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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
mulveling's avatar
mulveling
1,922 posts
 

The cartridge is only about a year and a few months old.

I actually don’t want to fiddle with it unless absolutely necessary. After a very arduous cartridge alignment session a while back I hit "gold" and got the best sound I’d ever had. Not sure how easily I can repeat it.

Is is possibly still breaking in? You got at least 40 hours on it? I really like my Ebony L (despite having many other fine MCs to choose from here), but there have been PLENTY of ups and downs with it, since new. It always sounds at least good, but sometimes it’s really GREAT.

It’s still probably right around only 50 play hours. It also seems quite finicky with partnering gear for sonic matching, even down to which amp I’m using. Sometimes its bass response has been a bit reticent and other times it’s like HOLY WOW. It’s actually been sounding stellar lately (on my back arm), and I’ve resolved to leave everything as-is for a while and just enjoy the ride.

My front arm is a FR64S with a Koetsu Blue Lace almost permanently affixed (and always sounds stellar), so when the back arm & cart is nearly matching that, I know it’s doing something right!

clearthinker's avatar
clearthinker
1,582 posts
 

How to clean with a stylus brush.

Free the arm from the armrest/lock and leave the cart between rest and platter.  Lower the lift and allow the arm to drop to its lowest level in that open space.  The arm will now be free to move upwards in response to any pressure on the stylus.  You are probably tracking between 2g and 2.5g.  Load your chosen stylus brush with a small drop of your chosen stylus cleaning fluid and brush it longitudinally along the stylus from back to front - no sideways force.  Yes, leave the sound on low so you can hear what you are doing.  Repeat brushstrokes 6 or 8 times.  If you apply too much upward force the arm will just lift in response, so you will never apply more than the downforce you have set on the arm.  The cantilever and suspension are designed to withstand a bit more than the 2.5g downforce as when playing a record the stylus is dropped onto its surface and will react to the downward force.

Assuming you did this you will not have damaged the stylus or suspension of the cart.

mulveling's avatar
mulveling
1,922 posts
 

Guys who leave the sound on while cleaning: has that ever actually saved you from anything? Seems like by the time you're aware of a mishap, it would be too late. Plus a large sudden JOLT of sound thru the speakers is just as likely to damage the cartridge from your reflex reaction. 

I do it in silence. Be VERY aware of your hands, clothing, forces being exerted, etc. Be in the zone. This can mean the difference between enjoying a Koetsu and tolerating a 2M :) 

dogberry
682 posts
 

If you have a cantilever, a brush is fine if you are careful. An "ultrasonic" cleaner is even better - quotation marks are because they are just vibrating brushes and don't get into the ultrasonic range of frequencies. My Hudson is cheap and effective.

BUT, if you have a pickup with no cantilever - a Decca, London or equivalent - a dry brush is all that is allowed. No stylus fluids, no liquids on an 'ultrasonic' cleaner. The fluid will migrate onto the armature holding the stylus and cause rust to destroy it, or even get up into the coils and loosen them and make the pickup extremely microphonic. Ask me how I know...

prof OP
3,474 posts
 

 

mulveling,

I usually clean the needle after my system is shut off.  But sometimes it's on.

When it's on, it's a bit easier to register the pressure I'm using because I can hear it through the speakers.  It's not too loud.

In fact, I'm not sure how even "too hard" pressure could ruin the speakers. 

The signal level to the speakers is obviously limited by the volume setting.

I mean, if I was just playing Van Halen the signal was already as close to as loud as it would get coming out of the speakers based on that volume setting.  I don't see how a hard brushing would be louder and more threatening to the speakers.

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