AFI FLAT.DUO Record Flattener & Relaxer Made in Germany Treat two records in 1.75 hours. Flattens vinyl and removes uneven cooling stresses from pressing.

Audio Fidelity Improvement present 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.

Why Temper? Records are pressed at around 150°C in 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, the long molecular chains of PVC have little chance of aligning themselves in a relaxed manner leading to material stresses that are "frozen" in the material and are audible. During AFI tempering, the record is slowly heated up to plateau temperature, held at this temperature and then cooled down very slowly. 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.

stereotimes.com/post/afi-flat-2-record-flattener-by-stephen-yan/ "what I get after undergoing the “Relax” treatment are: Darker backgrounds More saturated tonal colors Ease of presentation Wider dynamic range Individual instruments pop in starker relief Sonic textures that come closer to real life"

NZ Agent for AFI

Reference Audio Systems is an hour north of Auckland on the Matakana coast