Home › Forums › Product Discussion & Questions › BeoGram › Cleaning Stylus, and cleaning Vinyl?
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14 August 2024 at 17:11 #58281
Just looking for some options really – I have been having some sound quality issues with be Beogram 3000 and MMC4, which was retipped in March. It sounded good when I first got it back from the restorer but since then it has degraded – it is distorted and scratchy, especially on bassier music, and especially in the left channel. I am not sure if it just needs a proper clean, so I wonder – what do you all use, both for your stylus, and for your records themselves?
For my stylus I do have the original B&O brush that came with my BG3000, which I have used (though very gently as I am afraid of damaging it). For my records, I bought a kind of block thing that looks like a board duster from school (if you’re old enough to remember such a thing) which is covered in a kind of velvet fabric. I have used both and while I’d say there is a small improvement, it still sounds poor. I have checked the stylus tip with a strong magnifying glass and it looks clean, so i am starting to think it is actually damaged.
I also have an MMC5, much older but still working, and when I exchanged the MMC4 for that, the sound was much better if not perfect (but I wouldn’t expect it to be – the MMC5 was last retipped many years ago and has had a fair bit of use since then).
14 August 2024 at 21:19 #58288The sound issues you are describing are not likely due to a dirty stylus or record Bass distortion is more likely to be caused by improper stylus force or a failing stylus cantilever suspension. I would recalibrate your tracking force to 1.2g for your MMC4 and 1.5g for your MMC5 first and then evaluate. As to cleaning the stylus, I prefer the gel-based ones such as from DS Audio as they leave no residue. Finally, a Spin-Clean Record washer will be a significant step up from your brush cleaner
14 August 2024 at 22:43 #58289Oh I have been careful to calibrate the tracking force, it is set to 1.2 for the MMC4. Interesting that it could be the cantilever, so sending it back to the company the retipped it for me seems the right option. I have ordered a gel cleaner, but those spin clean record washers are bit pricey so I’ll have to think about that! Thanks for the advice.
16 August 2024 at 19:39 #58360Having re-read this, I have looked for those Spincare record cleaners and thy are not what I was thinkign of – I had seen some motorised ones that were several hundred pounds (my friend has one in his record store – it was expensive), but these Spincare ones are actually quite reasonably priced.
I had always been nervous however of using cleaning fluid on my records – I’ve always assumed it must leave some residue, but apparently these Skincare cleaners only use distilled water. Might get myself one of those then.
17 August 2024 at 03:48 #58375The proper fluids will not leave a residue especially if you dry them. Just keep the liquid off the labels.
12 September 2024 at 07:35 #59027“Spincare” type recordcleaners should best be used by two; the first with cleaning solution, the second “bath” with distilled water for final rinsing. Dries without residue.
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