Audio · Head-to-head
Ortofon Stylus Brush, Fiber vs Flux-Hifi FLUX-Sonic
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Turntable Stylus Cleaners: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The dry fibre brush is the only product here that every maker involved endorses, it costs the least, and Ortofon says that after using it there is normally no need for further stylus cleaning. Buy the FLUX-Sonic instead if you play a lot of records, want stubborn baked-on residue removed, and your cartridge maker has no objection to fluid.
Ortofon Stylus Brush, Fiber
Buy itThe dry fibre brush a major cartridge maker tells its own customers to use, with the technique spelled out in its own FAQ.
- Ortofon publishes the exact technique with it: sweep from the rear of the cartridge toward the stylus tip, never tip to rear and never side to side.
- No fluid and no gel, so there is nothing that can attack stylus cement or seep into the cartridge body.
- Ortofon states that after this treatment there is normally no need for further stylus cleaning.
- A dry brush lifts loose dust and release agent, but it will not dissolve residue that has already baked onto the tip.
- Technique is entirely on you, and one careless sideways stroke is the classic way people bend a cantilever.
- The bristles are small and dark and easy to lose track of against a dark cartridge.
Flux-Hifi FLUX-Sonic
Buy itA battery powered pad that vibrates the dirt off the tip, so there is no brushing stroke to get wrong.
- Flux publishes real numbers: 210 Hz oscillation, maximum 8 micrometre amplitude in X and Y and 2 to 5 micrometres in Z, which the company says protects the assembly sitting in the magnetic coil.
- The stylus simply rests on the pad, so no lateral brushing force is applied by hand at all.
- An LED lights the pad so you can place the stylus precisely, and Flux says the cartridge does not need to be removed.
- It works with fluid, so it is off the table if you own a cartridge whose maker says no fluids.
- Flux does not publish the composition of FLUX-Fluid, only that it will not damage the bond between stylus tip and cartridge and that it contains an added oil.
- It costs many times what a brush costs and runs on two AAA batteries you will eventually have to replace.
Side by side
The 8 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Ortofon Stylus Brush, Fiber Our pick | Flux-Hifi FLUX-Sonic | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Anyone who wants the safest routine cleaning method, and anyone whose cartridge maker says dry brush only. | High-hours listeners with a valuable cartridge whose maker has no objection to cleaning fluid. |
| Price tier | $ · budget | $$$ · premium |
| Type | Dry fibre brush | Powered vibrating pad |
| Fluid included | None | 5 ml FLUX-Fluid in the box |
| Stated composition | Not applicable | Not published, beyond an added oil |
| How the stylus is contacted | Swept rear of cartridge to tip | Rests on a vibrating pad |
| Maker's compatibility statement | Ortofon's own recommended method | No cartridge removal needed |
| Published usage guidance | Every new record and every side change | About 15 seconds, after roughly 5 to 6 LP sides |
| Power | None | 2 AAA batteries |
| Reusable or consumable | Reusable, no consumables | Reusable, fluid is consumable |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Ortofon Stylus Brush, Fiber if
anyone who wants the safest routine cleaning method, and anyone whose cartridge maker says dry brush only.
Know before buying: a dry brush lifts loose dust and release agent, but it will not dissolve residue that has already baked onto the tip.
Pick the Flux-Hifi FLUX-Sonic if
high-hours listeners with a valuable cartridge whose maker has no objection to cleaning fluid.
Know before buying: it works with fluid, so it is off the table if you own a cartridge whose maker says no fluids.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Ortofon Stylus Brush, Fiber - The dry fibre brush a major cartridge maker tells its own customers to use, with the technique spelled out in its own FAQ. Choose the Flux-Hifi FLUX-Sonic instead if high-hours listeners with a valuable cartridge whose maker has no objection to cleaning fluid.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Turntable Stylus Cleaners: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).