"Best Record Cleaning Machine" Honors 2023 – The Absolute Sound
Editors' Choice Award – The Absolute Sound
"Mandatory for Anyone Serious About Vinyl" – Michael Fremer, Analog Planet
Major New Upgrade to the Record Doctor "For Those Who Love and Care for Their Vinyl"
The new Record Doctor VI Record Cleaning Machine is the first major upgrade to the original Record Doctor V in the last ten years. This new machine is quieter and cleans better than all previous Record Doctor generations. And that's saying a lot, considering that the Record Doctor has won praise from Stereophile, The Absolute Sound, and AnalogPlanet.com.
Speaking of praise, there is no shortage of rave reviews for the brand new Record Doctor VI, which was honored with a listing in The Absolute Sound magazine's "High-End Buyers Guide 2020." And the Record Doctor also won a 2019 Editors' Choice Award from the magazine.
"Best Record Cleaning Machine"
The Absolute Sound listed the Record Doctor VI as one of its choices for Best Record Cleaning Machine of 2023.
According to the TAS staff, "For those who love and care for their vinyl but don’t want to break the bank on a cleaner, the Record Doctor VI offers a smart design compromise that keeps its – and your – costs down: Most of its functions are performed manually, but it still uses a powerful motor-driven vacuum to handle the final step of dirt extraction. Setup and operation are a snap."
In his survey of record cleaning accessories for "United States of Analog," YouTube, February 5, 2024, host Bob says, "The Record Doctor VI is a great machine. It's affordable. I recommend it."
"A Worthy, Easy-to-Use Accessory"
According to the The Absolute Sound magazine, "A worthy, easy-to-use accessory, the Record Doctor VI is an effective, handy, and affordably priced cleaning system for vinyl aficionados who would rather allocate more budget dollars to other hi-fi gear – and to records, too (clean ones!)… Set up and operation are a snap. The Record Doctor comes with everything you need, and it performs even better than reviewer JM expected it to."
Analog guru Michael Fremer praises the Record Doctor VI in his January 2, 2020 review for AnalogPlanet.com. "Considering how easy it is to manually turn a record and how much money you save, for most people, especially those on a budget, not having a motorized record spinner is a more than worthwhile tradeoff—unless you own a used record store and plan on cleaning records all day (and night)," According to Fremer, "I think owning at least a machine like this is mandatory for anyone serious about vinyl."
"The Record Doctor VI represents the entry level into the upper echelon of record cleaning,” reports Michael Trei for Sound&Vision magazine. “Records that were plagued with fingerprints and other dirt came out looking shiny and bright, and surface noise was substantially diminished in listening tests while the clarity of the music itself was enhanced."
"A Solid Value…" "Highly Recommended"
"The 20th Anniversary Edition Record Doctor Vl is a solid value and its redesigned features – anodized top plate, new brush and larger turner knob – are well worth the Vl's increase in price," reports Greg Voth at stereotimes.com. "The RDVl's perfect for those light on disposable cash or living in tight quarters and it's easy to hide away for those who just don't like having a larger cleaning machine visible 24/7."
Reviewing the Record Doctor VI for the audiophilia website, Karl Sigman comments, "Without breaking the bank, the new Record Doctor VI is a must buy for those on a budget who take record cleaning seriously… It is small, light, powerful, easy to use and highly effective with looks that can even add to the decor of your living space… Highly recommended."
"Once You Have One of These It Is Impossible to Go Back."
"Now in its (obviously) sixth iteration, the Record Doctor VI is not only one of the most affordable vacuum cleaning machines, it is one of the nicest," raves Don Lindich, at the Sound Advice website. "Once you have one of these it is impossible to go back."
The Jazziz website honors the Record Doctor VI as its "Best Affordable Vacuum Record Cleaner." According to Ian White, "The new machine is quieter and cleans better than any other entry-level unit which offers vacuum cleaning… The Record Doctor VI does the job and without a lot of fuss."
Better in So Many Ways!
The Record Doctor VI is loaded with improvements to make your entire record cleaning experience better than ever before. There are so many enhancements, they take a while to list!
New additional venting reduces the unit noise level and decreases the internal heat. This upgrade has also been installed in all newer Record Doctor V models, too. So, two generations of Record Doctors benefit from this improvement.
The Record Doctor VI boasts a machined aluminum top plate. This metal plate makes the cabinet stronger, quieter, and more fluid resistant. It also dissipates heat better, and it looks much nicer than the old V top plate.
You'll love the new, larger injection-molded record turner. This new turner is easier to grip and turn than the record turner on previous models. It's also wider to completely cover the entire record label of the LP, preventing the label from getting wet during cleaning.
Another nice enhancement is a new high-quality record brush for fluid spreading. Featuring more than 260,000 ultra-fine nylon bristles, this brush reaches deep into record grooves to loosen stubborn grunge.
Last but not least, the Record Doctor VI comes in attractive new finishes. Choose carbon fiber, high-gloss black, or gloss white finish.
Hear the Music You've Been Missing!
Vacuum cleaning your records with the Record Doctor VI is the best way to get dirt, dust, and grime out of the grooves and let you hear the music you've been missing. The Record Doctor VI brings a number of benefits to LP listening. It improves the sound quality, helps your records maintain their value, and helps extend the life of your LPs.
Cleaner records sound better than dirty records. With a clean LP, your record stylus reproduces the music the way the artist intended it to sound – instead of plaguing you with clicks, pops, surface noise, and distortion.
"I cleaned a few not previously cleaned records including an old Westminster stereo Brandenburg Concertos Numbers 3&4 (WST 14115) with Hermann Scherchen conducting members of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra. The liner notes describe him as 'an outspoken anti-fascist'. We could use a few more of those today! I wasn't about to play it dirty to compare to clean, but after cleaning both sides, the record played with not a single pop or click nor was any residue left on the Ortofon Anna D stylus, nor was any residue visible on the record surface," notes Michael Fremer in his January 2, 2020 AnalogPlanet.com review.
"The Sonic Benefits Were Noticeable"
"Overall, the Record Doctor performed even better than I expected it to. And the sonic benefits were also noticeable – smooth sound minus the crackles, and it was goodbye to most ticks and pops thanks to less static," reports Julie Mullins inThe Absolute Sound magazine.
"A worthy, easy-to-use accessory, the Record Doctor V is an effective, handy, and affordably priced cleaning system for vinyl aficionados who would rather allocate more budget dollars to other hi-fi gear – and to records, too (clean ones!)," Julie Mullins concludes.
Higher Value, Longer Lasting
It just makes sense that clean, well cared for records are worth more than dirty, poor sounding discs. Protect your valuable vinyl investment with the Record Doctor VI. Vinyl discs can become so dirty that they are virtually unplayable. According to Gerald L. Gibson, Head of the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division of the Library of Congress, "Dust can become embedded permanently into the disc's grooves, causing distortion of the transmitting signal, ticks, pops, and inferior sound quality."
If you enjoy listening to vinyl, you can hardly afford not to get a Record Doctor VI vacuum-powered record cleaner. It not only cleans your records, but it can also help prolong their life by keeping them free of dust, dirt, and grime.
"I think this compact all-in-one box is the way to go," reports Michael Fremer in his AnalogPlanet.com review. "I highly recommend the Record Doctor V to any serious vinyl fan who's been without a vacuum machine."
Quick, Easy, and Safe to Use
Record Doctor VI is so quick and easy to use, it only takes a minute or so to clean both sides of an LP.
With its Clean Sweep fluid application brush, soft sweeper strips, and specially formulated record cleaning fluid, Record Doctor VI is safe for all of your LPs. And Record Doctor RxLP cleaning solution is a non-alcohol industrial-grade cleaner safe for all vinyl records.
How Often Should You Clean?
"It is recommended that discs be cleaned before – and after – each playback," notes Gerald L. Gibson, Head of the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division of the Library of Congress, 1991.
Clean the records you already own plus any used LPs you find. But you need to clean brand new records, too, because LPs come from the factory with dust and extraneous bits of vinyl in the grooves.
Turn Your Records by Hand and Save a Handful of Cash
The vacuum powered Record Doctor is the most highly recommended low-price record cleaning machine in the world. Stereophile magazine calls the Record Doctor, "the least expensive way to effectively clean records."
Record Doctor VI features the same vacuum motor and vacuum cleaning strip as much more expensive machines, but it does not have the expensive motor that turns records for you. So, turn the records by hand, and save a handful of cash!
"The new hand-gripped rotator device that tops the spindle makes record rotation far easier than on the original machine, plus it completely covers the label," notes Michael Fremer at AnalogPlanet.com. "While it will take a few records to get the hang of it and figure out when a record is dry and ready to be flipped, it's a quick learn."
The Record Doctor VI features a precision roller bearing to make records spin easily, and a handy storage tank for the easy removal of spent record cleaning fluids. The Record Doctor VI comes complete with a 4 oz fluid applicator bottle, applicator brush, and illustrated cleaning instructions.
The Story of the Record Doctor VI
Audio Advisor President Wayne Schuurman tells the story of why and how the latest version of the Record Doctor was created.
The German distributor for the Record Doctor told us they loved our record cleaning machine. They said, "It cleans just like the expensive machines." But after their first order they didn't place another order for a long time.
"What's wrong?" we asked.
"The machine works well," they explained, "but our German customers don't love the vinyl cabinet. And the brush could be made better. Germans don't mind paying more if they believe they are getting more."
Our team brainstormed for over a year on things we could do to make the machine better. We found a way to make the machine run quieter and cooler for longer. We discovered an amazing fluid applicator brush that felt great in the hand. After six different versions, we developed a new injection molded record turner that was easy to handle and kept the record label dry during cleaning.
Still, we struggled with improving the cabinet. Finding a premium grade cabinet maker in Asia was very hard. The really good cabinet makers wanted orders of 20,000 units or more. That's a lot of record cleaners!
The main problem was the top where five panels came together. All five panels had to be perfectly painted and perfectly aligned. Finally, one of our agents hit on a solution: Make the top panel out of aluminum. The aluminum panel would add strength to the cabinet, resist any/all record cleaning solutions and look fantastic.
We built a first run of samples and sent them to Germany. "Fantastic!" said the sales manager. "This machine is everything we wanted, and more." The company owner said, "It's worth double the price of the old machine. I just love the carbon fiber finish."
Introducing the brand-new Record Doctor VI record cleaning machine. It's beautifully made, still easy to use, and still highly affordable.
