He says so, yes. He swears by Blu Tac. I really think it has to do with the surface tension of the Onzow goo. And that's not even addressing the residue Zero Dust leaves behind.
What's everyone's take on the recent microscopic investigation by Michael Fremer of stylus contamination by products like Onzow Zerodust ?
- Thread starter Michael Davitt
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Is the DS Audio gel pad very different from the Onzow?
I'm happy to go Blu Tac if this is recommended by someone in the know, but I bought my DS pad directly as a result of hearing Onzow was flawed.
I'm happy to go Blu Tac if this is recommended by someone in the know, but I bought my DS pad directly as a result of hearing Onzow was flawed.
Beats me. But isn't the DS pad expensive? Blu Tac on a 5p coin seems the way to go as recommended by a senior engineer at SS. You can ask him yourself, if he doesn't mind me giving you his contact info.
PS, he just reminded me he's a senior engineer at SS, and not a tech. He has built every strain guage cartridge for the past two years. I remember about a year ago he was showing me measurements from his builds at close to 50dB channel separation.
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Sure Brian, expensive indeed...a badge of honour for this forum Lol.
Seriously, I'm not gonna say no to Blu Tac at a price of mere pennies if it comes highly recommended...and it seems it does.
Seriously, I'm not gonna say no to Blu Tac at a price of mere pennies if it comes highly recommended...and it seems it does.
I'm bummed by this thread. I have only been playing clean records. As clean as I can get them. I have religiously dropped my stylus in Onzow before every side. After 6 months my Hana sounded horrible. I removed it and there was gunk stuck on the needle. It took quite a bit of time with a magic eraser to get it clean. I wondered how it got there. I guess I will toss my goo dot and try something else.
Now all we need to be told is that ultrasonic cleaning is destroying our vinyl.
My Q at this point is whether the DS Audio gel pad is simply a variation, but just as risky, as Onzow.
My Q at this point is whether the DS Audio gel pad is simply a variation, but just as risky, as Onzow.
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And the DS Audio ST-50 in the bin too? Tbh, they look like identical, or at least very similar, products.
This kind of sucks. I have two of the zerodusts. I can go back to the Lyra SPT and brush more often.
I don't want to speculate, and definitely don't think it's worth the risk. However, I think the DS goo is both thinner and firmer than the Onzow. If just the stylus gets "submerged", then it's probably safer. But this does not address the residue issue. So, again, not worth the risk in my mind.
I'm just a tad skeptical Blu Tak doesn't leave any residue. Sure, it's not gooey and cloying, but it's still made of *stuff* lol. And *stuff* can extricate and then deposit.
Or is the Onzow (and DS) an issue primarily due to it's gooey, cloying nature?
Blu Tak's non gooey, but adhesive constitution means it isn't risky?
And it helps stick stuff to other stuff eg posters to walls, so it's the lack of gooeyness w Blu Tak, not the simple adhesiveness, that's the advantage?
Or is the Onzow (and DS) an issue primarily due to it's gooey, cloying nature?
Blu Tak's non gooey, but adhesive constitution means it isn't risky?
And it helps stick stuff to other stuff eg posters to walls, so it's the lack of gooeyness w Blu Tak, not the simple adhesiveness, that's the advantage?
Ask my buddy at Soundsmith these questions, Marc. You have his contact info now.
I'm seeing a user of Lyra SPT fluid, in conjunction with the Flux Demagnetizer that I use. This may be the path I go down, plus use of fine brush, and more consistent use of my DeGritter machine.
Sure, hopefully some people here also using Blu Tak will chime in.
I think Mikey is a bit of a wacko but then that's his forte' !
like others have stated, it starts with a clean Lp !!
I wish I did - this one comes in the box with Shelter cartridges and I don't know where to source it. KAB sells a $2 brush that is quite serviceable; it's got way more bristles than I need or want, but can do all my usual cleaning motions. Go to their page and click the "Sound Accessories" link and scroll down; no direct link because their website was coded when Geocities was the Facebook of the internet.
Of all the audiogon discussion on this topic, filtering out the usual repeated arguments, here is the ONE post I found extremely interesting - by user rickd1225:
TLDR; material from the vinyl records themselves is more likely to be the source of the pictured stylus "gunk" than an Onzow / DS Audio product, unless they egregiously botched the gel formulation.
TLDR; material from the vinyl records themselves is more likely to be the source of the pictured stylus "gunk" than an Onzow / DS Audio product, unless they egregiously botched the gel formulation.
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