Q: I was looking for a record cleaner a few months ago and saw the $80 Spin-Clean on Amazon. It’s highly rated (4,000 reviewers rate it at 4.6) and recommended by Stereophile. It apparently works a lot like HumminGuru. Your thoughts?
A: The Spin-Clean Record Washer works completely differently than the fully automatic, ultrasonic HumminGuru. The Spin-Clean immerses the record in a cleaning solution with brushes and you spin the record manually with your hands, removing dirt that then settles in the bottom of a trough. You dry the record with a cloth, and you are ready to play.
It gets the records just as clean as an expensive, automatic record cleaner, and it is one of the best accessories a vinyl fan can own. It’s also a great introduction to record washers. (spinclean.com)
Big thing in a small package
This week I continue my holiday gift coverage with a product I have long admired but previously was too expensive to recommend. But that has changed.
I first saw the Muzen OTR Metal Wireless Portable FM Radio Bluetooth Speaker at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) several years ago. I was instantly drawn to the tiny size, cute retro styling, analog tuning dial, physical controls and solid metal body painted in colorful, tasteful tones. But the launch pricing of $139.99 seemed too steep, even given the CES Innovation Award it won at the show.
Now that I have experienced the product, especially with its new pricing, I’ve changed my mind. The packaging alone is impressive. The radio/speaker comes in a colorful retro-styled gift bag, which contains a small cloth bag. The cloth bag holds a miniature plastic suitcase. Opening the suitcase reveals the Muzen. I can’t imagine any recipient not being delighted as they opened the product.
Two front-mounted knobs turn on the radio, control volume and select the source: Bluetooth, auxiliary input or FM. An extendable whip antenna plugs into the USB-C port and dramatically improves FM reception. The backlit analog tuning dial works in conjunction with a light that turns green when you achieve tuning lock.
As a Bluetooth speaker, it rates as average. The sound quality is good, but the bass and maximum volume are limited by its size. The radio function rates a solid A, however. The tiny device spoke with an authority and projected its voice in a way it did not with Bluetooth.
