Audio Desk Systeme Vinyl Cleaner Pro – Record Cleaning Machine
Review by Criterion Audio
A common question people ask is; ‘how is the best way to clean records’? There are many different ways people clean their vinyl, some can be very effective and others not so! But most audiophiles would agree a professional wet cleaning system is the best way to clean them.
General dust removal before playing is best done using a good quality carbon fibre brush. There are many makes on the market but, depending on budget, a good one starts from around £10-£25. We are a little reluctant to use an aftermarket sprays onto the record. Although some of those available may make the record look clean, fluids can stick in the grooves and make things worse, so stick with the carbon brush at this stage. Avoid the old velvet cloth’s which have been in use for any years as they also can make things worse by rubbing the dirt further into the grooves! Use a good quality carbon fibre stylus cleaning brush for cartridge too. These two items are essential, but what about if your records are very dirty and require a deeper clean?
The cheapest way would be to buy something like the Knosti machine or Spin Clean system. These are manual wet cleaning systems which use a bath of cleaning fluid which is supplied, and for around £50-£100, these are excellent value for money and go to the next level in cleaning your vinyl much deeper if you are on a budget. They are not perfect but for the cost, they do a much better job than most other cleaning fluids and cloths.
Want a better clean? No problem, the professional system is at the top level with machines such as Pro-ject, Clearaudio, VPI, Nitty Gritti and many more costing from £350 upwards to around £2000 depending on model. The record is placed on the machines turntable platter and cleaning fluid is dispensed onto the record. Brushes work their way into the grooves. Once finished the cleaner pulls the fluid off the record using a vacuum system, leaving no dirt in those grooves. It can be a little messy to use and drying may still need to be finished off properly by standing the record up to dry.
But, for the ultimate clean and an even easier system to use, Audiodesk Systeme from Germany have come up with a machine that uses ultrasound to remove the dirt using 4 rotating microfibre rollers. The Vinyl Clear Pro has a bath which is filled using one bottle of Audiodesk’s special cleaning fluid, topped up with around 4.5 litres of distilled water. Once the record is inserted, hit the start button, sit back and let the machine do the rest. The record is deep cleaned and once finished, the machine then uses an automatic dryer and the record can then be played straight away. Each record takes around 5 minutes to clean. One bottle of fluid and distilled water can clean around 100 records. No fuss, no mess, just the deepest clean possible with virtually no effort required.
The results? Spectacular! Sound quality is improved dramatically. This is easily the finest and easiest way to clean your precious vinyl collection.
So, the question ‘what is the best way to clean records’? We have the perfect solution; Audiodesk Vinyl Cleaner Pro!
See the machine in action on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CriterionAudio
Available to buy from our online store: https://www.criterionaudio.com/product/audio-desk-systeme-vinyl-cleaner-pro-record-cleaning-machine/