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What is preferred/best contact cleaner these days?

I have been using Caig Industries DeOxit contact cleaners for many years now.  I am tremendously happy with the results after reapplying every 6 months or so.  I am shocked at how much better my audio equipment sounds.  The equipment really comes alive and becomes very exciting to listen to.  

Several days ago, though I stumbled across a discussion in this forum about a  contact cleaner than never needs to be reapplied and is evidently just short of miraculous, Total Contact - Perfect Path, in how it improves the sound.  I went to purchase some and was very dismayed to learn it is no longer sold.  Then I read about another one, Walker Audio Extreme SST that sounded good, but it is no longer being sold either.

Is there a general group consensus on the best contact cleaner available at this time?   Preferably one that only needs applied once.  :). Thanks.  Chris

cozlen
tsampa
28 posts
 

Check out Stabilant 22A. It works by filling in the micro-gaps between the conducting surfaces on a molecular level and then sealing the contact from the atmosphere. It is expensive but very effective. Used by NASA.

(I read about it on Audiogon two years ago and have no affiliation.)

1971gto455ho's avatar
1971gto455ho
499 posts
 

Micro-gap filling ? Talk about diminishing returns, there’s one for the ‘tweaked’ audiophile ears. Most can’t realize a difference doing an A/B cable test. Pastes, pads, contact crap, magic rocks / beans, it all makes a difference ? Laughing is good, no BS there.
Cheers

dekay's avatar
dekay
5,600 posts
 

I replaced Kontak with MG Chemicals 409B-340G Electrosolve Zero Residue Contact Cleaner (previously used Cramolin/Caig-Deoxit stuff).

It's doubled in price over that past 10+ years, but it is still a bargain for what you get (easily as good as Kontak - which I suspected may have been a Naphtha based dry cleaning fluid marked up a bazillion times).

 

DeKay

rock-on
15 posts
 

+1 on DeKay posting re: MG Chemicals 409B-340G. I recently have been using American Recorder S-721-H, which is "Formulated to clean audio/video/computer tape heads, capstans, guides & rollers." I used Kontak for years until price and limited availability became an issue. I avoid lubricant or conditioning agents.

lpretiring
466 posts
 

The thing I dislike about our hobby is cleaning contacts.

I’ve never kept track of the timeline.

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