Stylus cleaner

Hi,
Onzow, Zyx's own brush, Stylast brush, Cardas sweep record.

LYRA SPT is the best by far.

Right , Lyra wants to never sell you any thing more .
30 years on last , not one problem .

@g11657 -   I've been using the same bottle of Stylast, purchased circa 1990 (my second).    Still works, as well as day one.      Close tightly/use sparingly.

I use stylast cleaner and treatment with good results. 

Hello everyone,I have some older last sylus cleaner my question is can it go bad over the years.THANK YOU

Last products for 40 years and excellent results.

Stylus cleaner, Stylast preservative, and Last stylus brush.

Sometimes the ZYX brush to remove dust collecting on the cantilever.

Funny, I just found on ZYX's site that they have a liquid cleaner UC-1 and a vibrating brush UP-1.

LYRA SPT is the best fluid I have used- great stuff.

The only stylus cleaner I’ve ever used is the Lyra stylus cleaner that came with my cartridge. I keep my records clean and use the stylus cleaner once every session, or so. I use a magnifier occasionally to check the cartridge. While I don’t have a basis for comparison, I have literally never felt the need to search for one. My eyes and, more importantly, my ears tell me it works just fine. (And since it comes from the manufacturer I have no worries about it harming the cartridge.)

http://www.musicdirect.com/p-7249-lyra-spt-stylus-treatment.aspx?gclid=CIKq7ueV68wCFVGAaQodUeEGgA

edit- the tiny little bottle lasts forever if you follow the directions. 

I would be worried and reluctant to use the Flux Hifi Sonic cleaner. A third party device that oscillates the cantilever?! No thanks. This is clearly not what the cantilever was designed for. 

The description on Music Direct is laughable - talking about "crust" on your records. Seriously, if your records are clean, you don't need to dislodge crust on your needle!

Here's the magnifier that I ordered.  I said it was a 60-100x, but I forgot that I had decided on this 60x model instead.

Look at this on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/311399807992

Clip-On 60X Zoom Microscope Magnifier Micro Lens for iphone 6s 6s plus

About 36 years using Stylast and either their small brush, or the brush that Dynavector provides, prior to each listening session.  Then, I use the brush after each LP side.  

Marktomaras, Please post a link to the iPhone magnifier. Thanks

My flux hifi arrived yesterday, and 60x-100x zoom magnifier for iPhone is on its way.  Should be super easy to take before and after photos.  I'll be sure to report on the experience and post some pics!

Yes Jim, it should arrive next week. Although I forgot that I have quite a good magnifier on my phone!

Did you get a magnifier?

Ok so I've used the Vinyl Passion Dust Buster & it works well; the viscose gel does remove dirt from the stylus. 

It's the same principle as the Onzow although I have no idea as to the composite of either product. 

I use Clearaudio Elixir stylus cleaner and a small stylus brush I would never use Magic Eraser on my seventeen hundred dollar cartridge 
I tried the clear sticky bubble  but found a film building up on the stylus

Sound smith recommends dabbing into a bit of blue tack. 

theo1124
To paraphrase your comment above "Mr. Van Den Hul recommended Vodka or Last Stylus cleaner. He should know what works."

I don't disagree with his recommendation on Van Den Hul cartridges or cartridges Mr. Van Den Hul has rebuilt, however not every manufacturer uses the same cantilever/stylus attachment methods or adhesives.

I use Magic Eraser on my cartridges based on the recommendation of the distributor, who also advised never to use liquid cleaners on these cartridges. Cartridge owners should follow the manufacturer's or distributor's recommendation regarding their particular brand of cartridge.

When in doubt I would not use a liquid cleaner unless it was approved.

I recently attended a info session on Cartridges at AXPONA. The speaker Mr. Van Den Hul mentioned that Audio Technica stylus cleaner  was the worst cleaner to use, just the one I was using. He recommended Vodka or Last Stylus cleaner. He should know what works

Thanks Jim & folkfreak for the links...and thanks guys for the continued input, much appreciated. 

Magic Eraser; I’ve tried many others and this works best and is cost effective. Just a couple of up down and ups onto the surface with the cue lever (no hands on the tonearm needed!) and all is clean and ready to go. Sodium hydroxide is the ingredient in the material that helps clean the stylus.

Best - by far - is AT-637

Here is a copy of my earlier post with a link which I hope works. If it does not work just copy the description into the search description on e-bay:

Use magic eraser followed by a soft brush back to front. Inspect occasionally with something like this:

Pocket-Mini-60X-LED-UV-Light-Jeweler-Loupe-Magnifying-Magnifier-Glass-Microscope

No relation to seller. I have one of these and it is great to check and see if your stylus is clean.

There are plenty of threads on magic eraser here at Audiogon.

This one is widely available and works well. You will have to remove the clear plastic guard

Microscope

Jim have you got a link to one you recommend? 

Great that the Dust Buster works. I think it is about the same as the Onzow. If you are not using a magnifier of some some type to inspect the stylus you should get one like I recommended earlier in the thread for about $10. The 60x magnification really lets you see the stylus and cantilever in detail.

Best Regards,

Jim

Ok I will try the Magic Eraser too, thanks.

The Dust Buster works very well; it's like a really thick viscose gel & you can see the remnants of what it's removed. 
Recommended. 

It's your thread ...

If it was all that apparent I would not have asked.

Good luck and you should buy some Magic Eraser to test as well.

??? Really...??

Common denominator of the thread & observing amount removed.

"So the common denominator could be Last... "
The common denominator of what?

"The Dust Buster by Vinyl Passion will arrive today so I'll check out its effectiveness... "
How will you determine the effectiveness?

So the common denominator could be Last...

The Dust Buster by Vinyl Passion will arrive today so I'll check out its effectiveness...

@don_c55 i don’t know why there is nothing about cleaning (at all) in the manuals for my zyx airy and zyx 4d, but that’s why we have distributors to address our questions directly to manufacturer. I use fluid cleaning only on cheap mm cartridges, but i do not use it on hi-end mc cartridges if the distributor warning people to stay away of fluid cleaning. Rebuild of ZYX (for example) cost too much to make such mistakes.

To the OP,

I thought this conversation was laid to bed years ago when Doug Deacon popularized use of the Magic Eraser.

No doubt there are fluids which (over time) will leave your stylus looking like new (clear/white). I confess to having only used Last, and the results were just meh in comparison with the Magic Eraser.

This might have been a problem with technique (keeping fluid from migrating up the cantilever), but that's my point.  There’s no fluid involved in a Magic Eraser cleaning.

There is a down side to the Magic Eraser, if you can call it that.  You need either steady hands or good technique.

There are times when something doesn’t have to be labeled as an audiophile product to be a best in class product.

As far as the Onzow is concerned, this looks like the old Zerodust - good for removing surface garbage, but not for the baked on vinyl that quickly crusts up on a stylus. Upon having moved on from Last solution (cantilever grunge - possible user error), I used a Zerodust for about a year.

It then took careful and extensive "scrubbing" with a Magic eraser to remove the build-up that the Zerodust let occur. It can be done (remove it after the fact) but it’s a delicate operation, and prevention (regular use of the Magic Eraser) is much simpler.

As always, YMMV, but I thought this was open and closed when Doug posted about the Magic Eraser.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier Design

FWIW, I have used Last stylus cleaner before and after playing nearly every side of every record I have played in the last 30+ years.  As I mentioned previously I make a point of minimizing how far up onto the cantilever it is applied, to minimize the possibility of any of the liquid migrating onto the internal suspension.

I also use a Nitty Gritty 2.5FiMk2 Record Cleaning Machine on the majority of the recordings I play, but not nearly on all of them.  I use a Zerostat before playing every side of every record.  Also, my SOTA turntable has a dustcover, so between that and a very occasional dusting of the platter with a carbon-fiber record brush (that I don't use on records) the platter is kept clean.

I do not use any brushes on the stylus other than the very soft one that comes with Last cleaner.

I have never had any problems as a result, with any of the cartridges I have used during those 30+ years.  Those cartridges include various incarnations of the Grace F-9E (the original non-Ruby version; multiple original Ruby versions; a Soundsmith re-tipped "contact line" Ruby version), a Grado Reference Sonata, and the Audio Technica AT-ART9 LOMC I currently use.

Regards,
-- Al
 

@chasker

I use Last stylus cleaner before each listening session, and Last stylus preservative after each side, with stylus brushing.

I have been doing this for decades without problems of any kind!

Tried Magic Eraser and Ozono, but you still need to brush, and gave them up.

If ZYX was really concerned with fluids, why no warning in their manuals ????

I just blow on tip most of the time. No contact works best and longest
I have Stanton 1/4 oz bottle that i purchased 25 years ago and it's still near-full. 

@don_c55  google it, i tend to trust Nakatsuka-San and Zyx distributors:

Be careful with stylus cleaning fluid. Too much over time and you can dissolve the bond between the stylus tip and the cantilever. Zyx actually warns against using fluid for that reason. I've used a Zero Dust for years now. 

Many Cartridge Manufacturers today do usually discourage the use of Liquids, and the Distributor of ZYX told me either Onzow Zerodust, or Mister Clean ME Eraser only. The fluids needed many times to remove baked on Stylus Crud can no doubt be also agressive enough to harm Stylus Bonding Adhesives. 

As many have noted the key to a good cleaning regime is actually not letting the stylus get dirty in the first place so

1. Clean LPs
2. Inspect and clean tip at least once each session (Oznow Zerodust or magic eraser)
3. Keep dust and dirt away from cantilever (i.e. keep the room clean)
4. Infrequently more thorough clean with brush/liquid or ultrasonic

As it's step #4 that is most likely to damage things it's the one to avoid as much as possible and if you are doing #1-3 regularly you should not need to go to step #4 very often at all

Mmmmm...the Vinyl Passion is beginning to sound more appealing then...!

@ chakster

ZYX makes no mention of "strickly prohibiting" cleaning their stylus tips with a liquid cleaner on their website!

The Ozono does not clean "above the diamond on the cantiliver", and also needs the use of a brush.

Fluid stylus tip cleaning is strictly prohibited for most of the hi-end cartridges such as ZYX etc!

Onzow is the best solution, you will find it for reasonable price from japanese sellers on ebay.

Cardas LP with ultrasonic cleaning signal works also like demagnetizer but can not harm your MC/MM/MI cartridge.  The best tool ever! 

Great input guys, thank you. 

And thanks for the laugh slaw...!

I was using Audio Technica fluid but since my cartridge upgrade (Lyra Skala) I wanted something better.
As previously mentioned I have ordered the Dust Buster by Vinyl Passion but I'm certainly interested in the Onzow & Flux. 
Additionally I do of course endeavour to maintain clean records...!

Use magic eraser followed by a soft brush back to front. Inspect occasionally with something like this:

Pocket-Mini-60X-LED-UV-Light-Jeweler-Loupe-Magnifying-Magnifier-Glass-Microscope

No relation to seller. I have one of these and it is great to check and see if your stylus is clean.

There are plenty of threads on magic eraser here at Audiogon.

Been using the Last cleaner forever. Works great

+1. I use it before and after every side. I make a point of minimizing how much of the cantilever it is applied to, to minimize the possibility that any of the liquid may migrate to the cartridge’s internal suspension.

I also clean my records with a Nitty Gritty machine, btw.

Regards,
-- Al

Infection:,

As ghosthouse stated above,... It's more important to have a (cleaned lp) to start with. Any stylus cleaner is really secondary, but still of importance.

(I just have an issue with others starting a thread without explaining their procedure or why they started the thread in the first place! In this scenario, the OP gets away with not contributing (at all) to their own benefit!!!!)