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How do I remove gunk from a Lyra Delos cartridge?

I was getting distortion at times when playing lps.Last week I took the turntable to a high end store in Manhattan and they said they would see if they could locate the problem.Everything checked out fine,but they did find what they called gunk on the stylus that you can only see with a magnifying glass and that they were unable to remove the gunk.The store is not a Lyra dealer so maybe they were being cautious when trying to remove the gunk because they did not want to take the chance of damaging the stylus.I will be going to the store tomorrow and I will ask them what methods they used to try and remove the gunk.If someone can give me some advice on removing the gunk I would appreciate it or if you think I would be better off getting in touch with the manufacturer.I'm worried about damage to the stylus. My turntable is a VPI 19 MKiii with a Audioquest PT-6 tonearm.I am thinking about upgrading to a VPI 9 Signature or getting a new turntable if it is more cost efficent. Thanks
montgomery
cmalak
681 posts
 
Once you have the stuck on crud/gunk cleaned off your stylus, I would use "Zerodust stylus cleaner" on your stylus after each record play or at least after each listening session to prevent future build up on your stylus. Here is a link: http://www.musicdirect.com/p-7737-zerodust-stylus-cleaner.aspx
montgomery OP
29 posts
 
I went to Lyric Hi-Fi today and after looking at the stylus through a magnifying glass I can't tell if the stylus is damaged but there is something on it that Lyric was not able to remove.The Lyric rep said I should definitely have the manufacturer take a look at it.I need to get this cartridge problem resolved before I can decide on upgrading to a VPI Classic One.Hopefully Jonathan Carr will respond to this thread and let me know where to send it for inspection.I guess it's back to digital listening for awhile. Thanks
actusreus
733 posts
 
I use both: Magic Eraser and Stylast (both the cleaner and preservative, but the preservative only occasionally). I clean the stylus after each side of the record played.

I understand that there might be some accumulation after playing even a clean record, but I agree with Stevecham that an undamaged stylus should not be covered in melted vinyl. If that was "normal," it would be a much more frequently discussed issue, which it does not seem to be. I honestly cannot say I have seen any vinyl residue on the Magic Eraser since I got my Delos in 2010.

Going back to the OP, it appears there might be some damage to the stylus, or the poor stylus has seen some nasty vinyl. The OP did not explain whether he purchased the cart used, or what history it has, so I'd start with that. In the meantime, a careful use of the Magic Eraser might help to address the problem.
syntax's avatar
syntax
2,193 posts
 
Best is AT-637
Discontinued, but sometimes available at ebay.
montgomery OP
29 posts
 
The Lyra Delos was bought new last March. Distortion started showing up after about 120 hours.I clean almost all used lps I purchase with the Vpi 16-5.I only play lps that are in very good or perfect condition.The Lyric sales rep said that he was able to remove most if not all of the gunk but still feels that something does not look quite right and that I should definitely have the manufacturer take a look at it.He also said that he could not find anything wrong with the turntable or tonearm.I need to get this resolved because it costs $35.00 cabfare(Brooklyn to Manhattan) to take the turntable to the shop and I have to lug this beast up and down two flights of stairs.Thanks for your responses.
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