The Audio Desk info has me thinking about the Degritter, which has pretty limited distribution despite a nice website. It's about $1K less than the Audio Desk, but the main issue for me, assuming it functions well, would be reliability. I have to admit that I was simply shocked to find the AD has a glued-together cabinet. For a device with obviously vulnerable innards (pumps, for heaven's sake) this is incredible. I'd like input form someone with Degritter experience. Sites carrying it seem to be small, exclusive dealers and the Degritter website says it takes a month after order to get one. In other words, they make them as they go. Anybody have one of these? That KlAudio one is really expensive.
Audio Desk cleaner.....still available?
I've been looking into this as my VPI 16.5 (from 35 years ago) has failed and I got taken on a "new open box" SOTA cleaner that was a trash heap no longer made (the site I used still says they are available on order....I called SOTA and they are not and you would not want one anyway). The Audio Desk and the Degritter are the likeliest candidates. The Audio Desk is or is not any longer in production/? Upscale Audio seems to have them, at least online. I was looking at a used one, likely the old model, but there are failure reports. I don't know about the new one, or whether it is even buyable. I'd prefer used if functional, but welcome opinions. The Degritter is the other option and it seems Galen Carol has them here in Texas. Info on that would be good too. I'm starting to think record cleaning companies are the audio equivalent of roofing companies. Advice welcome!!
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I've had a Mk 1 DeGritter for several years now and have cleaned many hundreds of records in it and it works perfectly today, just like it did when I first bought it. These are built VERY well. Mk II DeGritters seem to be available at many retailers (Music Direct being one of many) so I don't know about making them to order and I don't know why you'd want to consider ordering one and waiting a month. |
in my 30+ years owning the VPI 16.5 it has been dead nuts reliable, works well by direct comparison to a good US machine, is still in production, and is well supported by VPI. Unless one is burning to have a US RCM or wants the added convenience of the $5000 Clearaudio vacuum machine, I don’t get why you’d look for a used foreign made RCM with questionable if any factory support. US=UltraSonic. Sorry. |
My Degritter MkI soldiers on, and is in nearly daily use for three years now. Customer support is reported to be excellent, though I have had no occasion to use it. If considering one, here is a very long thread by users discussing their experiences. I do not rely upon it alone, and still use a Loricraft before the Degritter. |
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