Just got a phone microscope and taken a few photos. I have had the RP10 with factory fitted Aphelion for 3 years and played about 1200 LPs.
What do you think about it’s condition?
Phil
Just got a phone microscope and taken a few photos. I have had the RP10 with factory fitted Aphelion for 3 years and played about 1200 LPs.
It might do with a slight clean, maybe, do you think?
My thoughts too
I use a Dynavector carbon brush quite regularly and occasionally put isopropyl alcohol on the brush using a soft artists medium brush. I’ve avoided the art brush direct.
Suggestions?
Phil
RTOM moongel damper pads
It not a drum in need of damping???
Phil
In all honesty Phil I don’t think the photos are of good enough quality to say much at all, but it looks a bit grubby.
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Thanks. Will it remove the black vinyl dust? Rega say not to use these in case the fluid travels up the cantilever, which is why I am so frugal with isopropyl alcohol.
Phil
I’m not certain but I don’t think the Audio Technica has any isopropyl alcohol at all, it’s fairly cheap and as a fairly big cartridge manufacturer I doubt they’d sell it if it was particularly deleterious.
Years ago used some of that fine grade green sandpaper stuff Linn used to supply.
My old AT battery powered stylus brush no longer works which is why I went for their liquid.
If nothing else it gets end of track muck off which is visible to the naked eye far better than blowing or less delicately using a finger!
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Anyone know if vinyl dust on stylus causes any issues?
Phil
A newer solution are the ‘gel/putty’ compounds that you drop the stylus onto like a record.
Many around such as:
There’s an AT version too I can’t find on their site called:
Audio Technica AT617a Polyurethane Gel Stylus Cleaner Gel
My dealer has I believe a Project version which is cheap at under £20 - ought to try one really, just not quite figured out how there’s enough room on the platter for that one to allow space for the arm/cartridge to drop.
Would be interesting to know what others use these days.
My AT battery operated brush cleaner used to be great, I think it actually had isopropyl alcohol in the bottle - when that ran out I think I used some other fluid, maybe ‘discwasher’, whatever it was it made the brush pad solid and the stylus tip would not penetrate the bristles.
There’s an AT version of the gel too but can’t see it on their site:
Audio Technica AT617a Polyurethane Gel Stylus Cleaner Gel
Then again!
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It’s essentially the same thing as what Alley_cat suggested, but since not marketed to audiophiles at a normal price. I.e. cheap enough that you just get new ones instead of trying to wash them.
Google them in combination with stylus, vinyl, etc. Plenty of reviews. Even recommended by a stereophile reviewer and have ended up in the equipment used section of their reviews.
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Rega don’t recommend putty either😢. The cartridge is £3k so I am very careful even with the carbon brush!
Does vinyl dust matter, or what is left after using the carbon fibre brush?
Phil
Phil, everything matters in vinyl-replay! The stylus is reading the grooves, so the cleaner this “tool”, the better. I use Lyra SPT with for my Lyra-cart. I don’t know what Rega recommends, but a clean stylus is mandatory at a certain level of vinyl-replay.
Recently Martina Schöner (the builder of my refurbished Garrad 401) worked hours to clean my 2 year old Lyra Skala and she set the turntable and cart up again. The result was/is amazing! Being able to retrieve the micro details from the vinyl grooves results in an quite mesmerizing quality of audio-experience - of course the rest of the audio chain has to handle these small electrical impulses further on.
It goes without saying that you have to know what you are doing, when you clean a cartridge professionally, but first of all you should keep your stylus clean all the time.
Hope this helps,
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I’d try & get hold of the Audio Technica stylus cleaner. They’re still available if look around the net. I’ve had mine for over 2 decades soo they do last & do a great job. As far as can tell the stylus on my Apheta mk1 is still nice & clean using the AT every now & again.
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What’s the consensus, use wet or use dry?
@jodl, Photo from Discogs. My dealer who is good with cartridge stuff recommended the Dynavector stylus cleaner which is probably similar to the AT stuff. I think the isopropyl alcohol probably evaporates too quickly even in a dense carbon fibre brush.
I can also see what Terry from Loricraft advises. He made and fitted my late cousin’s Thorens TD124 to his Garrard style plinth. I don’t use it though. Terry and Martina were colleagues.
I have one of Terry’s PRCM4s to help reduce wear on the stylus.
Phil
I use the Audio Technica AT637 stylus cleaner every now and then. Between times, my old Dishwasher stylus cleaner does a good job.
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Got these photos from the originlive site. The last is a new stylus.
Phil