Keith Monks discOveryOne record cleaning machine

There are precious few brands that have scaled the high walls of the hi-fi industry, only to emerge blinking into the daylight of the wider world outside. Tannoy is the obvious example – it’s even reserved itself a place in the dictionary – and then you’re talking Linn and Quad, both of which seem to have seeped out into some civilian circles. Keith Monks has made that transition too – famous for that big old record cleaning machine seen in a grimy corner of hundreds of hi-fi and record shops throughout the seventies and eighties. It’s certainly a name to conjure with.

Keith Monks discOveryOne record cleaning machine

Which is precisely what Jonathan Monks has done. Five years ago he revived his father’s company and set about remaking his classic Omni record cleaning machine. At the time, his focus was on the faithful recreation of this legendary device – everyone who has used one knows that it works brilliantly and Jon wasn’t willing to be told that the relaunched machine was a shadow of the original.

All well and good. But what about those of us who merely want to restore discs we pick up from record fairs and charity shops? And how about vinyl junkies on a more limited budget? It is for these people that the new discOveryOne was created.

Spring clean

It comes in two versions; the one you see here with built-in wash system for $2,621, or for $493 less you can manually apply the cleaning fluid. Much of the saved cost is down to the main turntable, which is no longer a bespoke design. Instead, an adapted Technics SL-1200 clone is used. This may seem odd, but it’s a fine piece of lateral thinking, given that there are plenty available for relatively little money, and that these robust direct drive designs are still strong enough to drive a cleaning machine.

Using the new discOveryOne is similar to its bigger, older brother. You switch it on, place a dirty record on the turntable and move the cleaning block across so it covers the whole surface of the disc. Then you press the Mini Cooper screen washer knob and you’ll begin to see the brush – and then the record – getting wet.

Keith Monks discOveryOne record cleaning machine

When the disc is wet (but not drowned) with fluid, you return the cleaning brush to its rest position and then phase two of the operation commences. The suction arm (a converted SL-1200 clone tone arm) is moved across to the center of the disc, and a micro switch starts up the suction pump and pulls the arm from the inside ‘run out’ groove to the outside ‘lead in’ groove as it sucks up the fluid. This is a noticeably slower process than with the Omni (which runs at 80rpm to the discOveryOne’s 33), but if anything it’s easier to use. There’s auto-shut off when the suction arm finishes its job, and I also find it slightly quieter than the original (the noise is claimed to be 37dB, C-weighted, at 1m).

DiscOveryOne record cleaning machine

About a minute later, you’re left with a sparkling slice of rejuvenated vinyl. Having cleaned both sides, you’d be crazy not to put it into a brand new polythene-lined sleeve, lest all the scunge deposited inside the old sleeve goes straight back onto the disc surface again. Generally, I find one clean per side sufficient – it has to be a pretty nasty disc to require a second go. But when you do give it a second clean, it digs deeper than the first, removing practically every trace of gunge – even deep greasy fingermarks. I spent several months giving the original Omni a good testing, and I’d say this new cheaper design doesn’t work any less well – it’s just slower. I also like the automatic shut-off, when the waste container is full.

Dirty dancing

A cleaned disc plays better, regardless of how dirty it was (or not) pre-ablutions. Obviously, if it was in a bad way, the improvement will be dramatic, as my somewhat ‘well campaigned’ record collection shows. But even new vinyl can benefit, not least because of the removal of the mould release agent in the grooves. It makes for a brighter, tighter, more focused sound with greater grip and power in the bass. That’s the great thing about having a serious record cleaning machine such as this – as well as a basic subsistence tool it gives you improved sound even on discs that you’d think don’t need it. The new Keith Monks discOveryOne is an excellent product then, giving you almost all the performance of the company’s more expensive machines, but at a far more affordable price. Every serious record collector should have one.