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Audio Desk Systeme's Vinyl cleaner PRO:

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Stereophile's "Recommended Components" Awards

2012 through 2021

Pete Davey reviews the Vinyl Cleaner PRO on Positive Feedback:

"I have spent many hours with other cleaners, some semi-automatic, some completely manual, but none of them did as great of a job as the Audio Desk.

Less noise, more music. More dynamics…

It's amazing how much detail is stored on a vinyl record which you won't even notice unless it's cleaned."

Pete Davey, Positive Feedback, Issue 98: August 2018

Read complete review.

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Stereophile's Art Dudley Reviews the Audio Desk Systeme PRO and concludes:

"Now more than ever, this very expensive audio accessory offers very high value: If you own lots of LP's and the Vinyl Cleaner Pro is within your budget, I urge you to give it a try."

-Art Dudley, Stereophile, April 2017

download the full review

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This completely automated record cleaner is simply the state of the art.

The ultrasonic cleaning technique loosens dirt embedded in groove modulations that are too small for even the finest bristles. The sonic results go far beyond quieter surfaces. the Audio Desk renders a dramatic increase in resolution, soundstaging and immediacy.

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The 13th Annual Positive Feedback Writers' Choice Awards for 2016

-Robert H. Levi

Audio Desk Systeme Glass, Vinyl Cleaner Pro

I reviewed the original unit upon release about three years ago and have now spent some time with the new PRO model which sells for the same price, thanks to the strong dollar. The new unit produces results about the same as the original, but faster with superior operation and added features. I would consult with uber friendly Robert Stein about replacing your current non PRO model.

I still find that one cleaning cycle is very good, two cycles is perfection for LP cleaning with no muss or fuss. The PRO is half as noisy as the original and works perfectly in less time... about 5 minutes for one complete cycle compared to 6 with the original. It has a nifty new feature allowing you to dry only your LP without washing. This can be a very useful feature! The mechanism, motor, fans and gears are all smoother sounding and higher rated for longer heavy duty life. It is even easier to empty after cleaning the requisite 100 albums. It now comes in cool colors, red, white, and black for a slight extra charge...I chose red to review. Red works great!

I have seen it on line in the standard gray color for as low as $3800 so shop around. I would make sure the unit you buy says PRO. The PRO comes with a 2 year warranty...no limit on LPs washed.

The secret sauces of the ultrasonic action, mildly detergent custom chemical in the distilled water, and the gentle brushing of four precision brushes make this machine unique among all others available today and is state of the art.

The Audio Desk Systeme Glass, Vinyl Cleaner Pro is the one to buy if you love LP collecting. I have never made a safer recommendation.

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Product of the Year from Stereophile!

In the December 2015 issue of Stereophile we were delighted to be awarded the Editors Choices Award in Products of the Year 2015. As Art Dudley wrote:

"Of the products I wrote about in 2015, one enhanced my enjoyment of recorded music every day: the Audiodesksystem Glass Vinyl Cleaner from Germany. This ultrasonic record washer is expensive, but not overpriced, and is easily the best-thought-out audio accessory I've ever used. Best of all, the Vinyl Cleaner taught me that a lot of what I took to be record-groove damage is actually record-groove dirt - it can be removed, and the effects of doing so are musically and sonically stunning."

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March 2015 Stereophile Review Excerpt

A comprehensive, new Stereophile review from Art Dudley concludes,

"If there exists a more effective, easy, reliable, and utterly transformative way of cleaning LPs, I have yet to hear it."

The full review reprint is now available.

Review Excerpts:

"Bass has better pitch definition. Treble has fewer sharp angles that heretofore might have been taken for dynamics, which, once relieved of their residence on the groove wall, result in improved contrast between like events – this is true throughout the frequency spectrum and, along with improved timing, are the most subtle and most profound improvements the Audio Desk offers."

"Once presented with a clean groove wall, stylus tracking is improved, timing and overtones slip into their correct positions and are properly integrated insofar as the recording makes this possible, resulting in more accurate timbres and better differentiation, even among percussion instruments. With a good recording, given a proper cleaning with the Audio Desk, depth is better revealed, whether the result of varying distance from the microphones or electronically manipulated; and - please assume a sitting position for this - you should be able to hear the difference in character between the strings of an acoustic guitar; same for the violin.

Pianos "ring" less; the mechanics of the instrument are better revealed. Violin bowing is more cleanly and more deftly articulated. Instrumentalists play better."

"I was anxious to tryout the Audio Desk on the new Beatles in Mono set. In this case I was rather surprised by the degree of re-presenting that the cleaned record offered… Once cleaned, the sound projects greater depth, the beat invites unstoppable foot-tapping, instruments have greater textural clarity, especially guitars, voices have less murk in the reverb."

"So, the gauntlet is thrown. Do you dare to take along a few of your records, old and new, to your local Audio Desk dealer and compare the befores and afters? One thing is certain: neither you nor your records will ever be the same again."

-October 2014

See Review in it entirety.

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Following is the complete text of the Vinyl Cleaner’s 2014 Golden Ear Award from

             The Absolute Sound (September 2014, p. 64):

The Audio Desk Systeme record-cleaning machine, which hails from Germany, is a revelation. It is revelatory not just for ease of use, but also for the multifarious improvements it renders to vinyl playback. This fully automatic ultrasonic cleaner, which employs a cavitation chamber in which LPs are bombarded with tiny air bubbles to loosen microscopic bits of dirt and grunge while being scrubbed by four rotary cleaning barrels, will leave just about any LP looking almost pristine. Both used and new vinyl benefit from being immersed in the Audio Desk. Bass lines become more audible, the noise floor appears to vanish, and even ticks and pops seem to be mostly effaced. It also seems to be extremely reliable. In short, it is a well-nigh indispensable accessory for any serious vinyl rig.

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The Audio Desk Systeme Vinyl Cleaning Machine is more than a record cleaner—it’s a window into greater musicality from your LP collection and an essential component for any serious LP listener.
-Robert Harley, the absolute sound, Issue 239, Jan 2014

 "A "must-have" for the serious vinyl enthusiast."

the absolute sound, Issue 239, Jan 2014
"Product of the Year Awards"

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"...for this reviewer and his relationship with vinyl, there will now be a “pre-Audio Desk” and “post-Audio Desk” dividing line…"

“This doesn’t feel right,” my friend said as he packed away the records. “We didn’t suffer enough.”

"When I listen to a record that I have cleaned with the Audio Desk, I enjoy knowing that there isn’t anything else I can do to make the record cleaner. I am also finding that I am listening to more of my LP acquisitions sooner, rather than letting them stack up in my “to be cleaned” pile. For all of these reasons, this Audio Desk unit is staying with me. And I am thrilled to have it."  Click here to see full review.

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"This completely automated record cleaner is simply the state of the art. The ultrasonic cleaning technique loosens dirt embedded in groove modulations that are too small for even the finest bristles. The sonic results go far beyond quieter surfaces. The Audio Desk renders a dramatic increase in resolution, soundstaging, timbral fidelity and immediacy. Once you hear what the Audio Desk does, you won't want to live without it. The icing on the cake is the fully automatic operation: just pop in an LP and watch as the cleaning tank fills, cleans both LP sides simultaneously, and then drains the tank and dries the record."

The Absolute Sound

2014 High-End Audio Buyer's Guide.

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This machine does more than clean records. Or rather, many of us haven't fully understood the effects of truly cleaning a record, which the Audio Desk does like no other record cleaner I've come across. It doesn't just remove the dust; it clears out gunk from deep within the grooves—gunk we may not have known existed—so that the stylus can track the groove with greater accuracy and less strain.

Consider the Audio Desk not an accessory but a component...If your stereo system cost tens of thousands of dollars and you play a lot of vinyl, you need to check this thing out.
—Fred Kaplan, Stereophile vol. 36 No. 9, September 2013

Full Review

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Excerpts from Dr. Myles Astor's April 2013 review of the Audio Desk Systeme Vinyl Cleaner at Positive Feedback.com

"Revelations

Much of the sonic improvements wrought by cleaning those LPs with the Audio Deske's Vinyl Cleaner would appear directly attributable to a combination of both improved cartridge scanning of the groove walls and a reduction in the record cleaning fluid's signature. Or as Peter Ledermann put it, improved tracking reduces "cartridge jitter" allowing for more intimate contact between the stylus and groove wall resulting in greater information retrieval (not to mention that cleaner grooves equals cleaner stylus too!). The effects of a good wash with the Audio Deske are first and foremost manifested by a more tape-like midrange fullness, image solidity and dimensionality.

As expected, the freshly cleaned record sounds much quieter with a far greater ability to both "see" and hear into the back of the soundstage. There's a greater sense of air surrounding the piano. Low frequencies possess greater impact; the striking of the triangle is much more solid and the ringing extends out just a little longer.

Seeing God?
It's not often that audiophile's prayers are answered. The Audio Deske Vinyl Cleaner is definitely doing something different and better than other conventional cleaners that have been in house. The records are cleaner and quieter, they sound better and most importantly and most importantly they're going to last longer (Not to mention that playing clean record should extend your cartridge's lifespan). The Audio Deske Vinyl Cleaner removed even more pops and ticks-plus an annoying skip or two from used records-than the best of the new enzyme cleaners.

While the best enzyme-based cleaners are quite an improvement when it comes to transparency, openness, resolution and low end over the older record cleaning fluids, they still don't come near what the Audio Deske does especially in the midrange!

click to read the complete review.

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THE MIRACULOUS AUDIO DESK LP CLEANER
theabsolutesound.com
by Jacob Heilbrunn (2/13)

Excerpt from conclusion:
"This is a well-nigh miraculous product that produces results equivalent to a cartridge upgrade... if you have a high-end system and oodles of LPs, this record cleaning machine is not an option. It is a must. Hats off to Herr Glass!"

Click to read complete review.

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Enlarged for reading:

Download pdf.

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Writing for The Absolute Sound, founder HP (aka Harry Pearson) gave the Vinyl Cleaner his 2012 Editor's Choice Award. On HP's new website, hpsoundings.com,  Joey Weiss, HP's colleague, writes on November 14, 2012:

"A quasi renegade in the record-cleaning world, this machine does not use brushes or vacuums at all. Instead, the Vinyl Cleaner utilizes "counter-rotating microfiber cleaning barrels and an ultrasonic process" to remove the dirt and dust particles from the record. To dry the record, the Vinyl Cleaner uses a "gentle" fan drying process driven by two high-performance motors.  Both sides of the record are cleaned and dried simultaneously."

"...The Vinyl Cleaner is convenient and takes up about half the space of the VPI HW-27 in residence.  It beats out its closest competitor, the Clearaudio Double Matrix, in effectiveness and ease of use (as well as in price).
     Every record we have cleaned with this machine is sonically improved.  Since the machine does all the work, it is a great luxury if you want keep your record collection pristine."

Read the full review.

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Here is an exerpt from the full review above:

"The Audio Desk Systeme was the most effective, easy-to-use record-cleaning machine I've ever tried. I cleaned records that I'd already vacuum-cleaned but were still noisy, and the noise went away."

The six-minute cleaning cycle is not a problem because it's entirely automatic. I went on a record cleaning spree..."

"I've never had so much fun cleaning LP's. I bought the review sample"

-Michael Fremer, Stereophile Vol. 35 No. 6, June 2012, Pg. 35

Download pdf

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"Also from Michael Fremer on his Analog Planet website, further thoughts and interesting reader on-going comments and observations following his report which concludes, "At this point, it is in my experience, the world's best record cleaning machine. "  Click here for the full review.

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February 2012:  In offering his 2012 Editors' Choice Award to Audio Desk Systeme's Vinyl Cleaner, Harry Peason of The Absolute Sound writes:

"A surprisingly effective record-cleaning device.  Even if you've cleaned your disc with some of the competitive products on the market, you'll find, after the AudioDesk does its stuff, you can hear even more deeply in the grooves.  You have to use distilled water in its operation, but once you've placed the LPO in the provided slot, the machine takes over and, with a comination of brushes and rollers digs into the grooves.  It takes more than a few minutes to clean a disc (both sides at once), and it is noisy.  But damned if it doesn't work a minor miracle."

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Read the October 1, 2012 review in "Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity."

Writer Rick Schmidt concludes:

"How does the cleaned record sound then? I began by cleaning some records that I had already cleaned with the Nitty Gritty. I have found that there is still a small bit of surface noise and an occasional click or pop with a Nitty Gritty cleaned record. The ultrasonic Vinyl Cleaner seems to address both of these issues. Visual inspection of a cleaned record shows that the mold release compound is gone as well. This compound is a leftover from the record manufacturing process and to my knowledge no other cleaner will remove it.

I have yet to hear a click or pop from a record cleaned in this machine and surface noise is completely absent for most records. YES! This is the ticket to a truly divine vinyl experience. A blacker back ground means not only that you don't hear artifacts such as surface noise but the needle dedicated to bringing out more of the nuance in the sound."

Click here for the full review.

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ULTRASONIC RECORD CLEANER

Review by: Philip O'Hanlon

On a Higher Note

importers of Luxman and Audio Aero Electronics,

Vivid speakers, and Brinkmann turntables and phono cartridges.

Last November I was in Minneapolis helping Paul Blizel of Analog Audio of MN host a Music Seminar. While we were setting up the Vivid B1 speakers, I took the opportunity to clean all of my demo records. What struck me as a fantastic feature was the ability to press a button to engage the cleaning cycle & walk away. Now while the record will be cleaned & dried in six minutes, it uses fans to dry the record rather than vacuum dry, it does not induce any static on to the vinyl. So it does not matter when you remove the LP, it will not accumulate dust.

During the New York Show I spent a very pleasant evening with Michael Fremer, over dinner he raved about the ultra sonic record cleaner & mentioned that he had never heard such quiet records, including records that he had cleaned with multi stage process' on his Loricraft record cleaner. He ended up buying the review sample. Well, during the NY Audio Show, Ultra Systems were kind enough to clean all of my demo records & shortly afterwards I bought my own ultrasonic record cleaner and used it to clean 200 records over a period of three weeks before the Newport Beach Show.

There was a reliability issue with the original cleaners that were imported, but since Nov 2011 , Ultra Systems are confident that those reliability issues have been addressed and the cleaners are now hassle free. One thing I should point out though is that it is critical that you only pour EXACTLY one gallon of distilled water into the cleaner. There is no indicator to show if enough liquid has been poured in to the water tank & you can easily overfill. Fill too much & liquid will pour out of the fans.... I am guilty of this. But rest assured fill the right amount of water & you won't have any problems, just clean records with the minimum hassle. Its not cheap at $3900 but for music lovers with large records collections, its a huge time saver. Call your local dealer about the Audio Desk "Ultra Sonic Cleaner or call Ultra Systems at 800-724-3305 and tell them that Philip sent you...

P.S. On A Higher Note has no vested interest in the Ultra Sonic record Cleaner - just a product that we think you should be aware of - its terrific & easily worth our highest recommendation.

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AUDIO DESK SYSTEME - Ultrasonic Vinyl Cleaner

I've been waiting on one of these for awhile, and finally received my very own unit from The Cable Company today. Compared to my VPI HW 17, this little bugger's like a Smart Car to the VPI's Lincoln Navigator. But does it do the trick?

I had to wait to find out - it needs just over a gallon of distilled water, and I didn't have any on hand. I was fairly busy during the morning, so it wasn't until noon'ish that I was able to drive to the store and pick up the required H2O. Once home, I emptied the little cleaning fluid bottle that comes with the machine into the reservoir along with the water, and that was pretty much all I needed to do.

So then I picked out a record from the collection, and old Pablo of Ella Fitzgerald and Andre Previn: Nice Work If You Can Get It, which I had previously cleaned (some time ago) on my VPI (and which had been cleaned by the record shop I purchased it from using a Nitty Gritty). I placed it on the ProJect Debut III USB with a Sound-Smith Carmen cartridge (quite nice, actually), which feeds my iMac's USB port and records via the USB Codec to my favorite digitizing software: Pure Vinyl, from Channel-D. I proceeded to record the title track (track 2, side 1) to the computer, for later comparison.

NEXT: As a matter of pure OCD, I decided to run it through the Audio Desk Systeme Ultrasonic Vinyl Cleaner twice. Whatever it was that the machine did, I wanted it to do it really well, and I use the same amount of OCD record cleaning acumen with the VPI (I also use a vibrating toothbrush while using the VPI, but that's a story and a technique for another time).

NOTE: This machine takes a dog's age to clean a record, but at least you can walk away from it while it does it's thing automatically. There's no process for you to stick your fingers into, so you might as well go make yourself useful and do something like put away the stuff in the dishwasher.

I then placed the record on the turntable and went through the very same recording routine as I did the first time. Using the USB Codec, there's actually no parameter I can change to edit the sound of the recording.

I then rendered the tracks from within Pure Vinyl's editor, and popped them in my iTunes.

Wow.

Seriously, wow.

The first track sounded ok, mind you - but the "clean" track not only sounded clearer, it sounded louder. Better dynamic contrast, more harmonic information, and this isn't at all subtle! Whatever this machine dragged out of the grooves and into the waste water (and off the record!), it had to have been substantial. The difference was like taking cotton balls out of your ears and hearing spectral information that you would have sworn wasn't on the original.

Aside from A/B'ing a dirty record to a clean one (who can't appreciate the difference there?), I haven't heard as much of a change in presentation like this due to a cleaning machine. Here we took what was ostensibly a clean record, cleaned it again via the new machine, and what we got was a whole new sounding record. Phenomenal!

My next experiment is to take a completely new Eric Bibb 45rpm LP from Opus 3, and do the before and after comparo. We'll see how this all washes out ... literally.

Stay tuned ...

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