best way to clean Grado Sonata


What is the best way to clean a Grado Sonata cartridge stylus?
Grado recommends no liquids of any sort, is there a good vibrating scrubber or something along this line?

By the way my LP12/300B/Grado combo smokes my Rega CD2000, it is interesting how I got used to CD sound and it seems like some of us have forgotten the amazing effortless and non fatiguing qualities of the LP.

thank you in advance for any info
128x128philjolet

Showing 1 response by extremephono

As a designer of Extreme Solid State Cleaner (TM), I like to clarify a few things.

Do note that stylus (diamond tip) mounted to the cantilever via 2 methods. One is a hole, and diamond mounts in, the other way is a fork that clamps the diamond. Both method are typically reinforced with adhesive.

Liquid cleaner may weanken the adhesive over time. If the manufacturer recommends against it, perhaps their adhesive has some weakness towards certain kind of solvent. However, even when the adhesive is totally lost, the diamond may not fall off the cantilever, due to mechanical attachment. However, I don't think this is the best way to treat cartridge, especially something mightily expensive.

In addition, most of the better cantilevers are hollow. So liquid cleaner will go up via the tube as a result of capillary action. In most instance, it will just gum up the inside. If anyone opens up their cartridge after a few years, you'll see the inside fairly dusty. The sound slowly degrades over time because the coil is damped by the attachment of foreign substances, as well as added mass. Lost of detail and degraded frequency extension.

As of Zeordust, the main complaint I have is that it only works when new, and after the first wash, the adhesive quality is compromised. Also, the form factor is rather tall and quite impossible to use if the tonearm/record surface has limited clearance. Of course the cost is quite ridulous too.

www.extremephono.com