The difference between a 170 kHz system and competitive systems is immediately apparent when seen side-by-side. The unit is amazingly quiet. Since 170kHz is twice as far from the hearing range of the human ear, it does not produce as many random sub-harmonics, which leads to noticeably less irritating noise. The surface of the cleaning fluid also appears entirely different to that of ordinary ultrasonics. The 170 kHz systems have small, evenly distributed waves rippling across the entire surface, while lower frequency units have virtually no ripples.
The power of the 170 kHz system is immediately felt when the hands are submerged into the system. When positioned in some orientations, the sensation borders on painful. Yet even with the amazing cleaning power, the 170kHz system is gentle. Testing with sensitive metals also showed no signs of metal etching common with some ultrasonic systems.
