DS Audio are having a laugh with the price. All the monies going into making the box the gel sits in. The “box” is over engineered for its job.. It is just audio candy. A box (or tins) function is normally just to tell the buyer what the stuff inside does. Think about it! There are many more reasonably priced and cost effective competitors out there.
In this hobby it’s hard to single out anything for being "silly" and overpriced, because really - there are a million other examples, at all price points. How about VPI charging $20 for a finger lift that looks as expensive to make as a paperclip?
The DS Audio box is also probably incredibly cheap to make - you see tons of metal bits and bobs about the same size from China (e.g. audiophile footers) with that same "dark chrome" finish. This finish screams "cheap trying to look expensive" to me. It has traditionally held up VERY poorly over time. Look at past $2K+ headphones like Ultrasone Edition 9 and Grado PS2000 that used this dark chrome finish. Ugh. Bright white chrome is bad enough to maintain, but at least it generally stays looking good if your care for it.
Anyways, to get back on topic, I use a combination of 3:
- Dry brush w/ long bristles (so it can be used up cantilever and on pole pieces). This should be ANY audiophile’s primary "weapon". User per side.
- Magic Eraser. I like to do a (careful!!) rotational scrub, rather than a simple dip and lift. Most audiophiles are too skittish.
- LAST Stylus cleaner. A good liquid is very powerful to keep a diamond gleaming and clear. Use only occasionally / sparingly. Take extreme care not to get it too far up the cantilever, and definitely nowhere near the pole piece or coils. The "wicking" is not a problem with proper use - it evaporates VERY quickly.
I’ve got both Onzow and DS Audio gels, but never really use them. I’m not buying into the fear about stylus gunk blah blah - but I just don’t feel they have enough cleaning power to be effective, certainly not as a lone method, unless your records are 100% PRISTINE (and even then).