IntroductionWe audiophiles all know that cleanliness is next to godliness, but how much of a difference can cleaning make, and what do we use to clean connectors, sockets etc ?
At the very minimum, we need to keep contacts clean and free from oil, grease and dirt. Most of use would have the habit of avoiding touching our plugs with our bare fingers, or wiping it down with some isopropyl alcohol periodically. I used to apply a very popular contact enhancer to my system, but it tended to gunk up after a while and imparted a strange sound over time.
Kontak Audio Cleaning Fluid is not a new product. It has been around for ages, and is claimed to have been originally designed for military aerospace application, and not to leave any residue.
The amount of fluid provided should be enough to last for a few years of use.
Surfaces aren't merely clean because they look so. I decided to try cleaning the spade connectors on my speaker cables on the amplifier side only. These are Cardas rhodium plated connectors.
I must say that this product is really effective. My system was definitely producing sound that was clearer, with an improvement in fine detail and bass articulation. A subtle layer of "grit" had been removed too. It didn't take much effort to notice the differences, and the improvements were obvious without any noticeable downsides or tonal anomalies. Very impressive considering that this was achieved with just cleaning at one connection point.
Conclusion Works as claimed and at a price tag that doesn't break the bank. Every audiophile needs a bottle. I've heard complaints about the bottle having sealing issues, so make sure you check your bottle when you purchase it.
Kontak costs S$ 40 and is available at Audio Basic, #04-27, The Adelphi. Tel : 6338 3245
