A GROUNDBREAKING INNOVATION IN THE WORLD OF RECORD CARE
AFI FLAT.DUO Record Flattener & Relaxer Made in Germany
Treat two records in 1.75 hours. Flatten the vinyl and remove uneven cooling stresses from pressing.
Audio Fidelity Improvement presents the FLAT.DUO, a groundbreaking innovation in the world of record care. The FLAT.DUO uses fans and an innovative heat-press module to heat up records, and the EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) housing offers the perfect slow cooling needed to properly temper vinyl.
Two records can be treated simultaneously in an hour and 45 minutes, as against the four-hour times of other products. The DUO also signifies the two treatments by which a record is flattened for better tracking and the material is “relaxed”, removing stresses that decrease audio performance.
Passive Tempering
The use of EPP as an enclosure material makes passive tempering of vinyl records possible. The slower and more evenly the temperature drops at the end of the process, the better the tempering process and thus the sound improvement. Thanks to the excellent insulating properties of EPP, simply switching off the heating voltage is enough to achieve a perfect, ideally decreasing temperature curve. There is no need for reheating to extend the cooling phase. The FLAT.DUO requires only 30 watts of power.
Why Temper?
Records are pressed at around 150°C, with the pressing process taking around 30 seconds. After a short cooling phase using water, the record is removed and stacked on a spindle weighted down with metal plates, for further cooling. Due to the uneven and rapid cooling (much faster on the outside than on the inside) and the toughness of the material, the long molecular chains of PVC and polyvinyl acetate have little chance of aligning themselves in a relaxed manner. This production method leads to material stresses that are “frozen” in the material and are audible.
During tempering, the vinyl record is slowly and evenly heated up to plateau temperature, held at this temperature for a while and then cooled down very slowly and in a controlled manner. Slow and even cooling is more important than heating. This allows the molecules to align themselves naturally and without stress. This process significantly reduces tension, making the material harder, more robust, and more homogeneous.
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AFI FLAT.DUO
DESCRIPTION
AFI FLAT.DUO Record Flattener / Relaxer
AFI (Audio Fidelity Improvement) present the FLAT.DUO, a groundbreaking innovation in the world of record care. As the second product in our range of record flattener/relaxers, the FLAT.DUO combines state-of-the-art technology with efficient design. Through the revolutionary use of EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) for the housing construction, we achieve a level of energy efficiency previously thought impossible and at the same time reduce the ecological footprint.
DUO stands for two records and two treatment methods
The name “DUO” in the FLAT.DUO stands for its duality in function and efficiency: the simultaneous treatment of two records and two types of treatment – flattening and relaxing. On the one hand, this saves a considerable amount of time and, on the other, improves the sound quality.
Flattening with reduced treatment time
The FLAT.DUO’s integrated fan enables two records to be smoothed simultaneously in just 1.75 hours – a significant time saving compared to the four-hour treatment time of conventional models. The fan can be regulated in three stages or can be deactivated.
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