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....
Even my dentist who uses an ultrasonic cleaning machine for appliances in his office changes the fluid after one use. We, as audiophiles, surely have standards for cleaning LPs equal to or surpassing those in the medical fields.
How about a thin machine that accepts an LP horizontally like the Furutech Demag saucer, for an ultrasonic bath (using minimum fluid which is replaced each time), no spinning or scrubbing required and then transferring the LP to a vertical double sided point-nozzle unit for spin drying? Quick, no contamination and the benefits of ultrasonics.
Don't know about removing the mold release agents though. I think a multi step fluid solution is required for that.
Peterayer, the proof is in the pudding. I imagine many would be put off were your dentist to twice use the cleaning fluid and put the cleaned item back in their mouths.
You seem intent on longer treatments. I had been doing that with the four step Walker Audio Prelude system and vacuuming each on each side. This is a commitment of about 20 minutes per record, rather than none using the AD Vinyl Cleaner and it sounds as good. This is no choice for me.
For those of you who think that a purchase of the AD cleaner at its lofty price might be a compromise of sacrificing the best cleaner for the convenience of a good cleaner, I must say that I used to use a 4 step process with my VPI 17f including the use of Premier spray, MoFi enzymatic liquid with a 3 minute soak and then scrubbing and then 2 rinses with reagent grade water again with scrubbing on each application PER SIDE---a minimum of 20 minutes per record. Now I use the AD cleaner with a gallon of distilled water, drop the record in and come back 6 minutes later to a cleaner record than under my prior regimen. I'll do 20 a sitting instead of my old 6. To me, it's better and faster. The doubters who are concerned that the fan process to dry in the AD rather than a vacuum process might leave residue,( I cannot tell without a microscope) keep a VPI or other such item handy and do one water rinse per side for one minute each. End of story. Color me very happy with a much smaller stack of vinyl yet to clean.
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