How do you clean your stylus?

[Folsom]

I'm sorry but I think you're taking this to OCD hell, Davey. The ME is so light that if you cut it into a smaller piece it could hang on the cantilever without damaging it. You have to recall that these things get several grams of pressure on them for their whole life.

If you're worried that the ME could slowly eat the tip, well... it's going to be exponentially slower than an uneven dirty one running through record grooves. The very nature of all things vinyl is that use will degrade.

 

[tima]

Bob, thanks for posting all of the photos of the various loops and magnifying devices. Only concern i would have with them is that one has to be very very careful when using them and focusing on the stylus- to not bump or touch the cartridge. Bumping the cantilever with the loop could be very damaging to the cantilever. The focal length is therefore questionable with these devices when looking at the cantilever/stylus--made more difficult based on the particular design of the cartridge and cantilever assembly. Therefore, this would lead me to shy away from using these devices due to potential risk of damage. One mistake and it could be costly!

Yes, there is danger everywhere. But with that knowledge there can be caution, prudence and very *very* careful movement when working around a cartridge. We all know that.

I believe it is more costly not to examine your cartridge regularly and closely. And you won't really get a sense of what's on your stylus until you get that close-up view a good loupe can bring. If you have not done that, you may be surprised at what you see. But then, I'm not Bob.

 

[Tango]

Are you guys getting any closer to a definitive product and procedural recommendation?

Dear Ron,

Audiophile life should never be so simple huh? I use a brush and cleaning liquid provided by Lyra. Also use Mofi stylus cleaner with brush when near hands. They work! But if you like looking at your stylus tip through magnifying lense then take different approach. I spend more time cleaning records though. Wonder if you could use Tinka's diamond cleaning liquid.



* Picture from Gian. Clean fingers and nails btw.

Kind regards,
Tang

 

[tima]

By the way, Tima mentioned 10x ... I recommend 20x @ minimum.

I have no problem with that. And my own 'loupe on a stand' is 20X. I just want people to start looking.

 

[bazelio]

A thin slice of this ME as used for dipping a stylus would probably dissolve on my tongue like a communion wafer or cotton candy. Not that I'd taste it. But it really has near zero mass. Damaging a stylus or cantilever - not in my wildest imagination.

 

[DaveyF]

A thin slice of this ME as used for dipping a stylus would probably dissolve on my tongue like a communion wafer or cotton candy. Not that I'd taste it. But it really has near zero mass. Damaging a stylus or cantilever - not in my wildest imagination.

Maybe we do actually have a consensus on this topic...and it seems to be this: 1) ME is the best option for removing caked on gunk and for general cleaning 2) Onzow is still widely utilized, but it is now bettered by DS Audio 3) DS Audio is the best of the polymer type cleaners, although more expensive and possibly less effective than ME. 4) Electronic stylus cleaners are not that effective and are somewhat out of favor. 5) A good brush is all that is necessary and for some users effective enough..

Does that sum it up?

 

[NorthStar]

On with the show ... the music playing (now that our diamond stylus tip is shining clean).

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here?

 

[tima]

Maybe we do actually have a consensus on this topic...and it seems to be this: 1) ME is the best option for removing caked on gunk and for general cleaning 2) Onzow is still widely utilized, but it is now bettered by DS Audio 3) DS Audio is the best of the polymer type cleaners, although more expensive and possibly less effective than ME. 4) Electronic stylus cleaners are not that effective and are somewhat out of favor. 5) A good brush is all that is necessary and for some users effective enough..

Does that sum it up?

I think I recall you bought the ME. Did you try it yet? If so, what were your findings? tia

 

[DaveyF]

I think I recall you bought the ME. Did you try it yet? If so, what were your findings? tia

No, I haven't bought the ME, although the wife has some around for cleaning her pots and some of her kitchen cabinets! I am not comfortable enough to try it...yet. May change that as the cartridge gets a lot more hours on it, but for now, I am only using the Onzow and the SPT.

 

[bazelio]

Haha Davey!! Wait, after all that .... You're actually using the Onzow?

 

[DaveyF]

Haha Davey!! Wait, after all that .... You're actually using the Onzow?

Yes, I had a new one lying around and decided to try it again ( I had used the Onzow extensively in the past). But remember, I am not bringing the Onzow up to the cartridge, which is what it seems most folks are doing ( and IMO, this is where the danger lies), instead I am letting the cartridge down into the polymer and only for a few seconds at best. No possible lateral movement while on the polymer. I do find the Onzow is ok for removing dust and general debris, not so much the caked on gunk. I am not having too much problem with the caked on gunk right now, perhaps the SPT is minimizing that aspect??

 

[bazelio]

Re: caked on gunk, keep your records clean, IMO. Prevention seems the best measure there.

FWIW my dealer yesterday (who had one in his display cabinet) said throw away the Onzow now. His concern isn't lateral movement. It's the stress on the stylus/cantilever joint as you pull the cart out of the goo. He said he has seen, first hand, a customer's stylus tip come detached in the goo. This concern would apply equally to my new ST-50. On the other hand, we are discussing unusual outlier cases here. At these percentages, defects in the carts themselves are a real likely possiblity as well. I myself haven't decided what to do. The st-50 is pretty darn effective and convenient.

 

[DaveyF]

Re: caked on gunk, keep your records clean, IMO. Prevention seems the best measure there.

FWIW my dealer yesterday (who had one in his display cabinet) said throw away the Onzow now. His concern isn't lateral movement. It's the stress on the stylus/cantilever joint as you pull the cart out of the goo. He said he has seen, first hand, a customer's stylus tip come detached in the goo. This concern would apply equally to my new ST-50. On the other hand, we are discussing unusual outlier cases here. At these percentages, defects in the carts themselves are a real likely possiblity as well. I myself haven't decided what to do. The st-50 is pretty darn effective and convenient.

That is pretty much the same advice that my dealer also gave me. Although, like you say, there are probably other variables that come into play here. I can see how your new St-50 would have exactly the same issues! I do think that as the polymer ages a little, and certainly once it has been cleaned under water once or twice, it tends to lose a little of its adherence. This is most likely not a bad thing. My older Onzow, which was one of the first ones brought here from Japan ( several years old now) has far less adherence than my new model. Although, with that said, it also is probably less effective in cleaning...so trade off's.

Wait a second, looking again at what your dealer just said...that kind of makes no sense?? The stylus detached from the cantilever??? That would indicate that the stylus glue was faulty...because that joint should be one of the hardest on the whole cartridge! I was thinking of the cantilever detaching from the suspension, that would make a lot more sense ( and this is what my dealer warned me about!) The wear and stress on the cantilever joint to the stylus is far greater as it travels across the record than anything an Onzow could place on it, IMO.

 

[dminches]

I recommend a 10X loupe to inspect the stylus and a, say 3x, magnifying glass while cleaning. See the picture in post #14.

I don’t have the same access to view my cartridge as you do. A USB microscope on a stand is what I may have to use.

Where did you get the loupe on a stand set up?

 

[bazelio]

That is pretty much the same advice that my dealer also gave me. Although, like you say, there are probably other variables that come into play here. I can see how your new St-50 would have exactly the same issues! I do think that as the polymer ages a little, and certainly once it has been cleaned under water once or twice, it tends to lose a little of its adherence. This is most likely not a bad thing. My older Onzow, which was one of the first ones brought here from Japan ( several years old now) has far less adherence than my new model. Although, with that said, it also is probably less effective in cleaning...so trade off's.

Wait a second, looking again at what your dealer just said...that kind of makes no sense?? The stylus detached from the cantilever??? That would indicate that the stylus glue was faulty...because that joint should be one of the hardest on the whole cartridge! I was thinking of the cantilever detaching from the suspension, that would make a lot more sense ( and this is what my dealer warned me about!) The wear and stress on the cantilever joint to the stylus is far greater as it travels across the record than anything an Onzow could place on it, IMO.

It's the net force on the joint, quite unlike the compression under normal use when playing a record. You're pulling the joint in one direction, which is being opposed by the goo in the opposite direction. Repeated over time, who knows. These things are hand made with likely widely varying tolerances.

Think Newton's Third Law here. (Not to be confused with the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. )

 

[DaveyF]

It's the net force on the joint, quite unlike the compression under normal use when playing a record. You're pulling the joint in one direction, which is being opposed by the goo in the opposite direction. Repeated over time, who knows. These things are hand made with likely widely varying tolerances.

Think Newton's Third Law here. (Not to be confused with the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. )

I still would have to believe that the force on the joint of the stylus to cantilever would be far greater with the stylus transversing the groove. We are talking several possible forces in play here, and that is assuming a very clean record. For the stylus to detach from the cantilever would lead me to suspect that something else was amiss before the stylus was placed onto the Onzow polymer. OTOH, it would probably be impossible to prove this.
I was actually thinking that the 1st law of Thermodynamics could be in play here...

 

[bazelio]

1st Law heavily in play for sure!

 

[PeterA]

Are you guys getting any closer to a definitive product and procedural recommendation?

Ron, send a PM to: MikeL, ddk, Rockitman, Tango, (and Myles Astor, Dre_J on Audionirvana). They have cartridge collections and lots of experience. I doubt you will get consensus anywhere, but follow the advice of those you trust and then try various methods for yourself and pick what works best for you.

You might as well ask what record cleaning method is best or what cartridge is best. There is no single answer for everyone.

 

[PeterA]

Don't toss your brush. An important part of the ME protocol is to gently brush the stylus after using the ME because it can leave small amounts of ME residue on the stylus. PeterA uses the Onzow for that purpose; I like a 00 artist brush. The residue looks like very tiny white flakes. That happens probably less than 50% of the time but that residue should not go into the groove.

Tima, I also use an artist's brush occasionally to get dust off of the cantilever and cartridge bottom.

 

[Ron Resnick]

A singular product recommendation and technique agreed to by most thread participants? No.

The thread asks: "How do you clean your stylus?" The closest I can get to your executive summary is post # 130 - written for you btw - which assesses and boils it down to two approaches. Best I can tell no one has objected/rejected its characterization yet - of course that could change at any moment.

There are those who say "I do what I do and it is fine for me." There are a few such as Folsom who tried a method he had not used (Magic Eraser) and seems now to be a convert. If I recall the correctly, no one has switched to using the Onzow product because of the discussion here.

I don't think we have a "Forget it Jake, its Chinatown." conclusion. You can take your pick based on discussion. My (perhaps biased) suggestion is to listen to people who have been maintaing their own cartridges for years and adopt the method they use.

A-ha! I read post #130 now. Thank you.

OK, so what is your personal cleaning procedure and products?