stylus question

I just started using the Magic Eraser this week. I'd been using Zerodust for years. The Magic Eraser is so much better.

My cartridge is a London Decca Reference and it is notorious for wanting to see clean and unworn records.

There were records in my collection that I thought were unplayable with my cartridge. The records were clean and I thought my cartridge looked clean but it clearly wasn't. After a few cleans with the ME the cartridge sailed through those records that I previously thought were too worn.

Prior to using the ME my tracking force was set to the upper limits of the range and I was using a very steep VTA: all this in an attempt to keep things quiet in the groove and distortion-free. With my cartridge now perfectly clean thanks to the ME, I can choose pretty much any VTF or VTA that I want.

In addition to cleaning the stylus and the cantilever I suspect that the ME may getting rid of static. I wonder if the soap/chemical in the ME is coating the stylus and cantilever the way a dryer sheet, like "Bounce," coats clothing to prevent static cling.

In any case, it works fantastic.

Exlibris,

Glad you're enjoying the benefits of effective stylus cleaning after all these years! I've lost count of how many "worn out" umpti-thousand dollar cartridges I've saved for people using this ridiculously easy and inexpensive method.

That said, I've never used or recommended the soap-infused version of the ME for stylus cleaning. The idea is to eliminate residues of ANY kind, both from our styli and from our record grooves. Soap residues may quiet the groove for a while, but eventually they'll become a magnet for dust and other gunk. Remember Gruv-Glide? Same effect, same problem.

The one I have is simply white through and through (no visible soap) but it isn't the "Original." The store I bought it at had three different kinds of ME: Bathroom; Kitchen; and 50% stronger. I went for the "bathroom" one. I will try some other store and look for the "original."