Ultrasonic Stylus Cleaners

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Mr. Bewlay, Nov 29, 2021.

  1. I’ve noticed the Flux is no longer available at places like Music Direct, is there some type of distribution issue?
     
  2. aroney

    aroney Who really gives a...?

  3. MattHooper

    MattHooper Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    Oh, so it's already a failure to launch?
     
  4. aroney

    aroney Who really gives a...?

  5. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    HK bucks, around 135 US )). But still I cannot see why they need to combine cleaner with scale.. Your clean your stylus daily, you install it (for many) once a year or even less frequent...
     
    aroney likes this.
  6. aroney likes this.
  7. Jim0830

    Jim0830 Forum Resident

    I hear you. We traveled similar roads to the Flux. I went from the Onzo>DS Audio>Flux. My hands also aren't as steady as they used to me and like you good enough for now. I do not trust myself using a stylus brush, though I have several. My cartridge has a very bulbous body and the cantilever barely protrudes below the cartridge body. Very poor visibility for using a stylus brush. In the 6 months since I have become far more comfortable using the Flux. Although Music Direct doesn't currently list the Flux Stylus cleaner they still sell the replacement bottles of the Flux cleaning fluid. It is not unlike good perfume: small bottle with a big price tag, I'm still working on the supplied bottle, but I got a bottle of the fluid when I bought my Flux.

    I wonder what is up with Music Direct not currently listing the Flux? This is a very recent development since I was looking a few weeks ago at turntable accessories and at that time it was. still listed. Hmmmm
     
  8. I did some Internet searches a couple weeks ago when I saw it was no longer carried by Music Direct and was only able to find vendors outside of the US. It even used to be on Amazon US but no more. If anyone knows of any US shops carrying it please share.
     
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  9. Jim0830

    Jim0830 Forum Resident

    Just speculating. but it would seem if there was a technical problem then I would guess that Music Direct would also stop carrying the Flux Cleaning fluid for the device. Plus if there was a technical problem, I would think it would be BIG news within the audio community and they couldn't keep hidden. Also, I find it strange that ALL US dealers seem to no longer be carrying it. I wonder if it is an issue with their US or North America distribution? Perhaps the high price of fossil fuels right now have skewed the numbers so it is not worth the price of getting it here. The Flux price point is already considerably higher than the Chinese versions. Once again just totally "Wild A** Guessing" here, but odd the suddenness of it.
     
  10. drmoss_ca

    drmoss_ca Vinyl Cleaning Fiend

    Location:
    NS, Canada
    I looked at the Flux, Hudson and Dynavector. I believe they are all the same, except for the shape of the plastic housing. Some say 400Hz, and some say 222Hz. I don't begin to trust Chinese manufacturers enough to think there is a difference. As for the ultraviolet LED, I would lay money that it is a purple LED, with no UV emission. So I put my money where my mouth is, and bought the cheap Hudson. Used it for five seconds on the stylus of my moving iron Decca London Reference - no long cantilever to make placing the diamond on the pad easy, but I managed. Now I need to find my USB microscopes, or jeweller's loupes to see what the results are like. Having moved house, and with most possessions still in unpacked and unlabelled boxes, that bit is hard!
    But I just listened to the original 1979 The Wall, cleaned on Loricraft and Degritter, with the freshly cleaned stylus. I heard two clicks on side one. Just two. And that record has been played dozens of times since 1979, first on a Garrard SP25 MkIV (hey! I was born near Swindon!) and then On a Rega Planar 3, and now on an SME 10 with several cartridges over the years. It's been around. I'm amazed at how good this sounds.
     
    Shawn likes this.
  11. aroney

    aroney Who really gives a...?

    What makes the Flux a 100-bucks better than the Hudson?
     
  12. I just ordered a Hudson and will report back after I use it. I have a digital microscope (not a fancy one, just one of the USB ones but still) so will do before/after comparisons.
     
    matrix-6, Old Zorki II and aroney like this.
  13. ellaguru

    ellaguru Forum Resident

    Location:
    Milan
    Just took delivery of the Hudson, and was easy to use, although i had to remove the table's mat to get the clearance for the cart.
    Can't report on it's results since Im playing an album ive never played before.
    The drop of cleaner remains on the pad after you are done...let it evaporate or wipe it off?
     
  14. Jim0830

    Jim0830 Forum Resident

    I have the Flux which is similar to your Hudson, so I think this will be the same answer to what that Hudson is like.

    I NEVER leave a huge drop of water on surface of the brush. I make sure it is absorbed. After I put a drop of fluid on I use the tip of the fluid bottle to apply light pressure while stroking from side-to-side to help work the drop of fluid down into the brush. Just don't squeeze fluid bottle while doing this, you don't want even more fluid on the surface of the brush. With the Flux it took about 8-10 cleanings and then the brush seem to be more absorbent and the fluid soaks into the brush better. Lastly, turning the Flux on for a minute or two before you start cleaning will help the fluid be absorbed.
     
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  15. ellaguru

    ellaguru Forum Resident

    Location:
    Milan
    Thanks for your guidance. I thought that the brush would establish a bit of 'conditioning' over time.
     
  16. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    Do you think one drop is enough to clean 3 cartridges in sequence? How fast it evaporates? (My order will come tomorrow :).
     
  17. ellaguru

    ellaguru Forum Resident

    Location:
    Milan
    I used the flat edge of a toothpick to squeegee the drop off the brush before it had time to evaporate/absorb. The 3 albums i played post cleaning sounded great, but they were all pretty damn good sounding already.
     
    Old Zorki II likes this.
  18. matrix-6

    matrix-6 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Some pics after using the Hudson. One thing to notice is the drop of fluid on the stylus/cantilever after a clean in the first pic. The 2nd and 3rd pics are after removing the drop with a brush.


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    And one from before the clean (pretty clean to begin with, so not the best test, but thought the drop above was worth posting about - don't play immediately after using the Hudson as who knows what the fluid might do to your records):

    [​IMG]
     
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  19. wolfyboy3

    wolfyboy3 99 Red Balloons Go By...

    Location:
    Indiana
    I got the Hudson the other day. I have used it thrice now. I just used my finger to get the drop to absorb in the pad. But the fact that we all had this problem says it is an issue. Also the thing is HUGE. I am not going to reset my tone arm height just to clean the stylus every time. I have the same problem with the Onzow I use. I just place it on there. I'm daring that way. No problem with that aspect so far.
     
  20. wolfyboy3

    wolfyboy3 99 Red Balloons Go By...

    Location:
    Indiana
    Anyone know what's in the fluid?
     
    Shawn likes this.
  21. drmoss_ca

    drmoss_ca Vinyl Cleaning Fiend

    Location:
    NS, Canada
    I think the viscous fluid that comes with the Hudson is simply for mechanical transmission of the (non)ultrasonic vibrations. After all, in a recommended use of five seconds, what kind of chemistry will work so quickly, and yet be so mild as not harm the glue holding the stylus in place? I have used the Hudson twice now, a week apart. I can't say I could hear a difference. I hope and trust (yes, subject to revision with evidence) it is keeping the stylus clean in a way that would be revealed eventually in nasty sound from a grungy stylus. Plus, I was never happy about the dense carbon fibre stylus brush, which felt in use as if it was all too likely to tear the stylus right off. I must find that USB microscope, but currently rather busy listening!
     
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  22. Jim0830

    Jim0830 Forum Resident

    A couple observations based on my using the Flux which is similar but different in its use. I have mentioned before that I found after several uses the fluid seems to absorb into the brush better. The fluid bottle that comes with the Flux seems to be quite easy to dispense one small drop of fluid with the right pressure. After wiping any excess fluid off the bottle tip with a microfiber cloth, the tip of the bottle can be used to spread the fluid across the brushes surface which lets it be absorbed into the brush. Just hold and don't squeeze the bottle at all while doing this. Running the Flux for a minute or so helps the fluid absorb into the brush.

    After all of the above: I would not clean my stylus with a visible bead of water still sitting on the brush surface. The recommended cleaning time for the Flux is 15 seconds but that still wouldn't be enough to get all the excess fluid off the cantilever. After all the cantilever is "in over its head" in a larger than normal bead of the cleaning fluid. This bead extends above the brush surface and therefor it would be above part of the cantilever too. The cantilever will act like a natural scoop and scoop up some cleaning fluid as it comes out of the pool, which will then dip down onto the stylus.

    The other thing I wouldn't do is use my finger to remove excess cleaning fluid from the brush surface. Even freshly washed, there are skin oils and other contaminants that can get deposited in the cleaning fluid remaining on the brush. A clean microfiber cloth, a scrap of clean paper towel. Any clean lint free surface will do.
     
    Shawn likes this.
  23. Jim0830

    Jim0830 Forum Resident

    This is for the Flux, but it should be similar for the Hudson. When the fluid gets absorbed into the brush so there is no longer a bead on the surface, there is still evidence the brush is damp. The wet areas of the brush are slightly darker in color. This darkness remains after one cleaning. It disappears over time as the fluid evaporates or gets absorbed into the brush. I would guess as long as you see clear signs of the wet area remaining on the brush you can clean another stylus. I would do it as quickly as possible just the same.
     
    Old Zorki II likes this.
  24. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    Thank you. I am not planning to use it daily, perhaps twice a month or so, so it is not about saving liquid )). But because I have to remove top plexiglass mat from my TT, etc, I want to do it for all 3 carts installed at that time at one shot. Yeh, and as quickly as my crooked hands can )).
     
  25. Jim0830

    Jim0830 Forum Resident

    I feef your pain. FWIW the manufacturer of the Flux recommends cleaning the stylus every 10 sides. I know you have a UCM, so that may let you slide on the 10 sides. I still do it every 10 sides myself.
     
    Old Zorki II likes this.

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