Stylus cleaners

@faustuss 

I only use my DS Audio gel when there is a pernicious fiber or something that I can see with my naked eye that I can’t remove with the stylus brush. Does the trick

@audphile1 specifically mentioned the DS Audio ST-50 so I noted how I use mine.  I also have an Audio Technica fluid cleaner with brush which I figured would not harm my AT cartridge.

Pernicious whiskers trailing from the stylus only seem to form for me when playing spanking new records, which I fastidiously clean ultrasonically following @antinn's recipe for chemicals available down-under.  I agree that you should not be able to hear a real ultrasonic cleaner - mine is very audible!

In reality, I rarely have to clean my styli these days ...

@tomic601 

"@faustuss  so after brushing gunk off with stylast how are you cleaning the brush before replacing it in the bottle ?,,,

Well. the applicator in the bottle only comes in contact with the LAST stylus brush I use which is similar in concept to the MoFi one you see for sale at MD or other fine online vendors. It uses a small circular area of tightly packed carbon fiber bristles which I stroke three times across the bristles perpendicular to the three cleaning strokes I use from back to front when in contact with the stylus. As I mentioned in my previous post you only need a trace of LAST on the brush that the stylus passes through to keep it completely clean. I also brush the applicator three times against the rim of the bottle to remove any excess before it contacts the stylus brush. To clean the stylus brush I use one of the other two LAST brushes I have in waiting to gently remove any of the accumulated debris on the bristles of the one I use for cleaning.

@richardbrand  

"Pernicious whiskers trailing from the stylus only seem to form for me when playing spanking new records, which I fastidiously clean ultrasonically following @antinn's recipe for chemicals available down-under."

You'll find on a well-lit turntable that any airborne debris floating around the room is immediately attracted to the surface of the record. Just pulling it from the sleeve it will immediately attract any loose fibers off your clothes, loose body hair and any of the gazillions of dust and fiber particulate that is constantly floating around in indoor air. Try as I might, I can't get them all and eventually one gets snagged on the stylus during play. As I continue to contend along with the high electrical charges present and foreign bodies none of this has any effect on noise levels or sound quality during playback. Just my obsession with not wanting to look at it.

In reality, I rarely have to clean my styli these days ...

That's you prerogative; I prefer to clean the stylus before every record I play. The noise floor is imperceptible except the occasional surface or groove imperfection which is just part of loving vinyl.

You should also look in my profile under faustuss's system and expand the first photo showing my inexpensive IKEA turntable lamp I've had for years and the position it's clamped to on my turntable stand and the light oriented across the platter towards the cartridge. You guys are missing so much just viewing the surface of the vinyl just under ambient room light, if you already haven't included a feature like this and set it up properly.

@faustuss  A little bit further down the road for “The Green Stuff” tip.

Not strictly a sand paper. I put that in to make readers research further because it sounds so stupid it must be true. “The Green Stuff” is more like the finest grade of emery board.

l believe it was originally marketed by Linn, so if true,  “Go figure”

I bought a Lepro LED light from amazon. Yeah it will allow you to see more dust on the record. ZeroStat it then use a brush. You will never get a 100% perfectly clean surface. Using blacklight will show more crap but there’s nothing you can do about it, so I don’t bother. I’m just going to get it as clean as I can, as safely as I can for both the record and the stylus. I really enjoy the entire process but I don’t want to obsess over things I can’t entirely control. 

Back to stylus cleaner…according to MoFi, “Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab LP#9 is both a stylus cleaner and a stylus preservative in one bottle.” So it’s kind of like LAST kit but all in one. I hear improved clarity and dynamics with overall better and quieter sound after using it. We’ll see what LAST brings to the table. 

It might have been I who posted that “ultrasonic” stylus cleaners are not ultrasonic. They vibrate at about 450-500Hz, but mine does work to clean styli very well. It is my last resort method. I think they’re all made in the same place but sold under different brand names. Mine is Audioquest. I’m not sure you’d want ultrasonic even if that were possible.