Lyra Delos 'belly cover'

Don't. It will void the warranty of the cartridge. If yours is riding low, send it back to Lyra and they can adjust it.

Thank you for your replies. I have sent an email to the Lyra web site on record. lyra@audioquest.com Hopefully I will receive an answer and will post their reply accordingly. (I'm sure I am not the only one with this question or issue).

I don't where you got your cart, but if it came with the manual, as it should, it clearly states it's washi paper, it's there for a reason, and it is NOT to be removed as removing it will void warranty.

Quincy...you need to send Alasdair from Audioquest, (the
Lyra distributor) an email and tell him what is going on. He
will send all the info that you need to get this fixed.

Apatrick@audioquest.com

Dear Quincy....apologies in advance for such an obvious question but have you checked that the washi paper is frayed and not embellished with "white" lint?
When this happens (occasionally) with my Delos I usually just tear off a strip of kitchen roll and use the "hairy" edge to gently "comb" the lint off without disturbing the washi paper. A carbon fibre brush is too much of a lethal weapon! ;^)

If it is indeed frayed, were you getting feedback from the washi paper's contact with the disc surface during the fraying process?
If so, the reason should be investigated i.e. check VTF is within proscribed range then check the angle of the cantilever to front face is 90 degrees when actually playing an LP?
If you can achieve this and find you are still not getting surface clearance then VTA comes into question(?)
Hope this helps.

Hello fellow audio enthusiasts. I did purchase the cartridge brand new from the Needle Doctor. The box and other instructions are packed away in the basement. I did receive a reply from Lyra, and yes it is Washi paper used as a dust cover for the underside of the cartridge. It is NOT to be removed. And yes, it seems to pick up dust on its own due to (my best guess) static charges between the LP. (this is a low riding cartridge by design.) If I elect, Lyra will send the cartridge back to Japan and have new paper installed. I am going to take a much closer look under magnification and with a mirror later. Moonglum may be on to something. I'll post back with any new discoveries. I may also try some tweezers.....still debating this approach.

Dear Quincy,
A quick health warning to save you further grief : please ensure the tweezers are non-magnetic. The magnet inside your cartridge is very powerful as is the tonearm's frictionless reaction. Once they get within an inch or so of the cart it can literally leap towards the tweezers too fast for you to prevent damage to the cantilever. :O

If they were supplied with the cart or tonearm they'll be ok. ;^)
All the best,

Update on Friday evening the 12th. I took a Q-tip and 'back rolled' some Scotch Invisible Tape around the tip. Then I used the tape like a lint roller (under magnification) and rolled the Washi paper from the front to the rear. This helped with some of the larger 'threads'. Thanks Moonglum! Then I dampened the Q-Tip with a tad of steam distilled water. I gently wiped the Washi paper, again, front to rear (no jokes please). Seems to have done the trick. When the paper dries I'll provide an update. And Yes Moonglum I clipped off the Boron whisker cantilever from my first Benz Glider cartridge when a ferrous metal square I was using was aggressively attracted by the coil magnets. This was a Very expensive lesson, plus I almost had a stroke.

Now that's what I call a thorough cleaning job, Quincy!

A bit more scientific than my usual approach but showing nerves of steel just the same! ;^)
Glad to hear you are finally getting some joy m8 :)
Best regards,

This deters me from purchasing a Lyra! Or is the performance worth it...?!

Update on Sunday the 14th. I examined the Washi paper under magnification this morning. I do not see any errant threads or fuzzy appearance, as was the prior case. So, the little experiment seems to have worked, for the time being at least. I will see how long this home remedy works and post again if necessary. If all these shade tree efforts fail, I'll unmount the cart and send it back to Lyra. In the meantime if your experiencing the same type of issue you may want to try my process. Thank you for the comments and advise.

Infection, the only thing I can say is the Lyra sounded better than a worn out Benz Micro. And that's not even close to apples and oranges. It's so hard to do side by side comparisons unless you have a lot of $$ and the patience of JOB on your hands. Others make what are known as nude cartridges and do not utilize a cover over the bottom. I can't say the Lyra suspension is that unique that a little air from a can could or would not clean it if dust accumulated inside. I like the sound and its output (mV) and price ($$) were in my demographics.

Not to diminish the problem that Quincy had in any way, I found Lyras to be less troublesome in tracking terms than carts with a solid plastic undercarriage where the stylus was also recessed underneath?
In one case (many years ago back when Linn Asak MCs were new products) I experienced the cart being lifted out of the groove altogether i.e. zero sound output, by a monster sized fluff-ball! :^O
By comparison, Lyras are largely unaffected by large or small amounts of lint because of the unenclosed cantilever?
In fact, the stuff rarely even accumulates on the cantilever or stylus - and when it does you can barely see it. (Again this refers to uncleaned LPs. With cleaned ones the issue doesn't arise at all.)

It's an unfortunate fact of life that even a clean record becomes strewn with lint after repeated use but they are undeniably less prone immediately after cleaning. However, I've found that most of my near half-century old (uncleaned) records are no more prone to lint accumulation (on stylus) than clean records if the stylus is correctly aligned in the groove. (I have a theory that static effects appear worse when the stylus alignment is sub-optimal ;^)

There are particular discs which have a tendency to attract lint and static. The worst of these is the HFNRR Test Disc due to its job description. ;^)

Regarding the use of forceps/tweezers around cartridges, I find a good pair of bamboo tweezers to be indispensable:

http://www.amazon.com/Hozan-P-863-150-ESD-Bamboo-Tweezers/dp/B004K0KT7K

Thanks for sharing your experiences Moonglum!

You are most welcome, Quincy. ;^)

Should be end of discussion.... Sunday July 12th 2015. I examined the underside of the Washi paper mounted to the bottom of the cartridge with high power magnification. Still clean, no threads, smooth like a babies behind. I believe the steam distilled water method worked! If your have a similar issue I would give this method a try before you disassemble your system.

Sounds like a stripper!!

I use a little pri-stick here in the UK. It's for gluing paper to paper. A little trace on your finger and run along the belly of the cartridge. Loose strands get rebonded to the wishi paper.

Cyclopse, interesting..I think we call that a glue stick here in the USA. That is a clever idea and I'll keep it in mind when the fibers loosen again, which I am sure they will. Thanks for the post.