Reviews

“The Keith Monks Machine is the state-of-the-art in record cleaning. It is the reference standard against which all record cleaning devices must (and will) be measured. The Monks Machine does what the noise reduction machines now proliferating say they will do: remove noise. But it does what the noise reduction machine can never do: actually improve the fidelity of the discs.

“In short, every serious audiophile needs at least to have access to a Keith Monks Record Cleaning Machine… If you have a sizeable record collection (say more than 250 records) then the Keith Monks becomes indispensable. Certainly no serious record and/or audio reviewer can afford to be without one.

“The sonic improvements in the reference discs have been of a magnitude we hardly imagined… several members of the listening panel have been absolutely shaken by the improvements the Keith Monks can effect. These changes include improved imaging specificity… improved image width… improved ambience recovery and detailing, improved signal to noise ratio… improved harmonic accuracy. In the upper-midrange and high frequencies, records take on a new crystalline clarity.

“There is simply no doubt that the Keith Monks permits a good reproducing system to extract a more faithful measure of the sound actually contained in the grooves… before cleaning, all I could tell about that group was that it consisted of more than one person. After cleaning, the individual voices were suddenly distinct from one another.

“The better your reference system, the more improvements you will note from a cleaning by the Keith Monks Machine. Older pressings… are re-vivified and, in most cases, restored to nearly pristine quality. A surprising number of clicks, pops and what I had assumed were scratches (actually, I learned, they were imbedded particles) just disappeared.

“While I have been repeatedly floored by the improvement which the (Keith Monks) RCM can produce in the sound of old and oft-played discs, I have been simply transported by what it can do with first-class new discs. Just about any disc, in any condition, is improved by the Monks RCM. But the most surprising thing of all is this: the better the disc sounds to begin with, the more dramatic is the RCM’s effect.

“The Keith Monks is, beyond question, the most effective record cleaner available. The real shocker came when I brought a brand new record to the home of the Editor and found, after an initial playing revealed some grit and distortion, that a run through the Monks improved the sound dramatically.
Imagine – a machine that makes new records sound better. Can there be a more convincing testimonial?”

- The Absolute Sound 1979, USA

“We have just received our first shipment, thanks. Jonathan, I am just amazed - your RCM beats the [other make] completely, from how it looks to how well it performs. When you consider others are at best just a copy of yours, I could not believe there would be such a difference. And that's comparing one of their top models against just the basic Keith Monks !

“I must say this really is THE Record Cleaning Machine to have ! We have been demonstrating it in the showroom and we invited the owners of [other makes] and they are pretty impressed with it - and a bit sad too I think ! Maybe we find a new market for other used cleaners ! !

“So we are all very excited here and will start our marketing work on your very fine Machines straight away. We know we have the best… Thanks again for letting us distribute your RCM.”

- Mr Jay, Jay Audio, Singapore

“After nearly 20 years trying various cleaners, I really didn’t think it was possible to improve the results of my work with anything other than my trusty studio and my own particular way of steering it… Keith, I hold up my hands: your Machine has proven me totally wrong !”

- Mr C Walker, sound restoration engineer,
Brighton England

“Are you pleased or shocked if I say my RCM’s waste jar is often half full of black dirty water from ancient records - that I thought already looked clean? ! But oh, the records ! They do sound so different, so much better. Early 1920's Victors sound a whole lot quieter than HMV's of the same period anyway, and US Columbia's were always renowned for their "silent" surfaces. But after a quick spin on my Keith Monks Record Cleaning Machine, the sound on all of these discs just soars to, well, ‘unheard’ of heights ! This really is about as good as it gets ! !

“As a simple amateur I did have slight hesitations about such an expense, but now I know for certain that the Monks should not be considered in any way a mere accessory… your device is in fact a vital and indispensable necessity for the restoration and true appreciation of musical history.”

– Mr Michael Earles, private collector, Kuwait

“Performance of the new Machines is wonderful, better than ever before. The cleaning results on our new showroom model are the best we’ve ever seen. Excellent.

“Our customers seem to like the look of your redesigns very much. The Monks RCM is expensive but it is easy to see why - it is engineered to do the job properly… Now, for us as retailers, your improvements make them a real pleasure to show and sell.

“No question because we are telling the truth. It is expensive but it is the best in the world.”

- Mr Ellis Fung, Precision Audio, Hong Kong

Keith Monks. “Making records sound better since 1969.”