Clearaudio Double Matrix Professional Sonic Record Cleaner

Both Sides at Once, Start to Finish, on One Button

The Double Matrix Professional Sonic washes and vacuums both faces of a record in a single pass. You clamp the record, press one button, and walk away. Nothing gets flipped, and the side you already cleaned never goes back down on a dirty surface.

That is the whole argument for it. Every one-sided machine asks you to turn a wet record over. Fingers go somewhere. Fluid goes somewhere. This one removes the question by never asking you to flip anything.

One Button, or Every Step by Hand

Fluid goes on at the touch of a button from an internal reservoir. An LED ladder shows how much is left. Choose the automatic cycle, or take manual control of each step when a record needs something specific.

What the Sonic Part Actually Does

Clearaudio adds a vibrational element to the cleaning pads. The company describes it as releasing dirt from the groove without straining the record. It is vibration through the pads, not an immersion tank.

The platter turns both ways. Clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation works the fluid through the groove from both directions rather than only one. Dirt sitting against one wall of the groove gets approached from the other side.

Built to Run All Day

The vacuum turbine carries overheating protection, so a long session will not stop it. An integrated anti-static brush discharges the record as it finishes, which matters because a freshly cleaned surface attracts dust readily.

It is a substantial machine at roughly 35 pounds and 16 inches wide, drawing up to 450 watts in use and nothing at all when switched off at the rear.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Michael Fremer reported from CES for AnalogPlanet on January 7, 2015 that "The machine is extremely well-made, quiet and seems to do the job as claimed based on the record I had cleaned on it."

Who Is This Record Cleaning Machine Best For?

• You clean in long sessions — both sides in one pass roughly halves the handling, and the turbine is protected against the heat that builds over an afternoon
• You handle records you would rather not touch twice — the clean side is never set back down, so nothing you just removed gets pressed back in
• You want it to run itself — one button takes a record through the whole cycle, and manual control is there for the ones that need it
• You are dealing with static — the anti-static brush discharges the record at the end of the cycle, so it goes back in the sleeve without attracting the room
• You were expecting an ultrasonic bath — this cleans with fluid, pads and vacuum, adding vibration through the pads rather than immersing the record; compare it against the full range of cleaning machines if immersion is what you are after

How Do You Use It?

Sit the record on the platter and fit the clamp. Press for fluid, then start the cycle. The machine wets, works and vacuums both faces, reversing direction as it goes, and finishes with the anti-static brush.

Twelve-inch records are what the automatic programs are set up for. Seven and ten-inch records clean in manual mode, and you do not have to change the head to do it.

Pairs Well With

What to have on hand alongside it:

• Record cleaning solutions — the reservoir needs filling, and fluid choice is yours
• Record cleaning accessories — replacement pads and a dust cover
• Record brushes — a carbon fiber brush before each play keeps the work you have done
• Turntables — a clean record deserves a deck that can read it

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it really clean both sides at the same time?

Yes. Pads and vacuum work top and bottom together, in one operation, with no flipping.

Is this an ultrasonic cleaner?

It is a vacuum machine with a vibrational element applied through the cleaning pads. The record is not immersed in a tank.

Can it clean 45s and 10-inch records?

It can, in manual mode. The automatic programs are optimized for 12-inch records, and the cleaning head does not need changing for the smaller sizes.

How much room does it need?

Around 16 inches wide by 15 deep, and near 11 inches tall with the clamp fitted. It weighs about 35 pounds, so give it a solid surface.

How many cleaning programs are there?

A normal cycle, a doubled cycle for records that need more, and a lighter cycle for ones that do not. Manual control sits alongside all three.

See It in Action

Inside Hi-Fi runs a full cleaning cycle from clamp to finish:

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Learn More

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