MC demagnetizer, how many use one, any concerns?


I have just purchased a benz demagnetizer to use with my ruby 2 and wonder if anyone has heard of concerns of negative effects. Are you all happy with its effects? One friend suggested that once you do it you must do it quitefrequently or the sound is worse off. I don't understand why that should be. But look for any theoretical or practical thoughts. Many thanks
gajgmusic
To all who have answered thanks very much. I appreciate both points of view. I plan on trying it but recognize that this is not something that is likely to lend itself to any sort of a/b comparison. Since it will take several days for the cartridge to settle in again it will be impossible to remember what it sounded like prior but I will give it a go, and for what its worth leave my impressions. If possible I will do so with a few friends. One final question is do you hook it up through your phono cable or directly to the arm output. Again thanks a lot this has been a lot of help

Gary
Rives: thanks for the further elaboration. I appreciate it very much. I'm a victim, in some sense, of (like you) being in the sciences. I want data! As you state, however, some phenomena are inexplicable. The other aspect of science is curiosity. Were I not interested in, or curious about, these demag claims, I wouldn't have bothered posting. Thus, the explanations, experiences, and above all, patience, of everyone is greatly appreciated and is what makes audiogon so special.
Christopher
Gary: I have to go through the cable, as it is a din connector. That's probably best anyway. The other thing I recommend is that you rest the needle on a record (not spinning) when you demag. This puts the coil (assuming MC) in the center and theoretically should do a better job. This is something that phsycially makes sense to me, but I have to confess--I can't tell any difference sonically from when I used to demag with the cartridge up and not touching anything.
The Benz MC demagnetiser made by Aesthetix. seems to
do a decent enough job but I am slightly nervous about using it since reading Van de Hul's comments. He advises against.It does appear to make the cartridge sound a little worse for a
while so perhaps the answer is not to use it too often,
ignoring the manufacturer's suggestion of weekly treatment.
I'm a "newbie" to analog/turntables, but in my research so far, I have come across many who state that "burn-in" products, of which de-magnetizers are included, is just a marketing scam to make a small industry rich. Check out the "BURNING IN COMPONENTS" section of this web page (just over halfway down the page - might be easier to do a search [CTRL+F] for "magnet"): http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/4133/know.html

I have also read somewhere (but I am unable to find my source) that using these de-magnetizers continues to weaken the magnetic field that the cartidges are capable of producing, causing even more damage (and loss of sound quality) over time. Here is a link to Van den Hul's Phono FAQ where it says something similar: Can I improve the sound by so-called “demagnetization” of my phono cartridge?

Just my $0.02

Wes
wlusk@wt.net