Tonar celebrates 50 years of Knosti vinyl care at the Bristol Hifi Show

Tonar celebrates 50 years of Knosti vinyl care at the Bristol Hifi Show...

A clean record just sounds better

Knosti, the German manufacturer of vinyl washing machines, proudly celebrates its 50th anniversary, marking five decades of design, quality and performance dedicated to preserving analogue sound with impeccable clean records. Founded in 1976 by Hermann Knoblich, Knosti has become one of the world’s most respected names in record maintenance, known for delivering thoughtfully engineered solutions that make groove-deep cleaning accessible to music lovers everywhere.

Knosti was born out of a simple yet powerful idea: to help people clean and protect their vinyl records with tools that are effective, affordable, and easy to use: from the Archifix record storage system to the Disco-Antistat vinyl cleaning devices. With a long tradition rooted in German craftmanship, the company has built an enduring reputation among audiophiles, collectors, DJs and vinyl enthusiasts worldwide.

A cornerstone of that legacy is the iconic Disco-Antistat record cleaning machine. Introduced to the market in the late 1970s, this device solved a widespread problem in the record community. In the 1960s and 1970s, many vinyl enthusiasts cleaned their LPs with a wet substance while playing them. However, once cleaned this way, dry playback was often no longer possible, as the fluid would leave crystals in the groove, as well as a sticky residue. It gave rise to the saying: “Once wet, always wet.” With the Disco-Antistat manual washing machine, Knosti finally resolved this dilemma. The system allowed records to be thoroughly cleaned, dried, and safely played again without damage or residue — a breakthrough that quickly made the device an indispensable part of record care. At the same time the special Knosti anti-static fluid reduced the build-up of static electricity on the records. To this day, the Knosti Disco-Antistat remains one of the most widely used and trusted cleaning systems in the world of vinyl.

Most recently, Knosti launched the Disco-Antistat Ultrasonic 2.0 — a state-of-the-art vinyl washing machine that combines ultrasonic technology with the brand’s proven cleaning system. The Ultrasonic 2.0 uses ultrasonic waves to penetrate deep into the grooves, loosening even the finest particles and the toughest grime, while soft goat-hair brushes and a newly developed Ultraclean alcohol-free antistatic cleaning fluid complete a gentle yet comprehensive record cleaning.

With Knosti, cleaning records has become easy, effective and affordable. The Disco-Antistat vinyl washing machines are not only useful for older and second-hand records. Especially brand new records can use a spin through the soft goat-hair brushes to get rid of all the sticky substances from the record pressing process that stay in the groove. With the ease of Knosti, a clean record will for sure sound better.

All Knosti products are distributed by Tonar International. Since 1954, Tonar has become the specialist for phonograph styli, cartridges and accessories for your turntable and vinyl collection. During the Bristol Hifi Show, Tonar will be showcasing and demonstrating many of the Knosti record cleaning machines at their booth, located at the Bristol Suite 9 on the Ground Floor.