Onzow ZeroDust reportedly leaves a residue


Per Fremer, Onzow ZeroDust leaves a hard to remove residue:

 

kennyc

When your supposed US stylus cleaner is in operation, do you hear a hum or buzz? If so, it’s probably operating within the audible range of frequencies, not really US. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. IMO, it’s actually safer. Most operate below 1000 Hz.

Using my Carson 8X magnifier (from office max) and LED flashlight I was able so see a similar debris buildup on my cantilever. At this level of magnify I can't see the stylus very well. 

I eagerly await WallyTools lab analysis of what this stuff is.

Used my supplied AudioTechnica cartridge brush to gently swipe from back to front and after several minutes managed to remove 75% of it. 

I think the common emergent theme here is: don't JUST use a gel pad dip (whether Onzow, DS Audio, etc). You should also implement proper & frequent brushing.

Adding the occasional liquid cleaner might not be a bad idea for some. The ultrasonic cleaning devices look cool. Blutak is perhaps a good gel alternative. ME is also very effective, but its effectiveness varies GREATLY based on how you use it - I'm of the camp that a simple dry dip & lift isn't maximizing its utility; I do a lot more. People get skittish around this stuff, so there's certainly a lot of divergent opinions on how to use that ME.

Many yrs ago a dealer told me never to use those ultra-sonic brushes for they could vibrate the cantilever and possibly damage the suspension. I threw mine out many yrs back. 

Many yrs ago a dealer told me never to use those ultra-sonic brushes for they could vibrate the cantilever and possibly damage the suspension. I threw mine out many yrs back.

Vinyl grooves vibrate the cantilever...up to the suspension...also up into ultrasonic range. I guess the question is whether relatively high energy levels at ultrasonic frequencies are more damaging than even higher energy at low frequencies (which suspensions are quite normally subjected to). But it sounds like the dealer was simply speculating, as we all are a this time.

I reject the notion that seemingly "harsh" cleaning methods are dangerous (when applied properly). The stylus and cantilever have to be able to absorb relatively large forces in normal use. Cue up into the outer lead groove of a 45 RPM 12" and watch it "slam" into the 1st music groove. Any stylus that’s knocked out by a gel dip or a US cleaner or a vigorous brushing (etc) was on its way out very soon, anyways.

When Consuela rips off your Dynavector XV-1s stylus with her feather duster, that’s about 100 - 1,000x more force than the forces described above. These assemblies are delicate on that scale. They’re not so delicate on the former scale, except by manufacturing defect.

I love that my old dealer showed me how he brushed the stylus clean, all the way up the cantilever to the front plate. It was a lot less light-handed than I would've guessed. I would've been too skittish to properly clean if I hadn't seen that.