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Ever Damage A Stylus Using Cleaning Brush?

I’m having a moment of audiophile anxiety. Help me Obi Wans of this forum!

I’d been using the DS Audio ST50 gel cleaner for my Benz Micro Ebony L cartridge. Due to recent uncertainties about the possible liabilities of those type of cleaners I bought a carbon fiber stylus brush, from boundlessaudio.

I use the Audio Intelligent cleaning fluid.

Everything has been fine, and I’ve never been sure how much pressure to apply to brushing the needle, so I’ve always tried the lightest touch possible. Sometimes, though, the middle aged hands aren’t as steady and I can give it a bit more pressure than I was planning.

So last night I lifted up the needle mid track to clean the needle. Couple of very light brushes just skimming the bottom of the needle, always back to front of the needle as recommended. With the system still on I can also hear how light or not I’m brushing, hearing the sound coming through the speakers. But the last brush stroke went up a bit higher, slightly submerging more of the stylus giving it a bit of a bump up and a louder sound through the speakers. Didn’t think too much of it. But when I sat back to listen I could swear the sound had altered slightly, like the sound had gotten a tiny bit lightened, brightened, forward vs the "inky black background" I’d just been listening to.

Just how plausible is it that I may have damaged or shifted something in the stylus?

In thinking it through it seems to me if any real force had been applied, since the stylus was not at all locked in to the holder, it would have bounced the arm up somewhat. But didn’t. Second, it seems to me there is at least as much force simply dropping the needle on to the record.

But I could be wrong. And I don’t know if the tonal change was all in my head. (I’m hoping it is...but even listening today I still seem to perceive a slightly different tone).

Any thoughts on this truly First World problem?

 

 

prof
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,223 posts
 

A cartridge that has lost it's stylus sound awful. You will know it right away. You can not damage the stylus itself but you can remove it entirely as in many cases it is only held on by a gob of glue.

@faxe , gel cleaners are bad because if you bungle the tonearm just slightly you can easily tea the stylus off on cartridges with the stylus held on only by glue. If you defeat the antiskating and use your lift you are in less danger. 

I clean my stylus with an artist's brush with the bristles cut back slightly. You can wipe the stylus in any direction. The Lyra cleaning fluid comes with a great brush and really works well which is why it costs so much. I always use some sort of magnification to check my progress.

jasonbourne52's avatar
jasonbourne52
2,863 posts
 

After 40+ years NO!

mulveling's avatar
mulveling
1,774 posts
 

Ah yes, I remember the audiophile nervosa from my first few years of high-end MC cartridge’ing :) 15 years now, some 2 dozen MC cartridges, lots of cleaning, and never any damage caused by cleaning. The real risk is too little cleaning.

It’s almost impossible to hurt a cartridge with proper bushing. If the bristles seemingly hurt the stylus or cantilever, it was on its way out anyways - how will it survive the vinyl grooves?! And yes, a damaged or missing stylus will be VERY obvious. Not slightly apparent.

I hate those little circular pad brushes with very short bristles. It means you’re getting hard plastic bits very close to the stylus / cantilever, which requires more caution (use your 2nd hand for bracing the 1st hand as necessary). Longer bristles (~ 1cm or so) also allow you to clean up & down the cantilever, keep "beards" off the front yoke piece (especially that crucial hole for the cantilever), and you can more thoroughly clean the stylus from different angles.

I don’t like carbon fiber bristles. Too soft to really knock gunk off. I like some rigidity. Cheap & cheerful nylon is fine. Artist brushes are fine (but careful if the metal ferrule is magnetic! Benz uses some very strong magnets).

I also have a Benz Ebony L (among many others) and brush it often. Great cart!

czarivey
5,707 posts
 

I think that you've either smoked too much or too little and need to adjust it first.

Your stylus at this moment is fine. You could not damage it with brush

elevick
2,636 posts
 

From: Andy@ Needle Clinic <needleclinic@gmail.com>

He has saved many of us who's stylus is not removeable.  Good pricing, great communications and the fastest turnaround anywhere.

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