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
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?
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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. |
Thanks folks. I'm not an expert on the turntable stuff so still learning. My concern arose from thinking about just how minute an adjustment it can take to alter the sound with a stylus. For instance I use the arduous mint protractor when I have to set up my cartridge...requires insane precision, and I've noticed even differences practically not noticeable by eye with a loop or USB microscope can mean slightly different sound. So I wasn't wondering if I'd ruined my stylus, but rather if perhaps I slightly put it off adjustment somehow, just enough to alter the sound. But I infer from the replies this is unlikely. Is that because to move the stylus off center at all it would actually require a movement of the whole head shell, like when one is adjusting tracking? (I'm quite sure I didn't budge the position of the head shell). And that a bit harder brush pressure would be unlikely to bend the cantilever itself off adjustment?
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It's because any forces the stylus / cantilever / suspension assembly is subjected to during proper cleaning are equal to or LESS than the forces it will be subjected to during normal playback. You ever cue the needle onto the lead-in of a 45 RPM 12" and watch it SLAM into the 1st music groove? Or accidentally drop it a bit onto the vinyl without aid of the cueing lever? I've even had an end groove fail and watched / heard my expensive stylus eat paper label a couple times. It should be fine. On the other hand a cleaning lady with a feather duster can exert snagging forces 100X - 1,000X greater than the above forces. That'll kill your cartridge dead, every time! These things are robust within "expected forces" of a certain range. Keep within that range, and try to relax! |
I will agree with others that it is unlikely that you did damage. The difference you are hearing is probably more a product of anxiety over your actions. I would make the following recommendation: At all times, when not actually playing a record, make sure the cuing lever is in the up position. If you accidently bump the arm, the needle will not contact anything if the arm is cued up. This is really the simplest thing to do--when play is over, cue up and leave the lever in that position even when you return the arm to the rest. Do not actually lock the arm in the rest--there is no need to do this because the arm is cued up. If the arm or stylus is accidentally bumped, it is better that the arm and cartridge are free to move from the force applied, and there is no problem with that movement leading to the stylus hitting anything if the arm is cued up. Only cue down in order to play. When cleaning the stylus, the cued up position, without the arm being locked down to the arm rest prevents damage from excess force applied to the stylus and cantilever--the arm would move from that force instead of excessively stressing the cantilever. |
- 46 posts total