places that sell online that fit your description absolutely care about this kind of thing. Maybe you got the discount due to it being open box. If PRS has a serial # option on their site, you could find out what year your guitar was made, maybe its a previous year model.

You're going to have to do a little investing. Here's what I use to keep my playback experience the best I can get.

I use this stylus cleaner once a week, or depending on how much listening you're doing. Careful not to over-clean, as you could cause damage to the stylus.

Purchase this brush, follow the directions on the back of the package and use it every time you put on a record.

Wanna keep dust off as much as possible? Consider investing in these inner sleeves or an equivalent. You have no idea how much dust accrues in paper sleeves, and these static-free sleeves help keep dust out.

Of course, it helps to start with a clean record. But that's a whole other topic. Clean vinyl is happy vinyl.

I use a Spin Clean (http://www.amazon.com/SPIN-CLEAN-STARTER-RECORD-WASHER-SYSTEM/dp/B002UKSZUU). It works pretty darn well.

If it's super dirty, I wipe what I can off first, then I put it in the spin clean, rotate it 3 full times in one direction, 3 full times in the other. Then the trick is getting the water off.

I have a large stack of microfibre cloths (http://www.amazon.com/12-pack-All-purpose-Microfiber-Cleaning-Dusting) that I swap out after every couple records. I put one cloth down on top of a 'lazy susan' (it is circular and spins freely) and lay the wet record on top of the cloth. Then I use another cloth and press it down against the record and spin the lazy susan under it, and it picks up the water. (I try to make sure the nap of the cloth is lined up with the grooves). Then I use a second, drier cloth to go over it quickly and get anything left.

It's a fair amount of work but it goes quick once you have the process down, and you end up with nice clean records.

I wrote up this big to-do about how I clean my records, and not sure many people saw it. Pasting it below because I think this hands-down, THE BEST way to clean records.



***



I've cleaned over a thousand of records with this. Highly recommend!!

http://cratedigging.co/13/9832/product_review__squeaky_clean_mark_iii_record_cleaning_machine

One pass to suck up loose dirt/dust
Second pass with distilled water + solution
Third pass distilled water only
Flip record and repeat
Solution is the same that the library of congress uses to clean their records. 20 drops per gallon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019YI38Z2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_7WtMAbSQYZ36W

The included brush with the Mark III wears out quickly. Buy these at Home Depot and cut them in half. I use one for the solution, another for water.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004Z4H2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_MYtMAbMG8T3MW

Solution and water can be applied with these squeeze bottles. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E0CZPNA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_L2tMAbRS7PV87

This cleaning works fantastic for 99%of my records. I can clean a record in 3 minutes. For dirtier records I let them sit in the solution for 5-10 minutes. Stubborn dirt is spot treated with a soft toothbrush.

I put the whole shebang on a storage tub lid (upside down) so liquid that falls off collects in the plastic lid. And when it pools up from lots of cleaning, use a turkey baster to suck up the excess liquid. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H9M6Q46/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_V.tMAbHB8KGDE




My vacuum https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003M2F7NI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NeuMAb188RH6K

Well yeah, cuz it's just water. There's nothing in it that could leave a residue. What was your process like with the solution? Cuz I don't have that issue at all. My records are glossy black out of my Studebaker. I fill it with distilled water until it sits just under the rollers and then I put in a single cap-full of cleaning solution from my 32oz bottle of Spin Clean solution.

I recently bought some TergiKleen which was recommended by the Library of Congress as well as some other sites I saw. Would it still be wise to buy a spin clean and use the distilled water + TergiKleen to clean vinyls? Using the sink or plastic tub method seems like I'd have to really wash all the dirty vinyls at once, instead of as needed with a spin clean.

That's a good way to get a deep clean but for the maintenance everyone that spins vinyl should have one of these. I usually run my wax through it every few plays and dry them off with a microfiber cloth. I was told once that it was like cleaning your glasses, if you never clean your vinyl it's like never cleaning your glasses. Totally worth the buy to maximize your audio experience.

http://www.amazon.com/SPIN-CLEAN-STARTER-RECORD-WASHER-SYSTEM/dp/B002UKSZUU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406746303&sr=8-1&keywords=spin+vinyl

1. Keep them stacked vertically like so:
   https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3610/3603521573_d308f3b61c.jpg
   
   Keep them out of direct sunlight for long times as well.
   
   If you want to protect the cases, check this out:
   
   http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-Record-Outer-Sleeves-/370832311308?pt=US_Music_Mixed_Lots_Other_Formats&var=&hash=item565754040c
   
   2: Cleaning? If you REALLY want to give them the works, you can get them professionally cleaned with a VPI machine but that's expensive, costs around 3$ per record. I'd recommend this:
   
   http://www.amazon.com/SPIN-CLEAN-STARTER-RECORD-WASHER-SYSTEM/dp/B002UKSZUU
   
   Everything you need to know is in the manual! I also just ordered a VPI machine, by the way, so I'm going to make a post soon on my thoughts.
   
   3: Not really. Just carry them by the edges/inner label, and keep them in their proper jackets when they aren't being used.
   
   4: For #4, see the above comment.
   
   Have a nice day!

If your sister's got a few warped records, a record clamp would certainly be useful. Cork mats OTOH tend to be less staticky than felt so would certainly be useful in dry environments. Should you be leaning towards the record clamp direction, Pro-ject will sell you one. You could also perhaps consider buying other stuff, like record cleaning kits, test records and/or gauges to help her set up her new turntable.

Over used WHOOSH! screen cleaners for a year and I really like it.

Saw them at CES last year, they gave me a free sample, and I liked it so much I bought them. They're pretty legit.

Heat helps juices steep/cure/age or whatever you'd like to call it. This usually improves the overall flavor of the juice. OP is using his/her heater to heat his/her juice so that it it steeps more quickly.

Same reason why some vapers buy Ultrasonic Cleaners to help their juice steep. It accomplishes what usually takes between 2 weeks - 2 months (depending on the juice and the person vaping it) in a few hours.

Thoughts on vinyl-styl washer vs spin-clean? The vinyl-style seems like a better product, and it costs less than spin-clean, but spin clean seems like it's far more popular. Not sure if I'm missing something important, though.

https://www.amazon.com/Vinyl-Styl-Groove-Record-Washer/dp/B01M0LRLM5

You should always wet wash records you buy, new or used. It will help knock down static and your stylus will last longer.

There is a ton of ways to do it. Some people do a DIY solution with a spray bottle.

I’ve since upgraded but used a spin clean for quite awhile. That or any of it’s clones is a great starting point. I would recommend sticking to their solution as it contains a focculating agent which causes dirt particles to clump together and fall to the bottom.

If you want to clean them, one good cost efficient and practical way is to get a Spin Clean. It's also a good investment for future collecting.

Your best bet will be to use a record cleaner like the Spin-Clean. To save money you can make your own washing fluid from some of the recipes listed here.

Buy a CD, rip it to your computer, and put it away is the best advise I can give you.

You could try something like a Disc Doctor which repairs scratches.

I've used these with success for the XBox.

Toke a bit, throw the record on the 'table, hit it with the brush (Hunt EDA Mark VI - it's amazing, thank me later) and sit back and listen.

Beyond that, just depends on the day. If I'm doing nighttime headphone listening, I'll usually end up falling in and don't dink around on my phone or anything.

My absolute favorite is to crank up the speakers and clean the house, specifically sweep/mop the floors. There is much jamming to be had.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Innovations-1018300-SkipDr-Classic/dp/B0015ACUKC

That, my dear friend is the absolutely best thing for this kind of thing. If it can be fixed, this should do it.

Video of it in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGACqFfOiE4

You may need to replace the belt. Look on eBay for a replacement. Is it worth keeping? That’s up to you. Do you like it enough to keep it? Don’t throw the records away. Give them a good wet wash. Also look into the Spin Clean for $80 dollars on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/SPIN-CLEAN-STARTER-RECORD-WASHER-SYSTEM/dp/B002UKSZUU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1527558951&sr=8-3&keywords=Spin+clean

I have a generic version of this brush. It works pretty well for surface dust.

www.amazon.com/Hunt-Carbon-Fiber-Record-Brush/dp/B001A9ST2G

If you want a deeper clean a DIY vaccuum wand is a good place to start.

Try the program ISOBuster. It's pretty good at reading all that can be read from optical media. You also might try using a CD repair tool such as this to resurface the clear plastic: http://www.amazon.com/SkipDr-Manual-Disc-Repair-System/dp/B0015ACUKC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463973837&sr=8-1&keywords=cd+repair

It'll basically just sand down the clear plastic slowly until it's smooth enough to read. I've had some data recovery cases where we needed to leave it sanding for hours through several sets of batteries before we could get a complete read.

I love what you've done, but as for cleaning Spin Clean should be number one. Frankly the glue method is ridiculous if you have a lot of records and record cleaning machines are too expensive, too big, too noisy, too maintenance intestive... Spin Clean is the way to go. Cleans as good as any record cleaning machine, costs $80, and is easy to use and put away when not needed.

I use a $4 plastic oil pan, a $5 Shur-Line Edger (refills cost $2.50 for 2 pack), TergiKleen record cleaner concentrate (used by library of congress / makes 30 gallons / $20 but is basically a life time supply), distilled water, 3 spray bottles (distilled water, reg strength, extra strength), and microfiber cloths from Costco (which I rotate through, and repurpose to wash my car). They way I do it, they come out amazingly clean. Wish I had a vacuum and I'd think I have perfection(*ish).

If you are going to stay with your method I read only use Dawn Unscented. Alcohol is frowned upon even though it's been used in a fare number of past cleaning solutions. If you think about it it doesn't make sense anyway. As the alcohol evaporates the dirt in the fluid is just recondencing back onto the record (the dirt isn't evaporating).

i would recommend picking up a Spinclean. Great investment, very easy to use, and brings records back to life.

https://www.amazon.ca/SPIN-CLEAN-STARTER-RECORD-WASHER-SYSTEM/dp/B002UKSZUU

I've had generally good results with the old-fashioned hand-cranked SkipDr. Most recently I picked up a copy of Virtua Striker 2 ver. 2000.1 for £2 from a local shop which got as far as creating a VMU save file before dumping me back to the BIOS menu. A quick spin with the SkipDr resulted in a disc that works perfectly but looks like this (lots of fine scuff marks from the centre of the disc to the edge) which shows that it's been run through a cheap tool rather than properly resurfaced. If I'd tried to get a refund after this I might have had problems as they would be able to tell I'd done this (and potentially made the issue worse) which is why I only recommend it on cheap games.

I ordered this recently to clean my PG278Q. Worked great. Highly recommend.

You'd be infinitely better off with a regular vacuum and one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Vinyl-Vac-Record-Vacuum-Attaches/dp/B014X2SXY0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496688731&sr=8-1&keywords=record+cleaning+vacuum+attachment

FWIW, I use a spin clean and then vacuum with this on a busted up turntable, and I've been really happy with the results.

Get yourself a good record cleaning brush if you don't have one. Avoid the "Vinyl Style" brand. I recommend the Hunt EDA Mark 6: https://www.amazon.com/Hunt-Carbon-Fiber-Record-Brush/dp/B001A9ST2G

Bonus that it's on sale!

Trying to decide on a record cleaner (and hopefully kill static). The obvious choice is the Spin Clean, but I've heard that some people have had issues with it and the brushes, leaving surface noise on the records. I also found this, which is very similar:

https://www.amazon.com/Vinyl-Styl-Groove-Record-Washer/dp/B01M0LRLM5/ref=pd_sbs_23_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01M0LRLM5&pd_rd_r=B5896DCX415ECAK13EDM&pd_rd_w=KiFln&pd_rd_wg=WP8Yn&psc=1&refRID=B5896DCX415ECAK13EDM

I like the fact that it has a drying rack too. Has anyone used one of these? And how does it stack up against the Spin Clean?

I was also looking at one of these vacuum things, but I don't know how thorough it would be compared to a wet cleaning.

https://www.amazon.com/Vinyl-Vac-Record-Vacuum-Attaches/dp/B014X2SXY0/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1492965447&sr=8-15&keywords=spin+clean

Make sure that when you clean it, you are cleaning the top of the processor and the bottom of the heatsink that makes contact with the top of the processor. 70% alcohol works, although I prefer this stuff just because I work on a fair amount of systems.

If that doesn't work, try replacing the heatsink and if your temps are still high after that, you may want to try some Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut. I used that on my personal x240 and it idles in the mid 40's and doesn't get much above 70 when I throw a load at it.

The needle and cartridge might be avaliable, is there a number on either of them? NeedleDoctor helped me find a new cart for a console for a very good price.

Belt's shouldn't be too hard, you could order a few cheap ones online to guess and check.

The nobs themselves are probably okay, you probably need to spray some contact cleaner. Try Deox-it, or search amazon for "contact cleaner" pull the nobs off and spray a good amount in there whilst turning.

If that doesnt help, disassemble and look at the knobs themselves, they're probably just standard potentiometers. You'll have to hunt for them, it's not like theres a source for parts for this thing, you're going to need to work hard yourself to find substitutions and retrofit.

Even inexpensive things like this have a decent 70-80% success rate in my experience. You can get much better gear for repairing discs, though.

those skipdoctor things have a better chance and fucking it up further, so be warned on those. I personally have had a lot of success with a cheap buffing wheel. I have that one linked. I also use this liquid

I squirt a couple drops on the edge of the wheel, spread it around a bit with my finger, then turn on the buffer and hold the disc by putting the tip of my pinkie through the center hole, then use my thumb to rotate the disc as I buff the surface. Then use and cheap spray disc cleaner to get rid of that compound.

If you want even more, there is a machine that does all the work, that compound is for those, you just squirt some on the pad, drop a disc in, and turn it on. But that thing is twice the price of a buffer and I don't see a difference enough to upgrade (retro game shop near me has one).

Definitely an issue with the stylus on that turn table... Also keep your records clean by using a record brush and stylus brush!

A Turntable I highly recommend and own myself is the U-Turn Orbit - https://uturnaudio.com/ they are made right here in the US in Massachusetts, and they have phenomenal customer service! I had an issue with my motor, it was making a slight noise, still worked as expected though, the same day they sent me a replacement motor and gave me step by step instructions how to replace at no cost at all!

My Stylus Brush - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GJRDYGG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My Record Cleaning Brush - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071DWG4C8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you're having a motor simply, stop running sometimes, try deoxit. I'll add a link in a minute

That fixed my issue, it's 15 bucks and it's good to have anyway. If it's still not working then I guess you'll have to send to boosted:/

Edit: CAIG Laboratories D100L-2DB Electric Cleaner https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002BBVN2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_cL7LDb0M6DDRF

This stuff really helps with bad electrical connections, if it's just one motor. It very well could be an issue with the Esc though. Good luck

You need one of these. Expensive, looks stupid, but works great.
http://www.amazon.com/MILTY-ZEROSTAT-ANTI-STATIC-GUN-BLUE/dp/B0033SHDSS

Use only as directed. Despite what it looks like, it's not a toy and you can actually burn your skin with a point-blank shot.

So he just filled the socket with thermal paste and didn't put the CPU in?

If so, he's lucky. PGA sockets can be cleaned out much easier than LGA with some isopropyl...though for it being in the socket, he'd maybe be better off getting some dedicated cleaner. The good news is that the stuff with the 212 appears to be non-conductive, so if there's still some in the socket, it won't short circuit anything.

I like a microfiber cloth. It works super well, cheap, easy to clean.

They do cause static in low humidity environments, so a quick wipe with a fabric softener sheet takes that out.

If you have the scratch, however, this brush kicks all sorts of ass. It's not really a brush, but it wont static up your records and cleaning it is a cinch. IMO it works better than any brush.

In the mean time, get on amazon on your phone and order some Screen Mom. Best stuff that I've found to clean monitors, tvs, and what not. 5 Star rated and 3710 Reviews, here is the link.
Screen Mom - Amazon

I have a Spin Clean, which gets mentioned a lot. I'm seriously underwhelmed by it. The method detailed above is way more effective, and a heck of a lot cheaper. I also get really good results from my "In The Groove" sticky roller, which I almost never see mentioned here.

You should never re-apply thermal paste on top pf the old stuff. Make sure to clean it off as much as possible. I used this to clean the old stuff out of the V20.

There's also vinyl styl cleaners that are a pretty good value.

New records are some of the most filthy record you can get. Most are covered with mold release agents that you can see as a rainbow sheen on the surface. You should always clean new records before playing.

A record will never be any cleaner than the dirtiest you play it due to the fact that there is so much friction where the stylus hits the surface that the dust actually gets welded into the grooves and you can clean the surface but you will never be able to clean that dirt out of the grooves where it matters.

If you intend on listening to records long term a record cleaning machine is a necessary investment.

Edit: I would not use any old silicone roller meant for picking up pet hair. You should only use one specifically designed for record cleaning as it will not leave any residue. Something like this

In The Groove Record Cleaner https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004MG9YYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_F7TIxbQVVXDCH

Push-pull config on a NZXT Kraken X61 is so overkill. That 280mm radiator and variable speed pump is more than you need to cool basically any CPU. It won't help your GPU's temps much if at all and your CPU will only drop 1-5 degrees.

My personal suggestion is a bit crazy but if you have the budget I suggest water cooling your GPU's.

https://www.amazon.com/NZXT-Technologies-Kraken-Bracket-RL-KRG10-B1/dp/B00ITTFO8M - $30x2 for the brackets.

https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Hydro-Quiet-Liquid-Cooler/dp/B009VV56TY - $60x2 for the coolers.

$90 per card and your load temps will never peak over 60 degrees under load unless you live in a hot climate.

You might need some accessories like thermal paste, cleaning solution, and fan adapters if you don't have this stuff laying around.

https://www.amazon.com/Arctic-Silver-AS5-3-5G-Thermal-Paste/dp/B000OGX5AM $7.43x1

https://www.amazon.com/ArctiClean-60ml-Kit-30ml/dp/B0007TOR08 $7.84x1

https://www.amazon.com/Gelid-CA-PWM-02-Adapter-Sleeved-Cooler/dp/B005ZKZEQA $7x2

A good one that I would recommend is the JFJ Easy Pro. It's around $111 dollars right now.

http://www.amazon.com/JFJ-Video-Blu-Ray-Repair-Machine/dp/B000RBE4B8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1427431313&sr=8-2&keywords=disc+buffer

So the bristles are made of carbon fiber... those wipe out dust. The velvet on the spin clean "digs" deep into the grooves combined with distilled water for a much more thorough cleaning. I use this brush on records I've already given a wet clean. It's a better design imo.

I use iKlear and it works pretty well. Apparently it's safe for oleophobic coating on screens and apple certified.

Ooh la la! Impress all of your friends with this Mr. Fancy Pants record brush. The ladies will want to be with you and the guys will want to be you. Check the graph! https://camelcamelcamel.com/Hunt-Carbon-Fiber-Record-Brush/product/B001A9ST2G?active=price_amazon&context=popular

It might have helped, but I wouldn't do it again, at least not on an important record. (Not that Solitude Standing isn't important, it's a great album.)

get a spin clean -- they work great. On sale now for $60

https://www.amazon.com/Spin-Clean-Record-Washer-MKII-Complete/dp/B002UKSZUU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1542917761

This is all you'll ever need. Comes with so many different cloths and two bottles of fluid. Kind of at a higher price tag, but definitely worth it and made for apple products.

I'm sure it works well, but the price is just ridiculous. I have a feeling it would be a much better investment to buy a Spin Clean for $80.

Record cleaning machine would be a good investment for your budget. http://www.amazon.com/SPIN-CLEAN-STARTER-RECORD-WASHER-SYSTEM/dp/B002UKSZUU
Assuming your cartridge is aligned properly and the tracking force is set correctly, the distortion you hear is likely from dirty or wore out records. Upgrading the stylus on your cartridge would likely be a good, cheap improvement as well.

Arctic Silver makes thermal paste remover. Most of the time it's pointless as you can simply scrape the paste off of a flat CPU, but in this case I highly recommend it. Here it is on Amazon. You can also get it from Radio Shack if you don't want to wait for shipping. If you don't do this, though, be sure to use 99% Isopropanol. You do not want any water in there.

this is a godsend. The first part is the important part. I'm sure you can find bottles of just the first part

A spin clean is safer, designed for records, and relatively inexpensive, even if purchased new. I used one for years before investing in a VPI and it worked great.

This stuff is awesome, I highly recommend:

http://www.amazon.com/iKlear-iK-26K-Complete-Cleaning-Kit/dp/B0023WU6OI

So, for light cleaning and pre-heavy cleaning, I go with this guy. It does a decent job at surface cleaning.

If I want to get a little bit deeper, especially if it's a used album I've not yet personally cleaned, I use this. It's an affordable way to wet clean your records.

I've been using this system for a while, and it works well. I was able to restore a discounted Blonde on Blonde to VG condition.

only use tergitol
use a spin clean or a vinyl style spinner
use the "vinyl vac" to dry them
If you are rich then just get an ultrasonic machine
Links: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0LRLM5/?coliid=IFR2TWKOM3D25&colid=1BXYRKCVI8SCN&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0LRLM5/?coliid=IFR2TWKOM3D25&colid=1BXYRKCVI8SCN&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

https://www.amazon.com/Vinyl-Vac-33-Record-Attaches/dp/B014X2SXY0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1525745514&sr=1-1&keywords=vinyl+vac

This has worked out great for me. I use 2 micro fiber rags. Start by spraying one clean microfiber rag and then wiping the TV with it. DO NOT SPRAY THE TV DIRECTLY. Follow up with the second dry micrfiber rag, and use it to wipe out any streaks.


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01054S5FM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_5Z7WCbYF3W78B

It's the [Spin Clean] (http://www.amazon.com/SPIN-CLEAN-STARTER-RECORD-WASHER-SYSTEM/dp/B002UKSZUU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408325976&sr=8-1&keywords=spin+clean). Works pretty well overall, though I've been suspicious of the cleaning solution adding very light surface noise to records. Residue possibly, despite the company's claims otherwise. I'm currently modding a shop vac and crevice tool to use to vacuum clean the records.

you are going to go through a few styli

giving the condition of the grooves

hopefully you make enough to replace them and break even


as far as making them sound less gruesome, a spin-clean would help
greatly (the most affordable option)

http://www.amazon.com/SPIN-CLEAN-STARTER-RECORD-WASHER-SYSTEM/dp/B002UKSZUU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374106342&sr=8-2&keywords=record+cleaner

Well, if pressure makes it work, Deoxit might help. It’s great stuff. I own a video game store and use it every day.

I use this:
https://www.amazon.com/Screen-Cleaner-Kit-Computer-Microfiber/dp/B01054S5FM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491165254&sr=8-1&keywords=screen+mom

By far the best thing I've ever used. Leaves zero streaks and I mean ZERO. It looks like how it came out the box. Comes with a microfiber cloth too.

Hi!

• The thinner models like this one can be problematic as the fibers are super soft and the inside of the brush is empty, so if you put too much pressure while cleaning, nothing is preventing the metal part of the brush from saying "hello!" to the record surface. People scratched records whith these. You have to be super careful.
  
  
• The dual carbon fiber brushes/velvet pad models are the ones I would recommend. Most of the time, the design is the same, only the brand logo changes. One example on Amazon here. The fibers are also soft and short but these have a velvet pad between the two fiber brushes so you won't risk scratching anything.
  
  

I use these things for removing wax and dirt from the AirPods and case, plus Q-Tips and this cleaning solution for the barrels of the AirPods. The solution along with 6"x6" microfiber towels is also great for cleaning the screens on my iPhone, iPad, Watch, and all of my TVs.

I'll second this, as I'm really digging it lately too. It's basically a sticky roller that picks up all dust/fuzz/etc in its path. Of course, it isn't intended to replace wet cleaning, but seems great for light maintenance.
Here's a link:
http://www.amazon.com/In-The-Groove-Record-Cleaner/dp/B004MG9YYQ

They don't work for all types of screen, but this stuff has worked great for all of my screens (TV or monitor).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01054S5FM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_f6hWDbQP6J2MX

That's interesting. Browsing Amazon yields this:

http://www.amazon.com/In-The-Groove-Record-Cleaner/dp/B004MG9YYQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

Seems to be pretty much the same.

I find this stuff works pretty damn good. I use it on my monitors, phones, etc always get them looking like new.

Otherwise, yes water should do okay.

I used this.

Screen Cleaner Kit - Best for LED & LCD TV, Computer Monitor, Laptop, and iPad Screens – Contains Over 1,572 Sprays in each Large 16 ounce Bottle – includes Premium Microfiber Cloth https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01054S5FM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_zwu2AbAESHY77

I use it for all my tvs, tablets, computer monitor, DS, Game Gear etc. They have a smaller size too. Just make sure the screen is powered off and you spray the included cloth and not the device.

It's a cleaning tool. You put distilled water and solution in the base, the record vertically between two brushes and half submerged in the water, then spin it to clean it. It gets the dust and dirt out of the grooves very well. It's a little pricey but there are cheaper knock offs that are just as good. The anti static brush will get static and dust off the surface of records when you play them.

I have this cheap knock off from Amazon and it works great for me. Cleans the records. I fill the bay with distilled water and put some record cleaning solution on the pads.

And the fan turns ok?

There are some cleaners for removing the old thermal paste and then cleaning the top of the CPU - https://www.amazon.com/ArctiClean-60ml-Kit-30ml/dp/B0007TOR08/

For replacement paste I'd normally go for - https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-Compound-Performance-Heatsink-Interface/dp/B0045JCFLY/

Just use a pea-size blob, no more :)

Ok this my or may not work, but it's how people fixed mis-firing buttons on Rane 57s (the 2!d and 3rd edition had issues with the buttons due to regulatory changes in construction materials or something).

First, grab a can of deoxit spray - should be able to get one in your local radio shack.

Now the hard part - you'll have to take apart your controller (note - don't do this if you're still under warranty - if you are, send it back to get repaired). Once you get the top off, remove the buttons if you can and find the trigger for the button underneath the rubber/plastic. I have no idea what it would look like, but there should be able to spray into the trigger. Work the spray around the trigger and then let the whole thing dry for a couple of hours.

Put the whole thing back together and see if that helps.

Finally, I want to buy some vinyl care products. Of course like the wiki tells us I should get this anti static brush, and I want to get a stylus gauge. Is this one fine?

I haven’t listened to the clear pressing yet but I’ve had issues with static/skipping on IAAN and Deja - they all went away after I purchased this (below) and started using it to clean off my vinyl before (and after..) playing. Not sure if you have one or something similar but it works wonders!

Audio-Technica AT6011 Anti-Static Record Brush https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GE1ZOPY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_SGc.zbECS8PAC

Interesting find on amazon yesterday. This looks exactly like a spin-wash, significantly cheaper. Anyone heard of it?

I use a carbon fiber brush, but I just hold it in place so it only goes with the grooves. I then use this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004MG9YYQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1427659444&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=in+the+grove+record+cleaner to clean up the line of dust left after I pick up the brush. Works well and doesn't really add static as long as you don't push down on the roller.

Dust won't ruin a record, but you probably should invest in a record brush so that you can clean off surface dust before playing your records. There's plenty of choices out there but this is the one I prefer: https://www.amazon.com/Hunt-Carbon-Fiber-Record-Brush/dp/B001A9ST2G

Here is a Spin Clean knock off. Half the price but looks the same pretty much:
https://www.amazon.com/Record-Cleaning-System-Solution-Included/dp/B01GOOAEVK/ref=sr_1_42?ie=UTF8&qid=1519320429&sr=8-42&keywords=vinyl+cleaner

I recommend this. good cleaner.

>What are you going to play first? R4 was a great game. I remem

every disk i have is hard to reading because have a lot of scratches, look it that

https://www.amazon.com/JFJ-Video-Blu-Ray-Repair-Machine/dp/B000RBE4B8

That's a pretty easy fix. Skip Dr, sucka

Clean, clean, clean. And not just dollar bin finds, or records when you can visibly see dust. Serious collectors spend $$$$ on crazy contraptions, bu there are plenty of cheaper options.

An anti-static brush is not an option. There are plenty out there. I use this one. Place it on the record while it's spinning, and let it hang under it's own weight (i.e. don't put down) for a few rotations. Scrape and dust off of the bristles and do it again. Do this before and after you play each side.

There are lots of solutions and cleansers, some specifically made for vinyl, some general cleansers, some homemade, that are touted as the best way to clean records short of buying a $5000 machine. And a raging debate regarding isopropyl alcohol. Because I prefer to avoid the pain of rinsing, I like cleaners that evaporate/wipe off without leaving residue. I like Lasermedia VNC-8 personally. Ammonia and alcohol free. In between the obligatory anti-static brushings, I spray the record with this, spread across the surface as evenly as I can with one microfiber cloth (call this one the 'wet' cloth, then I use a cleaning brush firm enough to put some reasonable downforce on the surface, then 'wet' microfiber cloth again and then another ('dry') microfiber cloth, by which point most of the solution should have evaporated or been dried by the second cloth. When using cloths and brushes, I always start from the edge of the record and move inwards, following the path of the groove. Never against or parallel to the grooves.

Old, used records obviously should be cleaned before being played, as is true of any records that you've let get dirty/haven't cleaned thoroughly in a while, but new records need a cleaning too. Perhaps not so vigorously, but there are chemicals, residue, and other unwanted debris that can remain from the pressing process.

I know it all seems tedious, but it protects your records (playing a dirty record can permanently damage the surface) and your stylus. Plus they'll sound better. Isn't that the whole point?

You'll need special TV screen cleaner. Don't use Windex, it will strip off the anti-glare coating.

Something like ScreenMom: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01054S5FM

Screen Cleaner Kit - Best for LED & LCD TV, Computer Monitor, Laptop, and iPad Screens – Contains Over 1,572 Sprays in each Large 16 ounce Bottle – includes Premium Microfiber Cloth https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01054S5FM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_XZWJzbZD54V22

Just use something similar to this. Work's great on my monitors and tv's.