Fully automatic car washes are a matter of course for cars. Wouldn’t that also be a good solution for your record collection? Yes, it is. There is such a thing. Simply put, you insert the LP at the top, press the button and when it beeps, you can remove the completely washed and dried plate. And what is the good piece called? Audio Desk Systems Gläss Vinyl Cleaner Pro X.
Sounds too good to be true? But it works just as well and amazingly thoroughly! If you study the mechanism more closely, it is even more astonishing that such a mechanically complex machine “engineered and made in Germany” is available for less than two and a half thousand euros. And they also have a sense of humor at Audio Desk Systeme: “Vorsicht Gläss!” is written on the orange adhesive tape that seals the box.
The precisely processed plastic panels that make up the test device were kept in a plain mouse gray. However, red, black or white are also available at the same price. Common to all variants is a precisely fitting black fabric cover with print for storage when not in use. No dirt should get into the washing tank, which is open at the top. And the evaporation of the washing lotion in the storage tank should also be prevented.
With a footprint of 33.0 x 19.4 cm (height: 27.0 cm), “the Gläss”, as it is affectionately known in the scene, takes up less than half as much space as a record player. In fact, you need an additional 30 centimeters in height so that you can insert and remove the vinyl from above. Power is supplied by a larger, external power supply unit, as known from laptops. The machine comes completely pre-assembled and is ready for use in just a few simple steps.
In addition to the contents of the pack, you need 4.5 liters of distilled water. This is filled into the tank from above and the contents of the Cleaning Fluid cleaning concentrate are added. Convenient: Audio Desk Systeme supplies two bottles as standard. The bottles are available individually for 12 euros or in packs of 10 for 100 euros. Audio Desk Systeme also offers other wear parts: a set of 4 rollers (49 euros), drive rings (pair for 16 euros), wipers (pair for 14 euros), wet filters (1 for 12.50 euros, 10 for 100 euros) and air filters (pair for 54 euros).
The adapter set for singles, which consists of two top-mounted transport rollers and two extended transport rollers (to take account of the smaller diameter), costs 199 euros. The intermediate size of the 10-inch disks is not provided. Incidentally, the latter applies to many washing systems. Fortunately, the exotics are rare.
Audio Desk Systeme Gläss Vinyl Cleaner Pro X: Cleaning with ultrasound and brushes
Once you have filled the Gläss correctly, you are ready to go. Simply insert the LP vertically into the center of the machine through the wipers. Main switch to On. When the green light indicates that the appliance is ready for operation and the fill level is correct, simply touch the start button – and off you go. The cleaning rollers center the record again, a powerful pump sprays the washing lotion into the working area and the record begins to rotate. Sometimes the rotation does not start on its own, then a little push is enough…
Then the rollers get going and work with microfibers deep into the groove. Two counter-rotating rollers cleaned both sides of the panel at the same time, like the rotor brushes in a car wash. Two wiper lips prevent thick drops that adhere to the record from running over the label, which would otherwise remain unprotected.
However, in addition to the intensive brushing, the secret to the amazingly thorough cleaning of the Gläss lies deep down in the right-hand bottom of the pool: a rather potent ultrasonic exciter gets the water flowing. If you carefully hold a finger in the wildly bubbling water during cleaning, you can really feel how it tingles. There really is energy behind it.
The highlight: fresh washing water is constantly pumped up. The overflow is also used for level control. The overflowing water flows back into the storage tank through a large wet filter. This means that the fluid is constantly circulated and filtered during the entire cleaning process. This fact and the permanent brushing plus ultrasound ensure amazingly deep cleaning. Finally, the water is pumped out and the brushes return to their parking position. The fans then start and blow the spinning record dry through two slots – which takes about four minutes. After the signal tone, everything is ready: both sides are spotlessly clean and dry.
Audio Desk Systeme advises not to leave the water unused in the tank for longer than four weeks. There is an outlet with a ¾-inch cap for draining. Theoretically, you can connect your garden hose there. In fact, I don’t find this very practical if you want to collect the water and washing concentrate, which may not be used much, for later use. Because when you unscrew the cap, the 4.5 liters come shooting out of the opening in a thick gush. The best you can do is catch it with a cleverly positioned, large bucket. I would only place the machine on the edge of the (empty) bathtub for pouring, then it can run as it pleases. An adjustable valve would have been nice. Whining at the highest level…
Conclusion: It couldn’t be cleaner and fully automatic
What the inventor Reiner Gläss has achieved here is truly ingenious. The Audio Desk Systeme Gläss Vinyl Cleaner Pro X realizes easy handling with fully automatic washing, brushing, ultrasonic cleaning and drying of both sides of the record simultaneously and literally at the touch of a button. If you hold the button for longer, the washing time is extended by a further one to five minutes for each signal tone. The entire handling and maintenance of the machine are exemplary simple and transparent. I couldn’t find another cleaner that was more thorough and easier. The design is an aesthetic form-follows-function understatement and discreet with the fabric cover when not in use. If you own a large record collection and value the best sound from vinyl, then the almost two thousand five hundred euros are a good investment.
Here is my description and a demonstration of the application in the movie:
The other products and my summary on the subject of vinyl cleaning:
- Vinyl cleaning – A summary
- Astat green record film – Pull dirt out of the groove with latex film
- Cyberchemics Pure Sound – Fluid for manual record washing machines
- Flux-Hifi Turbo 2.0 – Mini vacuum cleaner for records
- Flux-Hifi Vinyl-Brush – classic record brush thought further
- Levin Design record cleaning brush – Manufactured brushes for wet and dry cleaning
- Pro-Ject VC-S2 – Robust manual record washing machine
Audio Desk Systems Gläss Vinyl Cleaner Pro X | 2021/09 |
 | |
OUTSTANDING | |
Reviews
CleaningUsabilityBuild QualitySummary |
| The rating always refers to the respective price category. |
| | Best cleaning in the test |
| | Easy handling |
| | Fully automatic process |
| | Drying loud and slow |
Distribution:
Audio Desk Systems Gläss GmbH
Seestr. 1
89551 Koenigsbronn
www.audiodesksysteme.de
Price (manufacturer’s recommendation):
Audio Desk Systems Gläss Vinyl Cleaner Pro X: 2,499 euros
Single kit: 199 Euro
Cleaning Fluid: 12 Euro
Cleaning Fluid 10-pack: 100 Euro
