Clearaudio Diamond Stylus Brush

The Clearaudio Diamond Stylus Brush — Dry Cleaning, No Fluids Required

A dedicated brush for lifting dirt off a phono stylus without wetting it. Clearaudio built it to dry-clean the diamond, which means it can be used as often as you like with nothing to dry and nothing to run where it should not.

The problem it addresses is constant rather than occasional. Dirt in a record groove transfers to the stylus on every pass, and the film that forms sits between the diamond and the groove wall — the one place in the system where a few microns matter.

How It Works

Why Dry

A fluid dissolves what has bonded to a diamond, but it also introduces liquid near a cartridge's suspension and adhesives. A dry brush carries none of that risk, so it is the tool for routine use rather than for occasional deep cleaning.

That difference decides how the two are used. A brush is a between-sides habit; a fluid or a gel is something you reach for when the diamond has visibly built up a coating.

Direction Matters

Brush from the cantilever toward the tip, following the direction the record travels. A cantilever is a thin rod on a compliant suspension; force applied backward or sideways pushes it in a direction it was not designed to move.

Who Is the Clearaudio Diamond Stylus Brush Best For?

• You want to clean between every side — a dry brush is the only method safe to use that often
• You would rather keep liquids away from your cartridge — nothing can run down the cantilever
• You run a fine stylus profile — a line contact or Shibata reads a narrow band of groove wall, and a film there costs more
• You already use a fluid — the brush is what keeps the interval between fluid cleanings long
• Your stylus is already visibly coated — dry brushing will not shift a hardened film; a fluid from stylus cleaning is what does

How Do You Use It?

Drop the cue lever so the stylus is at a comfortable height, position the brush beneath it, and draw it front to back a few times. Check the diamond under a bright light. If a coating remains after several passes, that is the point at which a fluid earns its place.

Stylus care is a short sequence rather than a single product. A dry brush is the routine half of stylus care. You can use it on its own and be better off than doing nothing — or, for better results, run it as part of a full treatment program alongside the rest of what is in stylus cleaning, where a brush, a fluid and a treatment each do a different job.

Pairs Well With

What most Clearaudio owners keep alongside.

• Record cleaning solutions — the groove is where the dirt comes from in the first place
• Record brushes — a pass before each side keeps most of it off the stylus
• Replacement styli — what a neglected tip eventually costs you
• Phono cartridges — when the tip is past saving

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I use it?

As often as you like — between sides is reasonable, and it is the only stylus cleaning method with no reason to limit how frequently you do it.

Which direction do I brush?

Cantilever to tip, matching the direction of record travel. Backward or sideways strokes load the suspension in a direction it was never built for.

Is a dry brush enough on its own?

For loose material, yes. Over months a harder film builds up from mold release compound and airborne grime, and that needs a fluid or a gel to release it.

Does it work on a fine stylus profile?

It does, and those benefit most. A line contact or Shibata diamond contacts a narrow band of the groove wall, so anything sitting on that band has an outsized effect.

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