I agree
About what?
That IPA is a solvent?
From Lyra -
SPT, Stylus Performance TreatmentLYRA Stylus Performance Treatment (SPT) is a purified water-based, non-alcohol stylus cleaner that helps keep cartridge styli scrupulously clean.
In addition to highly purified water, SPT contains only very small amounts of organic chemical cleaning agents. SPT has proven to be completely safe to use with all phono cartridges (not only LYRA’s).
Whatever the cartridge, excessive amounts of liquid should never be applied to the stylus and cantilever.
A key component of SPT is the accompanying brush which has been designed with super-soft bristles. Thanks to the bristles it is OK to drag the brush across the diamond stylus of the cartridge. Most other stylus brushes on the market have harder bristles that are not gentle with the diamond stylus, and could potentially cause damage. Even the LYRA brush must not be allowed to come into contact with any other part of the cartridge.
I doubt anyone has done any research, who would commission and pay for it?
I have heard from people whose opinion I trust that this has happened, I therefore am not going to take the risk with a £2.5K cart.
But anyone else is free to believe what they want and use it on their kit if they want, it would equally not be OK on a serious Hifi thread to not mention that there is a different view on using IPA than that expressed.
hahahaha!
A brush that can damage a diamond? 
2 Likes
Are cantilevers hollow? and are they open at either end? Won’t they suck up liquids like a straw by capillary action? What happens to any liquid inside the cantilever?
I think it could potentially shift the diamond in its mounting.
Anyhoo, lunch finished. Will see if I can dissolve the diamond with ipa.
This varies with different carts. I have some that are solid boron & several that are hollow duralim or aluminium pipe.
You are spot on about the capillary egress though. I have seen some comments 're liquid causing damage inside some carts due to this. Could this corrode the coils mebbe? It should dissolve off fairly quickly tho if solvent based.
I will have to dry it for a bit before I stick it back in the sem. Doesn’t like liquid chucked in it.
Someone suggested IPA would dissolve the glue holding the diamond, not the diamond itself, dingbat 
I know that. I was taking the piss.
Wet cleaning can be perilous according to Windham Hodgson - I remember a long conversation with him about cleaning and he had done some research for EMI on the subject (Expert Stylus supplied and tested parts for the EMI EPU cartridge along with Tannoy and a bunch of others) He also waxed lyrical about stylus wear and the research he had done for EMI. Whilst replacing Styli was certainly part of his business he did put forward a compelling case for how diamonds wear. - I got de blues.
2 Likes
Ah, in that case. apologies
1 Like
A little bit of a gentle-ish solvent like ipa for a short time should do no harm. Soaking it in a chlorinated solvent will probably see it fall apart reasonably quickly.
This is after a little ipa and being very gentle with some optics cleaning cloth/swab.
Left a tiny bit of crap on, but not near the contact point.
2 Likes
Was this what you said after last nights anal?
1 Like
citrus rim anyone?
It’d be interesting to play one record & see how it looks.
Will get around to it in the new year, when I dig my old Thorens out of the cupboard.