Pro-Ject - Clean-it Carbon Fibre Stylus Brush

A carbon fibre stylus brush. Ten seconds before each side, and the diamond stays a diamond instead of a lump of compacted dust.

A stylus tip is a few tens of microns across and it is dragged through a groove at somewhere around two grams of pressure. Anything it picks up stays stuck to it, builds up, and then sits between the diamond and the vinyl. The audible result is a dulling of the top end and a rise in surface noise that creeps up so gradually most people never notice it happening — they just conclude the cartridge is getting tired. Frequently it is only dirty.

Clean-it is a carbon fibre brush sized for the job. The fibres are conductive, so they discharge static as well as sweeping the tip. It takes about ten seconds and Pro-Ject positions it as a daily-use item — realistically, before each side.

On technique: the universally accepted method for any stylus brush is to move it from back to front, that is, in the same direction the record travels relative to the stylus, never side to side and never front to back. A cantilever is a thin tube of aluminium suspended in rubber and it will bend if you push it the wrong way. Pro-Ject’s own printed material does not actually specify a direction, so we are giving you the standard advice rather than quoting theirs.

Brush before you play, not after, so you are not leaving debris on the tip to dry in place between sessions.

Features

• Conductive carbon fibre bristles sized for a stylus tip
• Sweeps the tip and dissipates static in one pass
• Takes about ten seconds
• Recommended by Pro-Ject for daily use
• Restores top-end clarity that people routinely mistake for a worn cartridge

Specifications

• Type: Carbon fibre stylus cleaning brush
• Bristle material: Conductive carbon fibre
• Dimensions: Not published
• What it does: Removes fine dust from the stylus tip and eliminates static charge
• Recommended frequency: Pro-Ject positions it for daily cleaning of the stylus. We would use it before every side
• Direction of use: Pro-Ject’s own material does not specify a direction. Standard practice for any stylus brush is back to front — the direction the record travels relative to the stylus — never sideways and never front to back, because a cantilever will bend
• Country of manufacture: Not published for this product
• Warranty: Two years from date of purchase, extendable to three years by registering the product with Pro-Ject and subscribing to their newsletter. Pro-Ject states that warranty is administered by the local distributor and that terms can vary by region; no separate United States term is published. Coverage requires purchase from an authorised dealer — The ’In Groove is one.