Welcome to the latest edition of the Skylabs Newsletter. We hope you enjoy the material, and we welcome your feedback as we build this communication vehicle.

Tip From The Bench

Customers often have questions about record cleaning methods and how to keep their records sounding good with each play. This tip focuses on basic maintenance practices that all of us at Skylabs use on our own records and turntables.

In general, there are 3 levels of common record cleaning tools that are available in the marketplace: The least expensive Brush/Pad ($15-$35), the moderately priced manual record washers ($70-$80), and the pricey ultrasonic cleaners ($200-$3000+).

Everyone that cleans records eventually settles on their own tried and true processes. Each of us at Skylabs use multiple methods to maintain our record collections. Here we’ll only highlight some basics. Join our Discord channel and start/join a record cleaning thread to hear other subscriber thoughts on methods/products.

At the very minimum, everyone should own a brush or pad product with record cleaning fluid — We use it before each spin. Place the record on the platter, lightly spray the pad/brush or record, then manually spin the record while wiping the surface. Each of us at Skylabs also use a record washer system or ultrasonic cleaner to periodically deep clean our records. Either of these tools do a better job dislodging micro particles from the record groves that a brush/pad can’t manage. We find ultrasonic cleaning to be the best method. The used records we sell in our store are all ultrasonically cleaned and labeled ‘USC’ before they are put in the bins for sale.

At Skylabs, we sell our own brand of record cleaner spray with pad in store and online ($20), as well as carry the Vinyl Styl Deep Groove Record Washer System (in store only - $75).

Side tip: Don’t forget to keep your stylus free from dust particle build up. A dirty stylus will distort record playback, and can damage your records over time. Pick up a Vinyl Styl Stylus Cleaning Kit ($20) in store or at www.skylabsaudio.com/shop.

New Skylabs Discord Channel Is Live!

Connect with Skylabs’ vintage stereo community through our new Discord channel. Find like-minded audio enthusiasts from around the globe to help answer your questions, solve your lingering problems, provide insight for your next purchase, and share images, stories and your own experiences. Use the link below to join the community.

Spotlighting A Vintage Gem

Skylabs’ technicians completed a massive overhaul of a monster phase linear amplifier from 1974 with huge VU meters that produces 345 watts per channel! Watch Kevin’s upcoming YouTube video this Sunday featuring this vintage gem. The long list of items that went into this rebuild, include:

• New power supply and filter capacitors

• Replaced incandescent lamps with new LEDs

• New RCA terminals

• New amplifier board

• Installed new speaker relay kit

• Installed optional cooling fan (new)

• Phase Linear 700 B

• Years Made: 1974

• Solid State / Tubed Solid State

• Power 345 Watts / Channel @ 8 Ω

• Recommended Load Impedance 4 Ω - 16 Ω

• Frequency Response 5 Hz - 25 kHz @ 1 Watt

• Phase Shift Lagging 10° at 20 kHz

• Total Harmonic Distortion 0.25 %

• Intermodulation Distortion 0.25 %

• Hum and Noise 100 dB below rated power

• Sensitivity 1.14 Volts

• Damping Factor 1000

• Dimensions (W x D x H) 19 x 10 x 7 in.

• Weight 45 lbs.

Click the link below to see the latest Skylabs’ inventory of used components. The inventory changes daily, so the product you are interested in may have been sold. Also, Skylabs does not ship vintage components.

Other Skylabs’ Links

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