Clearaudio Elixir of Sound Stylus Cleaner

Clearaudio Elixir of Sound — Low Alcohol, With the Brush in the Cap

A 10 ml stylus cleaning fluid for lifting the film a diamond picks up from record grooves. The applicator brush is built into the bottle cap, so there is no separate part to keep track of and no chance of applying it with something unsuitable.

The chemistry is the point. Hi-Fi+ called it "A must have for vinyl lovers," and noted that "Extremely low alcohol content means no problems with stylus adhesives or transfer to record surfaces."

How It Works

Why Alcohol Content Matters Here

A stylus is bonded to its cantilever with adhesive, and the cantilever runs into a suspension. Strong solvents attack both. A low-alcohol formula releases what has built up on the diamond without working on the parts holding the diamond in place.

The second risk is transfer. Anything left on the tip goes into the next groove it enters, which is why a fluid that evaporates cleanly matters more on a stylus than it does almost anywhere else in a system.

What It Removes That a Brush Cannot

A dry brush lifts loose material well. What it leaves is the hardened deposit that accumulates over months from mold release compound and airborne grime — effectively baked onto the diamond by friction and heat. A fluid dissolves that bond so a brush can carry it away.

Who Is the Elixir of Sound Best For?

• Your stylus has a visible coating — the point at which brushing alone has stopped working
• You want the applicator with the bottle — the brush is in the cap, so nothing gets lost or improvised
• You are cautious about solvents near a cartridge — Hi-Fi+ singles out the low alcohol content for exactly that reason
• You play a lot of second-hand vinyl — that is where most of the film comes from
• You want something for between every side — a fluid is for periodic use; a dry brush from stylus cleaning is the everyday tool

How Do You Apply It?

Lower the cue lever so the stylus sits at a workable height. Take the cap's brush, wet it lightly rather than loading it, and draw it from the cantilever toward the tip. Let the stylus dry before playing. Less fluid is better — the aim is to wet the diamond, not the cartridge above it.

Stylus care is a short sequence rather than a single product. A fluid is the periodic step, for when a brush has stopped being enough. 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 owners keep alongside a stylus fluid.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it contain alcohol?

It does, but at a low concentration. Hi-Fi+ puts it this way: "Extremely low alcohol content means no problems with stylus adhesives or transfer to record surfaces." Enough to release deposits, in other words, and not enough to work on the parts holding the diamond in place.

How often should I use it?

Periodically, when the diamond looks coated under a light, rather than on a schedule. Between those times a dry brush is the right tool.

How much should I use?

As little as will wet the diamond. The risk with any stylus fluid is excess running up the cantilever into the cartridge body, and that risk is entirely under your control.

Do I need to let it dry?

Give it a moment before you play. Anything still wet on the tip transfers straight into the next groove.

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Learn More

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