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Audio Desk Record Cleaner-Anyone buy one yet

I may never get to own one of these due to the price, but if I could I would say that it may the best upgrade to any analog system. I had the opportunity recently to have a couple of records cleaned on one. The two Lp's I had cleaned are one of many copies I have purchased thru the years in search of a good clean copy. The title is the 2 disk set "Renaissance Live at Carnegie Hall". I took one of my copies over in hopes that I would get back that sought after clean copy. However I will preface my comments about the Audio Desk with the cold hard fact that once a record reaches a level of surface noise and contamination, nothing can make it new again. However once the Audio Desk completed it's 8 minute process, the improvements were immediately evident. First thing to take notice of, absolutely the cleanest and shiniest black vinyl I think I have ever seen. The LP's looked better than new under light. But the real test is listening. As I have listened to the title many many times from my first copy back in the 70's and never on LP, CD or Imported CD have I heard the detail of the recording. On disk #1 the cleanest of the two the LP was much cleaner than I have been able to obtain on my VPI 16.5 using Walker 4 Step, Mobile Fidelity Enzime, L'Art Du son, and various other solutions. My guess is the Audio Desk cleaned an additional 50-70% of the surface noise from the album. The depth of information in the Annie Haslam's Vocals, the clarity of the Bass that I had written off as muddled recording failure was now revealing the individual notes each taking their own space in the music field. The orchestra was fully present and not crowded together as before. Now on to disk 2, the disappointment of permanantly damaged grooves was inescapable. However the music that came thru had much more information to re-write the recall of this recording burned in my memory from previous listening sessions. On Scherazade with the verbal introduction to the song, I heard instruments and voices in nthe back ground that I had never noticed before. Little plucks of strings and puffs on brass as the orchestra was making sure they were ready to perform. I will say that an additional cleaning of 20-30 percent of this album was still obvious but to my disappointment, the Audio Desk is not a miracle worker, but a pretty damn good magician. I think 3800.00 is a lot of money for just about anything these days, but is it worth the 3800.00? Yes if you value and love your record collection. I have an LP12 with many upgrades and Lyra Kleos Cartridge. This record cleaner is just 800.00 more than the cartridge and when I put the two in perspective they both can bring a much higher level of performance to your turntable. Unfortunatly you need both and I sadley can only afford one. The financial curse of audiophilia continues....
theo

Showing 6 responses by mikelavigne

mikelavigne
2,216 posts
 
i've owned my Audio Desk Systeme RCM for 3 years....and love it. and recommend it.

previous to owning this RCM i owned the VPI 16.5 for 9 years, and then the Loricraft PRC3 for 4 years. i sold both of them.

and then earlier this year i did purchase another Loricraft, the PRC4 Dlx.

back to the Audio Desk Systeme, i have had zero problems except that after 2 years after my warranty ran out i had a motor failure. i was offered a no cost exchange or i could pay for shipping to Germany and they would still fix it at no charge. i elected to do the exchange; since then no problems. my understanding is that earlier issues have been resolved and they do stand behind their product. i am a careful user and don't force things or overfill the reseavoir which have been two areas where they have had problems.

what i love about the Audio Desk Systeme is easy it is to use, and that it does get the records very clean. however, it is not perfect. which is why i purchased the Loricraft again. sometimes i want to use a 4 step chemical process for specific pressings. having both gives me the flexibility i want. but the majority of the time i roll with the Audio Desk.

i have purchased a couple of record collections in the last few years; it is great fun being able to clean records while i'm listening to others. more music, easier. in a 3 hour evening listening session i can clean 15 lps front and back while i'm listening continually. that is what it is all about. i use to simply not listen to some Lps rather than take the 10+ minutes to methodically clean both sides. now i can just place it in the Audio Desk, press the button, and then come back to a clean Lp.

highly recommended.
mikelavigne
2,216 posts
 
Jyprez:

Be careful with ultrasonic cleaners. They can easily pit and damage surfaces unless matched with the materials being cleaned. When I worked for AMAT (a semiconductor equipment manufacturer) some years back we tested ultrasonic cleaning systems on various metal and plastic parts. Settings that worked well for metal surfaces like aluminum ended up damaging plastics like Delrin and acrylic.

zero issues on this. no Lps get harmed.

To me the main benefit of this machine is not whether it's better than the 16.5 in effectiveness. I've heard it may be. The ability to push a button and return in five minutes to a finished record is where the money is IMO. I can clean 10 records in about two hours with my 16.5 regimen. I doubt there's a machine that get's the job done a lot better when I'm done. However, I spend a lot of time slaving over the 16.5. A machine that can free up time for me and still do the job well would be worth the money IMO, provided it's reliable. People say time is money. No, time is life and the more of it you can enjoy the better.

i owned the 16.5 for years and respect the heck out of that machine. i likely cleaned 4000 Lps with it. but the Audio Desk is infinitely easier and does a better job to boot.
mikelavigne
2,216 posts
 
Thanks Doug.

If an Audio Desk lets us enjoy more LPs that alone would make it worth the cost. What good are my 4,000 LPs if they're all in the "clean me" pile?

says it all.

what i do is use the Audio Desk and then if i hear more tics than i think is proper it goes in the 'Loricraft' pile.....for when i have the time. about one (maybe two) out 10 end up in that pile. the Loricraft seems to improve about 30% to 40% of those to some degree.....which i think is mostly a multi-step chemical cleaner issue.....and to a lesser extent that the vaccuum process is simply 100% effective on small particles.

i know Albert uses 2 Audio Desk machines; one with only pure water for a final rinse. which is another valid approach. and he also has a third machine for using chemicals.

the Audio Desk has the additional benefit of useing blow dry instead of vaccuum which does result in less static and therfore less dust attraction and a slightly calmer play.

it is nice to be able to have different approaches for particular pressings.
mikelavigne
2,216 posts
 
i own both types of machines. you can make a good case for either as the 'only' one; or make a strong case to 'need' both types.

i made the same case on another thread that Norm makes about the fact that either machine likely improves on the other depending on the sequence. a second re-cleaning helps by either machine.

and i respect Syntax's point that clean water is better than re-used filtered water....unless it isn't. and OTOH flipping a clean Lp over and laying it on the 'less that perfectly clean' platter also introduces a point of contamination.

anyone who is putting enough passion and effort in cleaning Lps to be involved in this thread has already got clean records.

who has the cleanest?

:-)
mikelavigne
2,216 posts
 
interesting points, i don't know the science about ultrasonic cleaning so i can't comment on the still water and the heated water points, but i can tell you that records much prefer blow drying to vaccuum. vaccuum adds static, blow drying does not nearly to the same degree. big issue as far as dirt and dust attraction and calmness of that first play.

i own the Loricraft, and did own the VPI 16.5 for many years, so i know how vacuuming affects play. one benefit of the Loricraft over the VPI is it's less intense vacuuming. and the AD has none so it's even better.
mikelavigne
2,216 posts
 
at RMAF i learned about another 'trick' for the 'white wipers' from the 'Elusive Disc' guy who was demo'ing the Audio Desk.

he said to take a 'twist tie', those wires with a paper wrap, and insert the twist tie (laying flat against the flat back of the white wiper) behind the white wiper in the slot carefully. basically start them both together and gently, slowly, push them in.

this will push the white wiper out just a bit and help it wipe better. he said a wire by itself is not enough.

the paper will keep the twist tie from damaging the white wiper and it's probably good if the twist tie is slightly sticking out at the end so it can be grabbed by a pliers for easy extraction. i might also apply a small amount of vasoline to the back of the twist tie so it slides in easier if it won't slide in smoothly.

i've not yet tried it but it does sound like it would work.
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