Moving Magnet cartridge must always be MAGNETIZED.
Do not do anything to de-magnetize it.
Do not do anything to de-magnetize it.
Cartridge Demagnetization: Moving Magnet/Iron vs Moving Coil Processes
For years I have applied the old, very effective, demagnetization process for Moving Coils: put on a test signal record, detach phono cables, hold pin on one RCA to the can of the other for a minute and then reverse holding other pin to other can. Improvement is dramatic and immediate. Is there an equivalent process, (though not about degaussing the iron I suspect), for Moving Magnet/Iron cartridges with equal improvement results?
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For MM/MI you can use Cardas Frequency Sweep LP that ultrasonically clean the cartridge stylus and degauss the entire system. This is another crazy trick (free of charge), i’m not sure about it, but you can watch the video instruction. |
czarivey "Moving Magnet cartridge must always be MAGNETIZED.Well, yes and no. It is safe to degauss a phono cartridge, but proper procedures must be followed. With a moving magnet cart, the stylus typically must be removed first, as explained in the Sumiko Fluxbuster manual. (The Sumiko was probably the first commercially-made cartridge demagnetizer.) I have used the Fluxbuster for years and never had a problem. While the efficacy of these devices is the subject of some debate, they are safe when "used as directed." |
I too have a Fluxbuster...but be careful. Contact your cartridge manufacturer to get their recommendation. ..especially on high end cartridges with very thin wire with few windings...the flux can actually melt the wire and ruin the cartridge. I contacted Ortofon who does not recommend the fluxbuster for that very reason. Cardas has a test record that degauses the cartridge without the blast of electricity (even that small amount). |
I have to chime in here as, after many years of owning and enjoying both MM and MC cartridges, I no longer believe this demagnetization stuff at all. I had an Aesthetix Rhea for a couple of years and I used its demag function on both Lyra Delos and Helicon cartridges and not once could I detect any improvement in high end or other performance characteristics. And for MM cartridges, it’s nonsense. Another set of snake oil canisters for purchase. |
