REVIEW: Extreme Phono Solid-State Stylus Cleaner Accessory

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Model: Solid-State Stylus Cleaner
Category: Accessory
Suggested Retail Price: $25
Description: high tech polymer phono stylus cleaner
Manufacturer URL: Extreme Phono
Model Picture: View
Review by Joe Blow (A) on July 31, 2002 at 11:59:25
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for the Solid-State Stylus Cleaner
The Extreme Phono solid state stylus cleaner is a small dish of gell like substance upon which the stylus is placed and quickly removed. The web site explains the substance as "a high-tech polymer that seems like soft jello/gel-like solid, yet is is actually a very slow flowing, extremely high viscosity polymer, that is non-toxic, and non-polluting (but please don't eat it). By having a much higher sheer strength than the adhesive force between dirt and stylus, the cleaner can pull the dirt away without detaching itself and will not stick to the stylus."
Whatever the material, it reminds me very much of the "Ghostbusters Slime" available when I was a kid, only much thicker. That stuff would ooze between your fingers yet it did not stick to fingers and dripped off your hand leaving it completely dry. The Extreme Phono stuff is very slow flowing though, taking hours to move a fraction of an inch, and of course is not some annoying bright green color.
Instructions are simple enough. Use the cueing mechanism to lower the stylus into the dish and immediately after contact, lift the stylus. Repeat as necessary. I've been doing it twice just for good measure. Far less dangerous than a brush, no chemicals to worry about wicking up the cantelever, and easy enough to use that there is no excuse not to use it after every record, if not every record side.
It is not completely failsafe though. For example you are warned to use only the queing mechanism, presumably because the side to side motion of doing it by hand could bend a cantelever, or if dropped it might go too far into the gell. Similarly you are warned that not immediately lifting the stylus off the gell or "bathing" it could cause it to sink. I hate to think of the consiquences of having to pull a submerged stylus out of this goop. Still, if directions are followed the risk is zero, and it's easier to do it right than wrong anyway, so there isn't much to really worry about.
What is left behind after "dipping your diamond" is a small dimple on the surface of the gell and presumably a layer of dirt from the stylus. After an hour or two the dimple is gone. Since I have a nearly new (and presumably clean) stylus I had a hard time assertaining if it really worked. I mean, the gell isn't particularly sticky nor did I have a significant amount of crud that could be left behind. I don't have a microscope to review the stylus before and after. What convinced me though was after about 6 uses I held it up to the light so I could see through the substance. Low and behold, a small thin patch of crud could be seen dispersed in the gell at each point the stylus had come into contact with it in the past.
I'm sold!
Product Weakness: Some risk to stylus if directions are not followed (but what stylus cleaner doesn't)
Product Strengths: Ease and speed of use, no liquid to spill or wick up the cantelever, no brushing, appears to be effective, inexpensive compared to it's direct competetor
Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Musical Fidelity A3
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Integrated
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Pro-ject 1.2 w/AT440MLOCC
Speakers: Boston Acoustics T830-II
Cables/Interconnects: Radio Shack
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Folk, rock, jazz
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

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Topic - REVIEW: Extreme Phono Solid-State Stylus Cleaner Accessory - Joe Blow 11:59:25 07/31/02 (4)

Extreme Phono Solid-State Stylus Cleaner Accessory - Fretless 16:28:43 07/31/02 (2)

Re: Extreme Phono Solid-State Stylus Cleaner Accessory - Joe Blow 11:04:28 08/01/02 (1)

Should also add... - Joe Blow 11:13:48 08/01/02 (0)

Extreme Phono Solid-State Stylus Cleaner Accessory - Richard 14:35:02 07/31/02 (0)

You can not post to an archived thread.

Model:	Solid-State Stylus Cleaner
Category:	Accessory
Suggested Retail Price:	$25
Description:	high tech polymer phono stylus cleaner
Manufacturer URL:	Extreme Phono
Model Picture:	View

Product Weakness:	Some risk to stylus if directions are not followed (but what stylus cleaner doesn't)
Product Strengths:	Ease and speed of use, no liquid to spill or wick up the cantelever, no brushing, appears to be effective, inexpensive compared to it's direct competetor

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Musical Fidelity A3
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Integrated
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Pro-ject 1.2 w/AT440MLOCC
Speakers:	Boston Acoustics T830-II
Cables/Interconnects:	Radio Shack
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Folk, rock, jazz
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner