Would anyone be interested in a timeshare on an Audio Desk Vinyl Cleaner Pro?

  Good luck with that.  Why do you need a drying rack with your VPI?  Mine dries the record completely, I go from the cleaner to the TT.

I should have an AD, based on the amount of time I invest in record listening.

Any opportunity I get to use one, I jump on it. While it’s possible it find a used one for a decent price, I still can’t justify a minimum 3k
for purchase.

Your premise is honorable and possibly doable within a local group, no shipping involved.

Otherwise, I see problems with a user setting up, unit is dead. Last user claims it was fine, now what? We all pitch in again to pay for repair?

Heres one right now.
http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649251396-audiodesk-audio-desk-vinyl-ultrasonic-record-cleaner/

Yes, this will not be the easiest thing to arrange, but for now, let's just see who would be interested, presuming the kinks can be worked out and we can have a good arrangement.  I agree local is better, but shipping is not out of the question.  A budget for repair and consumables would be something I will investigate once we have a group of interested users.

South Florida from the palm beaches to the keys would be amazing.  Not too bad a drive, and an excuse to meet a fellow music nerd!

marktomaras-

Your system looks, and no doubt sounds fabulous. I wish there were a group of guys here, in crazy SoCal that we're willing to organize something similar.

Meanwhile, I've been keeping  my spin clean busy for years.

 Thank you table jockey, probably due for an updated photo – speakers finally found their proper position. only took a month being super nerdy about it!

I have a suggestion, having owned both the AD and the KL along with a big Monks:

a DIY using an ultrasonic bath that permits you to control heat and use a surfactant, plus one of those record rotisseries (I think the preferred one for little money is the Vinyl Stack) gives you more than the AD or KL.
It will cost you far less even if you use one of the uber German built US machines.
My preference is to point nozzle dry the records on the Monks, rather than forced air drying- I think it does a better job of removing the contaminants than blowing air on them. Point nozzles can be had used (Loricraft or perhaps Monks), used, but you have to make sure the machine works properly and hasn’t been abused. You could conceivably use a wand type vacuum cleaner, like a VPI, as a stopgap, but you lose some of the benefit.
At least put it under your hat if you can’t get a sharing program going. There is a good article by Rush Paul, posted on the ’Gon and appearing in Positive Feedback within the last year that discusses his findings- Rush drew from that vast DIY forum that had a crazy long thread on DIY ultrasonic. After I talked at length with a manufacturer of industrial ultrasonic equipment (factory sized lines), that manufacturer, who has been in business forever, convinced me that a surfactant makes a real difference. Getting it off, using a pure water rinse is also a reason to use a vacuum cleaner, rather than a forced air dryer.
So, a little more involved, cheaper, and very good results. That’s the direction I’m heading in for my next machine, with a few tweaks. (Rush recycles his bath water and filters it too, and I think used a relatively inexpensive (under $500) ultrasonic machine.
Have fun. To me, the combination of ultrasonic and point nozzle is fantastic!

I posed a similar question about time sharing an AFI Flat. I have had (2) responses; both negative. I would have hoped that the Audiodesk or a Klaudio would have garnered a better response.

 I have an Audiodesk and consider it indispensable for Vinyl guys.

Yes! ; I do have a labor intensive regime; It is worthwhile.

THE SOURCE, VINYL, contains so much more info, detail, "data" than most will ever realize out of this media.

Records; now 50+ years old, given a great cleaning, amaze me with what is in the grooves. I have listened to some amazing digital gear / systems and admit that it is most likely the future of audio; but if you have a large collection of vinyl, the US cleaners are worth having to use.

If you want to try it; I highly recommend Dave Burton "Record Genie. com" His service is great! You can trust your vinyl in his hands.

In the age, BD ( Before Digital ) We All had vinyl and got Together. Now it seems that Vinyl guys are mostly in a "loner world"

Anyone have any suggestions as to how to bring guys together? Suggestions Welcome. Kinda rambling here; So.......

Best Wishes to All on this Journey.

Brings a lot of pleasure.
Norb

Norb- my suspicion is the audio clubs, such as they are--there seems to be a resurgence of them now-- are the most likely places to find the flatteners and expensive cleaning machines as a part of a group buy.

whart,

I have looked at CAS site. There meetings all seem to be in the 'burbs. I would want to meet people in Chicago.

Thanks
Norb

I remember speaking to the Canadian distributor for Audio Desk about this very subject. He said there would be no warranty on such a unit because abuse and silly people(he used much stronger terms) would destroy the unit in no time. 

I know there are some odds against feasibility, but it all depends on the circumstances and locations of the  interested people, so let's stay positive, at least for step one, which is measuring interest!

There are several very good, budget US record cleaners available. Probably extremely close to the Audio Desk in effectiveness. 

I've used a friend's Vinyl Stack, and it does a fabulous job.

https://thevinylstack.com/view-cart/

$275 + the price of the ultrasonic tank (about $120 on ebay).

In addition, there are a couple of more sellers of similar ultrasonic record cleabers on ebay.

One called "Groove Clean" and another called "Cleaner Vinyl".

I have an AD Pro and would share with other vinyl lovers but I live in Chicago.   

I have an AD Pro myself, so I don't need to share, but would like to hookup with other Chicago vinyl audiophiles.

 I am at 69th and the lake. 

My my interest is Classic rock, some jazz and a few classical.

Have checked the CAS site but all their meets are in the 'burbs.

I posted the same question on another site last week - no response, at least not positively.  I just went ahead and purchased my own ADS Pro.

So, since 3 users recently posted that they use the AD Pro, what do you think of it?  I have a VPI 16.5, and I feel that it is too time costuming, and ultimately does not get the records as clean as I would like.  Does the AD Pro master the process?  Is it faster, easier, and does it clean better?

Marktomaras,

Clean vinyl takes effort. 
Clean vinyl takes effort.
Clean vinyl takes effort.

Sell the TT and vinyl; go digital.

I too am thinking about a US cleaner:  DIY vs AD vs KL audio.  I have recently talked to a friend who put a grand into a DIY setup that he still has to vacuum to dry them.  He is not enthusiastic about his results.  Another friend just bought the older AD model and so far loves it.  However, he cleaned a few of my records and while easier to use, they sound similar to my cleaning process.  I encourage you to read this thread about cleaning fluids.
http://https//www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=96199
I have found that utilizing the formula recommended by Vince is an absolute wonder in getting your records clean and costs pennies!  Utilizes easily obtainable chemicals of known grade.  I mix all my solutions and rinses in reagent grade water from Amazon or Ebay.  Works so well, unless someone hands me the cash, I'm passing on the US for the moment.  One wash step and two rinses takes about 3 minutes per side.  Let stand for a bit b4 sleeving or playing in case a bit of moisture remains helps too.

This one does an excellent job, for the price they are asking its a bargain, this and a 6L ultra sonic tub is 95% of the KL Audio and the AudioDeske

Use it with 1 gallon distilled water enough to clean about 30 records, dry with the large microfiber cloth enclosed with the kit.  for less than $400 you will have an excellent cleaning system 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ultrasonic-Vinyl-Record-Cleaner-Vinyl-Stack-ULTRA-Sonic-Spin-Kit-/1614028494...


Good Listening


Peter

@wntrmute2 - can you check that link? It didn't work for me, and I'm curious about the formula.
I use the Hannl concentrate mixed with Reagent Grade 1, for most records, and if they are troublesome, use the AIVS # 15, both with a pure water rinse. Monks point nozzle.  (BTW, what grade reagent water do you buy from Amazon or Ebay- Grade II? There are restrictions on shipping Grade I to residences).

I wonder what's wrong with your friend's set up, combining DIY US with vacuum. I've gotten my best results with the combination of methods, though I've been limited to the AD and now the KL. As mentioned my new US machine will likely be DIY because of the feature set. And as mentioned, I think vac drying enhances the cleaning process compared to blow drying. 

@marktomaras : my experience was limited to the original ADS, not the Pro version, and at the time I still had an old VPI. The ADS was life changing in several respects: no more labor, records came out clean and dry (except for some odd water spotting that apparently had to do with the wiper/lips). But then i hit some records-- old UK pressings- that still sounded noisy and distorted after cleaning, like groove wear. Given their value and scarcity, I worked on them with AIVS NO 15, soak, agitate and vacuum several times, with pure water rinse. I got almost all the distortion causing contaminants off the record this way. This didn’t salvage every record, some were just damaged, but the process was effective enough that I changed my methods. For challenging records (I mostly buy older and sometimes obscure or hard to find records), I use both methods. I replaced the VPI with a Monks, which in my estimation does a much better job on the vacuum side. (The wash cycle on these vacuum machines is largely manual effort anyway, so little difference there).
Perhaps the Pro is better built, has fewer issues than the original ADS did; it was a good RCM if you were starting with pristine records. The only other issue is any residue of surfactant left on the record-- the early adopters encouraged the use of less than the full bottle of fluid- it enhanced cavitation while reducing the amount of chemical added to the water (which isn’t necessarily removed by blow drying in my view-that’s why you need the vacuum).
I do know a few folks who replaced their original ADS with the Pro and like it, don’t do the extra steps like pre-cleaning or pure water rinse afterwards. And their records sound good. I think the big variable here is the condition of the record you are starting with, and how much work it takes to remove whatever is embedded in, glued on, or ground into, the grooves.

http://https//www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=96199
Maybe this will work.  If not,  go to the Vinyl Engine website, go to the forums, then there is a Music forum, there you'll find a record cleaning sub-forum.  Look for the thread regarding Triton  X-100 by Vince1.

The link doesn't work from within Audiogon but does work if you cut and paste the link.   Don't knowvwhy.

Thanks, wntrmute. 

@pbnaudio 

I made the same recommendation a few posts before yours.

I too, find that the Vinyl Stack with the 6L tank to be at least 95% of the Audiodesk or the KL for a ridiculously lower price.

.

I would be interested, Campbell, Ca. 95008 - there is one for sale right now for $2900, new.