Contact Cleaner Recommendations??


Hi Everyone

I was just wondering what is the *best* or recommended type of contact cleaner to use for interconnects, speaker cables, power cables etc...

Thanks in Advance
hifijunkieoz
Use Caig DeOxit, then wipe with isopropyl alcohol to remove the sonic signature DeOxit leaves behind, then treat with Walker Audio Extreme SST contact enhancer (E-SST).

If your contacts don't show any sign of corrosion, skip the DeOxit step. Just wipe down with isopropyl alcohol and apply then the Walker E-SST. You will be amazed by the improvement delivered by the E-SST.
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I've used "Kontak" electrical contact cleaner followed by a spray of Craig ProGold for many years and am happy. I'm not saying it's the best because there are so many good products on the market but I'm very satisfied.
I love Kontak. I just use it by itself. Leaves nothing behind and always improves the sound...
Agree with Lak and Jfrech on using Kontak. Great cleaner, no residue, no sonic signature, and an excellent alternative to DeOxit. I thought it had gone out of production and glad to know it's still available!
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I just bought 3 bottles via the link above. Easy and shipping was cheap/fast to USA...
FYI; There is someone on Audiogon that advertises and sells Kontak in the USA.

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?accstwek&1282486330&/Kontak-Connector-cleaner-free-
Aren't all these cleaners based on Stabilant 22?

http://www.stabilant.com.au/body_what_is_stabilant_22_.html

http://www.stabilant.com/techt01h.htm
Yes, you can use Kontak on your power cable connectors. I also use Kontak on all my connections.
I use Kontak for connections. For other things like switches and controls I use electrical contact cleaner from Radio Shack. I stopped using Caig DeoxIt products because it leaves a film that becomes messy over time. If you just want a good all purpose cleaner use Radio Shack.
I use Flitz first (Jonathan Carr used to clean his stuff this way) then use Caig.
I use qtips or cotton balls to apply a small amount of Caig Deoxit Gold to every place where wire connects to something else. Doing the whole system in this manner made an audible improvement in sound - more vibrant would be a good description.
NCarv, not sure but it seems to me that Stabilant might be related more to Tweak. If I remember correctly Tweak was polyoxyethylene and polyoxypropylene. The problem with Tweak was after a couple of month, the contact fluid had turned into an oily mess and one needed to clean the connection since the sound was degrading.

OTOH, have used Kontak for ages with no apparent degradation of the sound over time. (that is other than needing normal cleaning.)
I clean all connections with Kontak about every 3 months,no residue afterwards,a really good thing.Is it the "best",I have no idea.It suits my needs.
Hi everyone!
Kontak cleaner arrived today and have just finished cleaning all connections on power cables, XLR interconnects, speaker connections etc....

WOW!

What a difference! Like a veil was lifted and everything sounds fantastic! I can`t believe something so simple could make such a huge impact on the sound!

Definitely highly recommended and thank you to everyone who recommended this to me.

One happy Audiophile!
HFJ:

Did you clean the contacts on the AC plug? I find that might be the most significant contact out of all of them in the system. It's like changing the receptacles: much more transparent, far more information and a drop in the noise floor of the system!
Yes I did MBA
It was incredible how much more i was able to hear from my system once everything was cleaned. And totally agree with far more information. Was listening to one of my fave reference cds after the clean and was just sitting there thinking to myself i never heard that before etc....
Kontak really does make a difference that`s for sure.
hi guys
don`t have paypal acct.has anyone used a credit card to buy?just wondering if it`s safe using one
thanks
Al
Al,
I don't see why it would be any different than using your card anywhere else.
Yep also agree - shipping was super fast from the UK and they were great to deal with.
Bought some of the Kontak cleaner and it works as others here have described it. Pretty surprising how dirty most of my connections were. It's been a while since I've cleaned them. I would describe the difference as noticeable and very much worthwhile in improving the performance of my system. I will definitely continue to use it as recommended.
Glad to hear your happy with it!
It`s such a cheap tweak and a bottle should last quite a while that`s for sure
Anyone used the Mobile Fidelity contact cleaner by RRL? I currently use it and it seems to work a treat. The oxidation virtually disappears before your eyes ... but requires part 1 and part 2. Might give this a go myself. Regards, David