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Zerostat

76.193.170.49
Posted on October 15, 2016 at 11:54:13
jtpzenith
Audiophile

Posts: 607
Joined: November 4, 2002



I saw a photo taken at a European audio show of a high end system that did not have a phono front end. It was using a CD player and probably digital storage and a Zerostat gun was in plain view. Are people zapping their CDs ????

 

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RE: Zerostat, posted on October 15, 2016 at 12:56:03
JURB
Audiophile

Posts: 2056
Location: North Ohio
Joined: May 29, 2016
 Probably a marketing ploy. Static means nothing to CDs.

Stamped CDs work by the pits being ¼ of the light wavelength deeper, causing the light to null out. Burned CDs work by a photographic layer that blocks the beam to emulate those pits. Static is not geerally a problem.

It is different with records though because of the nature of some vinyl and low humidity and you actually get a discharge from the record to the cartridge or stylus. Some turntables make it a point to use a conductive mat and ground the platter to reduce this. But even though black vinyl is slightly conductive, apparently it can still hold a charge like a dilectric. Like in a battery or electrolytic capacitor. And the stylus moving along through the grooves acts like a Van De Graff generator.

But having a Zerostat and no turntable is all marketing. Snake oil. buncha BS.

 

RE: Zerostat, posted on October 15, 2016 at 14:41:59
PAR
 " Stamped CDs work by the pits being

 

RE: Zerostat, posted on October 15, 2016 at 15:07:02
rick_m
Audiophile

Posts: 6230
Location: Oregon
Joined: August 11, 2005
 "So using any form of de-static device including a Zerosat could help improve matters."

I agree. And you did a good job explaining the (IMHO) most likely mechanism.

I did, or at least started, an experiment years ago using a zerostat to place local charges on a CD which I was then going to play and see if I could see the charges by monitoring the focusing servo current while the disk was playing.

Well.. I never got around to doing the second step but I monitored the charge locations using a doghair electrometer for a few days and they were very stable, charges really persist in polycarbonate. However using the zerostat properly they were easy to remove.

A doghair electrometer (cat better?) is a hair taped to a toothpick and sticking out maybe 1.5". You just touch a spot on the disk (on the transparent side) to pick up a reference charge then you can see the relative charge on other areas by holding the tip close and watching it bend.

Regards Rick

 

RE: Zerostat, posted on October 15, 2016 at 16:22:36
bigshow
Audiophile

Posts: 472
Location: WI
Joined: December 3, 2012
 Put the back of your hand to a cd in the winter when it's dry. If the hair stands up you have static. I use my Zero Stat on cd's.
bigshow

 

RE: Zerostat (photo), posted on October 15, 2016 at 16:35:17
jtpzenith
Audiophile

Posts: 607
Joined: November 4, 2002



Zerostat on the floor along with CD jewel box.

 

Static buildup, posted on October 15, 2016 at 18:27:24
FenderLover
 Isn't the CD holder grounded within the unit?

 

RE: Zerostat, posted on October 15, 2016 at 22:11:46
PAR
 " Stamped CDs work by the pits being 1/4 of the light wavelength deeper, causing the light to null out. Burned CDs work by a photographic layer that blocks the beam to emulate those pits. Static is not geerally a problem. "

The CD system does not work like that. What does " causing the light to null out" mean?

CD "works" at the light level you appear to be referring to by sensing the phase difference of the reflected laser light from the pit compared to that from the land.

The CD itself is prone to storing static electricity being made from polycarbonate. The optical collimator lens assembly is mounted in a very sensitive assembly that moves up and down to keep focus as the disc rotates. It is very lightweight and could feasibly be attracted by static electricity (just like paper to a charged plastic surface) to the disc causing it to adjust to keep focus which may affect the sound (additional demand on the power supply?). So using any form of de-static device including a Zerosat could help improve matters.

 

RE: Static buildup, posted on October 16, 2016 at 02:59:06
PAR
 I believe that the laser diode in the OPU is grounded for protection before installation. This ground may defeated by breaking a solder bridge upon installation and which then allows for operation. I assume that there is accordingly some form of grounding path created thereon.

However the collimator lens assembly itself is decoupled from the laser and the rest of the OPU so as to be able to move and to change focus. I would imagine that due to its size, lightness and need for freedom of movment (in the vertical plane), grounding may be hard to achieve for this component which would leave it free to be attracted by static charges. Unlike the laser diode there would not be any risk of damage, however.

The CD disc itself is normally only held around the edge of the centre hole on a form of chuck which is, in turn, attached to the motor spindle. There may be additional clamping applied but whether any attention is paid to grounding I do not know.

 

RE: Zerostat, posted on October 16, 2016 at 06:46:27
geoffkait
 If it's true the Plastic CD builds up an electric static charge whilst spinning why wouldn't the static charge return rather rapidly after the disc has been neutralized before play?

 

RE: Zerostat, posted on October 16, 2016 at 08:41:46
PAR
 Good point and I am sure that this probably happens so that the end of the disc is no longer as effectively treated. And, of course, when making comparisons people will be comparing from the start of the disc or from an individual tack i.e. before the effect is compromised.

This is why, when I was seemingly most affected by this issue, I used a static neutralising fluid which dries on the label side and seems good for a number of plays. BTW the best liquid for this is Teepol industrial detergent , for which a few dollars ( or pounds in my case) will get you enough for a lifetime of CD static neutralising ( and probably for your friends too). It comes in 5L packs for around 8.50 GBP or , with the pound's dive, that'll be around $9 (if not now check later in the week)! Nordost do a liquid for around 30-40 USD for something like 25CL in a pump spray. Strangely Teepol and the Nordost product have identical smells. I'll say no more.

BTW, your criticism also seems valid to me for the Zerostat's original purpose of treating LPs.

 

RE: Zerostat, posted on October 16, 2016 at 09:45:36
geoffkait
 I use industrial long lasting anti static spray on CDs, cables and carpets. The theory why a static charge is unwelcome on interconnects seems a little vague, however. ;-)

 

No me; I don't play CDs anymore ..., posted on October 16, 2016 at 11:25:19
Feanor
Audiophile

Posts: 9881
Location: London, Ontario
Joined: June 17, 2003
Contributor
  Since: March 12, 2004
 ... And I never had a static problem ripping mine to computer files.


Dmitri Shostakovich

 

RE: Zerostat, posted on October 16, 2016 at 13:47:49
JURB
Audiophile

Posts: 2056
Location: North Ohio
Joined: May 29, 2016
 "The CD system does not work like that. What does " causing the light to null out" mean?"

Though light acts like a particle sometimes it also acts as a wave. It has a wavelength. When you move the reflective surface ¼ of the wavelength of light the reflection is ½ a wavelength off and it nulls out. Read up on wave theory. This is from the Sony book. I might still have it and could scan it and send you the pictures. This was factory training back when they first came out.

The LASER pickups were slightly changed with the advent of burnable CDs because they use a type of photographic film and the original players could not read them. They were further redesigned when CD-RWs came out because a bunch of them could not read the RWs.

Stamped CDs still have the pits ¼ wavelength of light down for the nulling effect. Burned CDs cannot compete with that contrast ratio. Also, since a burned CD works by photography pretty much you can't leave it out in direct sunlight, this will not bother a stamped CD.

Static electricity will not bother either as far as I know. With vinyl the problem was the mini arcs between the vinyl and the stylus. With a CD the LASER ever gets close enough for that.

Also if you feel like reading maybe you can get a copy of Principles Of Digital Audio, written around the time CDs came out. It says that CDs could easily be four channel, it is just that they never mass produced the media or the players with that feature.

 

RE: Zerostat, posted on October 16, 2016 at 16:01:12
BubbaMike
Audiophile

Posts: 650
Location: Left Coast of the USA
Joined: January 4, 2002
 I just use a green pen and attach weights to the hole in the center. I know this works cause Sam told me so and he would never BS me.


When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it. ~ Bernard Bailey

 

"Probably a marketing ploy. Static means nothing to CDs." , posted on October 16, 2016 at 17:57:34
Mr. Dick Hertz
 Ah, but "audio nervosa" trumps everything.

 

Zerostat is for CDs?, posted on October 16, 2016 at 18:16:27
genungo
 I use it on people.

 

RE: Zerostat, posted on October 17, 2016 at 12:21:40
noway
Audiophile

Posts: 425
Location: Canada
Joined: August 28, 2007
 Yes it does. Because EBay says so.

 

My ears trump everything....[nt], posted on October 17, 2016 at 18:33:05
alan m. kafton
Manufacturer

Posts: 5285
Joined: April 7, 2000
 .

 

So, your ears reach out and "grab" the music..? , posted on October 18, 2016 at 12:07:24
genungo
 You can do anything you like when you're a star.

 

RE: So, your ears reach out and "grab" the music..? , posted on October 18, 2016 at 15:32:46
alan m. kafton
Manufacturer

Posts: 5285
Joined: April 7, 2000
 Ahhh....I finally got what you meant. Clever.

Not my style, genungo. :--}

 

My ears Hillary everything... (nt, posted on October 18, 2016 at 15:54:35
genungo
 .

 

Yes, this thingy can affect optical discs, posted on October 20, 2016 at 16:12:14
jeromelang
Audiophile

Posts: 2303
Joined: February 2, 2001
 Your SACDs, CDs, DVDs, all can get affected in an adversed way

Sound quality sucks after being zapped.

 

RE: Yes, this thingy can affect optical discs, posted on October 23, 2016 at 06:18:07
geoffkait
 Yeah, right.

 

RE: "Sound quality sucks after being zapped.", posted on October 23, 2016 at 06:46:17
genungo
 This is major, please elaborate.

 

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