Lyra SPT

Well it says in the instructions

Read for yourself, sue them if you don’t agree.

“In addition to highly purified water, SPT contains only very small amounts of organic chemical cleaning agents. SPT has proven to be completely safe to use with all phono cartridges (not only LYRA’s). Whatever the cartridge, excessive amounts of liquid should never be applied to the stylus and cantileve

I don’t understand the physics, but a stylus cleaner that vibrates is necessarily going backwards and forwards.

A cartridge playing a record would never have movement towards the stylus.

I used it on my Kandid last night. I placed a small drop on the pad of an Audio Technics AT-637, allowed it to dissolve into the pad and placed the stylus down on it for ~10 seconds. Under a magnifying glass I can see that it looks spotlessly clean.

See @Derosa for their experience with Lyra SPT on a Krystal.

The AT-637 should be placed perpendicular to the tone arm.

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I think I’ll go with what Lyra tell me rather than what is posted in a forum. Thousands of happy customers vs a pic of a failed stylus.

You have to be careful with electronic/US stylus cleaners. Some operate at a frequency that can cause harm to some cartridge internals over time, or so I’ve been told.

The FLUX HIFI - Ultrasonic Electronic Stylus Cleaner is generally considered a safer one to use. I only use it once a month and just for 10 seconds or so, but that’s all that is needed. It comes with it’s own fluid. It works great and the stylus is shiny and clear afterwards.

Here’s the description of from MusicDirect, where I bought mine in the U.S.

Ultrasonic Technology Enhances Analog Performance: Flux HiFi Sonic Electronic Stylus Cleaner Makes Your LPs Sound Better and Greatly Extends the Life of Your Cartridge

The Flux HiFi Sonic Electronic Stylus Cleaner gently, safely and quickly removes hardened dirt from your cartridge’s stylus. Specially targeted ultra-sonic vibration ensures residue-free cleaning in only 15 seconds. Just carefully place a drop of the included fluid (a 5ml bottle comes standard) on the cleaner pad, and gently lay your stylus onto the middle. The process is easy and works with any turntable and cartridge. Flux can be used as often as you desire and will keep your stylus looking brand-new, even under a microscope! This advanced technology is a revelation for any analog lover and 100% Music Direct Guaranteed.

Why Ultra-Sonic Cleaning Is Better Than Brushes and Liquids
The stylus is the primary component in vinyl playback. If the needle is dirty, the diamond - no matter how ground and polished it is - cannot perform to its optimum ability and track the grooves of your LPs. Even supposedly clean records are covered with dust that adheres to the needle during the scanning process. If you clean the needle with a regular, dry brush, fibers are removed but crust remains. An aggressive liquid cleaner produces a reasonably clean diamond surface, yet these cleaners attack not only the adhesive of the diamond but may also damage sensitive rubber parts of the suspension of the needle carrier. That’s why you need Flux.

Three-Dimensional Vibration Removes All Dirt Particles
Flux’s operating principle is similar to an ultrasonic cleaner used in dental technology or an ultrasonic bath for eyeglasses. Its circuitry and mechanics are designed so that a three-dimensional vibration acts on the needle, removing all dirt particles. The frequency is exactly tuned to avoid any damage to the cartridge’s suspension system. A supplied fluid transmits vibrations from the device to the needle and performs an additional, gentle cleansing effect. After its application, it evaporates without leaving a residue. Flux-Fluid is applied on a specially designed pad made of the finest PE fibers. Due to their number and the resulting density, these fibers produce a capillary effect similar to the effect of a liquid.

Hear a World of Difference
Cleaning takes just 15 seconds and results in a world of differences. The scanning capability of the pickup system is improved. The service life of the needle increases due to less abrasion. Scanning noise becomes significantly reduced. Distortions and disturbing interference disappear. Playback is more dynamic and enjoyable. Unpleasant peaks vanish, large modulations are reproduced without distortion, and the frequency range is tremendously extended

As you wish but this is the advice from Linn.
“On the advice of the cartridge manufacturer, Lyra SPT can be used, as directed in the instructions, on Linn cartridges with solid boron cantilevers. It should not be used on any other Linn cartridges. Please contact your Linn retailer for further advice.”
https://docs.linn.co.uk/wiki/index.php/Turntable_Maintenance

Used it for 30 years on my Linn Troika and still going strong!

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You must have nerves of steel and the eyes of a hawk!

Yet you’re happy to allow the edge of a piece of, albeit fine grade, abrasive paper to rub repeatedly in the same location on the edge of your cantilever?

I have no idea if that’s a question for me.

If so, definitely not. I scrape only the stylus. Why would anyone use glasspaper (however fine) on a cantilever?

It was directed at you, yes. It should have appeared in the list of replies in your avatar.

I had the procedure for using Linn green paper explained to me by a Linn rep many years ago. He said to fold it in half and run the fold so created along either side of the stylus. In this method there is the risk of ridge itself rubbing on the cantilever. I cannot see how to mitigate the risk other than by not using it.

Not really. Set the thing vibrating, put it on the platter, lower the cartridge down with the arm lift. Pad is about 10mm across so enough to aim at.

I stopped using the green paper decades ago. It just seems an unecessary risk to me. My stylii stay clean without it.

Green paper removes microscopic dirt stuck to the stylus tip. Unless you are using powerful magnification you wont see what it removes.

How should you use it though? Drag the stylus over it whilst the paper is flat? And thus probably the cantilever damage risk is minimised. Or by trying to wipe the sides of the stylus, as appears to be recommended above, and as this diagram suggests, which definitely raises the risk of cantilever damage unless one is pretty careful? I wouldn’t trust myself to run the paper as close as this picture without occasionally catching the cantilever itself?

I put the glasspaper behind the stylus and pull it forward towards me.

I have done this for ten years or more, and never come close to damaging any part of the cartridge.

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I’m sure my stylus cleaner works well enough, and when I use the Flux HIFI cleaner I’ll bet that removes all those microscopic particles. I’m not convinced particles that can only be seen with “powerful magniifcation” will make a difference anyway.

I have plenty of green paper, but it’s sat in storage unused for a long time. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Hi
Yes it still smarts :face_with_diagonal_mouth:
especially as that particular paragraph was added “after” it did this damage to my Krystal and no one accepted responsibility beforehand :face_with_head_bandage: