I have a totally non audio confirmation for the value of contact cleaners; thirty years age my then father-in -law was a advanced hobbiest in very small , very high quality model trains. He had a problem with their electric engines losing contact with the track, they would sit motionless instead of moving. When he treated his track with the contact cleaner I was using the problem vanished. It was the one that came in two small bottles, one red and one blue , one the cleaner and the other the preservative. I think it was called Contact of Kontact, I don't know if it is the same as that mentioned above. Also my technician friend, who says he is no audiophile, has hoarded some cleaner no longer on the market due to regulation and says the uses it very often to solve problems with equipment. He has been in audio repair over 30 years.
Contact Enhancer Deterioration
I had been impressed with the initial application of both Walker Audio and Quicksilver contact enhancer products. There is an immediate increase in clarity, extension, and dynamics. The effect was not subtle.
However, I am now convined that over the ensuing weeks to months, the enhancer becomes detrimental. It happens gradually, so it is not obvious. The sound becomes soft, diffuse, veiled. Removing the enhancer with some alcohol has brought things back into focus.
One last experiment was whether this detriment was just due to loose connections or tight connections. For example, it has been postulated that these enhancing material form a bonded and continuous surface. Power cable connections, while they seem to be quite stable, are always moing due to vibration and expansion of metals. This will create cracks in any polymerized material. However, items such as fuses and speaker cable spades tend to be more stable due to the connector pressure and location. Would these surfaces also benefit from removing the enhancer? The answer is yes.
For those of you who are using contact enhancers, I urge you to remove this and listen to your system again. Feel free to report your findings. If anyone has any other experiences, that would be good to hear. If someone feels that there is a particular place that benefits from a contact enhancer long-term, I'd be interested. It seems that the conservative thing to do is to clean your contacts, particularly if they are prone to oxidation.
However, I am now convined that over the ensuing weeks to months, the enhancer becomes detrimental. It happens gradually, so it is not obvious. The sound becomes soft, diffuse, veiled. Removing the enhancer with some alcohol has brought things back into focus.
One last experiment was whether this detriment was just due to loose connections or tight connections. For example, it has been postulated that these enhancing material form a bonded and continuous surface. Power cable connections, while they seem to be quite stable, are always moing due to vibration and expansion of metals. This will create cracks in any polymerized material. However, items such as fuses and speaker cable spades tend to be more stable due to the connector pressure and location. Would these surfaces also benefit from removing the enhancer? The answer is yes.
For those of you who are using contact enhancers, I urge you to remove this and listen to your system again. Feel free to report your findings. If anyone has any other experiences, that would be good to hear. If someone feels that there is a particular place that benefits from a contact enhancer long-term, I'd be interested. It seems that the conservative thing to do is to clean your contacts, particularly if they are prone to oxidation.
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- 28 posts total
- 28 posts total