Audio Desk Record Cleaner

My perspective is different, so far. Mine is still under warranty and I've cleaned around 400 LPs with it. The only issue is sometimes a droplet or two of water left after the drying cycle. I use Nerl Reagent grade lab water in mine which leaves little to no residue after drying. The droplets I blot with a microfiber cloth if present and leave the LPs to sit in a plastic dish rack for a while so I know they're completely dry.

The big advantage here is the convenience. For me, that can't be overstated. I no longer waste weekend afternoons cleaning 10-12 records. Records no longer pile up waiting to be cleaned. It certainly doesn't hurt that they sound every bit as good as with my former labor intensive methods which included steaming. I also have essentially no problem with static anymore until I pull out an LP that was done on my VPI cleaner.

So yeah, it's pricey and I assume it will need repair at some point, most everything does and this is a complex device. I'll gladly do what it takes to keep it going though. I can honestly say that no piece of audio equipment I've ever purchased has changed my life for the better to this degree.

I generally share Sonofjim's perspective. Very happy with Audio Desk Systeme. Occasional droplets on record no problem. I'm not only cleaning incoming new vinyl as soon as it arrives, but I'm making tremendous progress on cleaning my entire collection which I am doing in alphabetical order.

It depends on how many records you have to clean. I have had my Audio Desk Systeme for about 10 months and cleaned about 610 records and still cleaning, another 2400 to go. Yes it is an expensive outlay but if you cost it per record it is not bad and as Sonofjim remarks it is very convenient. It will keep going for ever so you can clean a large batch of records in one sitting. I have replaced the scrubbers because it is recommended but it did not have a noticeable effect on the cleaning, but when I washed the old scrubbers the amount of gunge that came off them was tremendous.

I find that the machine does a remarkable job both from a static and cleanliness point of view I find that I do not have to clean my stylus after every side and the sound? well there seems to be more music in the grooves. I played a record after being washed with my Nitty Gritty, washed it again with the ADS and the improvement was palpable.

Yes it sometimes leaves drops of the liquid on the record after the cleaning but I find that that normally happens when it is very humid. I also just play the record with the drops and doesn't seem to have any adverse effect.

All in all I'm very pleased with mine and I find after all the money I have spent on the hard ware this component makes sure that my soft ware is of a similar high standing.

Hope above helps.

I have the Audio Desk Systeme and am very happy with its performance, convenience, and ease of use. Most importantly it lets me listen to more music while spending less time cleaning records.

Regarding sometimes getting a few drops of fluid on the record after the end of a cycle- I read about a simple but effective tweak which removed those stubborn drops. Simply pull out the 2 white squeegee wipers with tweezers. Get 2 wire ties with the paper commonly used to tie plastic bags. Put a wire tie with the paper intact on the rear side of each wiper and reinsert. The extra width of the wire tie will make the wipers come in slightly closer to the record. Also, after every 50 or so cleanings, reverse the direction of the wiper so the upcurve of the wiper now points downward, and use this way for approx. 50 cleanings, then reverse again. Use the wire ties each time.

I got my Audio Desk cleaner last night. Got it home and by 7 am cleaned more records than I have ever done in 2 months. I am extemely happy. It works so well and so easy I am waiting for something to happen, nothing ever works this good. I am really surprised how much cleaner they are than the VPI with triple wash. That being said, the VPI is great as well and if you do not have a RCM and cost is an issue I strongly recommend the VPI.