Rerurn to Romy the Cat's Site

mem916 wrote:

I think there must be something to the theory that there is debris down in the grooves that the VPI and other similar machines cannot get out, based on the difference I hear after cleaning with the new machine.  I admit that I have not yet done a serious test though.  I only took a record that had been previously cleaned with the VPI and played once, sealed back up in an outer-cover.  When I get around to it I will clean one with the VPI, play it, and then clean it again with the audio desk and compare the difference.  And if I get real ambitious I'll record the results and post them somewhere.  But I can tell you simply based on convenience alone this thing is worth the money to me.  Mark

Cleaning and Drying VINYL CLEANER

The VINYL CLEANER - (not) a matter of philosophy

One can speak about two primary philosophies, two different approaches, that are used in disc cleaning (if you disregard the generally ineffective cleaning by hand): surface suction and point suction. Without wanting to go into the pros and cons of these two procedures, both have one common denominator - suction: I have heard the credo „the disc needs to undergo suction cleaning in order to become really clean“, at various high-end trade fairs and in diverse analogue forums. This statement is underlined by the product offerings on the market: there appears little alternative to suction cleaning.

I wish I could claim that by discussing this topic we have arrived at the gist of the matter - but in the case of disc cleaning the one thing all can agree on: when the dirt loosening process is not carried out effectively, then suction cleaning (or any other clever procedure) simply won't bring good results.

The VINYL CLEANER - a clean machine

In order to loosen dirt, residues, and other contaminants from the disc surface, the standard approach employs brushes. The cleaning results are at least as various and diverse as the brush materials that are used. From the shape of the brush, to the pressure and angle applied, to the speed of turning, numerous criteria, which have to work optimally together, play an important role in order to form the basis for efficient disc cleaning.

Unfortunately the worst case scenario occurs too often: instead of removing the dirt it is forced even deeper into the grooves, or spread across the entire disc surface, or worst of all, the analogue killer, the disc surface is damaged.

The VINYL CLEANER - a dust remover

The VINYL CLEANER doesn't rely on brushes to remove dust and other contaminants. Counter-rotating microfibre wet cleaning barrels, and the ultrasonic process, remove dirt gently yet thoroughly; even the finest particles sitting deep in the grooves of the disc. The cleaning fluid is recirculated and filtered during the cleaning process - in this way the dirt removed, or “shaken,” from the disc can't find it's way directly or indirectly back onto the disc surface. Only then is the foundation for the important final step created: the drying process!

The VINYL CLEANER - drying with no ifs, ands, or buts

Both surface and point suction rely on the vacuum created. The diminishing of the vacuum due to the aging of the apparatus, and the static charging of the disc caused by the effects of rubbing, are two main drawbacks of suction. Surface suction is generally characterized by the limited efficiency of dirt removal and loud vacuum cleaner-like noise. Point suction is typified by the slow speed of cleaning and complicated handling. Convenience is generally sacrificed in either case - both concepts in the main only allow one side of the disc to be cleaned at a time. Once again the VINYL CLEANER rips up the rule book! Both sides of the disc are cleaned and subsequently dried simultaneously. The gentle fan drying process is driven by two high-performance motors - with significantly lower noise, and with no creation of static!

Operation, handling and care

The VINYL CLEANER - maximum convenience

The VINYL CLEANER can justifiably claim to be the most user-friendly disc cleaner: operation, handling and care are all geared towards absolute simplicity and maximum convenience. Before first usage the VINYL CLEANER simply needs to be placed on a level surface, distilled water and cleaning fluid added, the wet filter be fitted and the apparatus plugged in - off you go!
Switch on the VINYL CLEANER, introduce a disc from above, press the start button - the cleaning and drying procedure run fully automatically, and you can get on with other jobs with no worries. The beginning and the end of the cleaning process are signaled both acoustically and by means of the LED display. Depending on the dirtiness of the particular disc the length of the main cleaning process can be individually set - simply at the touch of a button.

The VINYL CLEANER - easy to care for

To begin with a quick word regarding cleaning fluid: In order to treat the vinyl as gently as possible, and create the best possible sound, the cleaning fluid, specifically developed for the VINYL CLEANER, avoids the use of alcohol, instead relying on a mild biodegradable mixture with excellent cleaning properties and outstanding antistatic characteristics. Just one container of cleaning fluid concentrate - 2 are included in the delivery package - is enough to clean approximately 100-200 discs (depending on the level of disc contamination).

I honestly do not see anything in this machine, good and desirable as it might be otherwise, that warrants a price of $3,500. What adds insult to injury in my view are the frightening running costs. Let's imagine one has a collection of 10,000 used records which one would like to clean using the Audio Desksystem Vinyl Cleaner, at $14.99 per 100 records for the record cleaning fluid, one would need to spend $1,500 on cleaning fluid, plus, at $99.95 per 4 microfibre cleaning barrels each good for 500 records, an additional $500 for these microfibre barrels, that is $2000 just for cleaning 10,000 records! Surely someone with 2 grams of sense will see the perfect commercial opportunity to erase all traces of this rip-off company by coming up with a traditional suction or brush based automated solution that costs no more than $1000 and has running costs of £20 for the cleaning of 1000 records!

Rant over. I have a flight to catch to Ribeauville right next to Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany, that is less than 190 miles from the seat of Audio Desk System Glass. Talk about a missed opportunity!

Best regards
Rakesh

Rerurn to Romy the Cat's Site