Your Experience With Contact Enhancement Products?

[James Edward]

I really like the sound of my system, so now I’m just going around the edges for that last nth degree. These products intrigue me. I’ve never used one, but the idea seems sound enough.
My one major concern is mucking things up inside the connectors if the product becomes gummy, brittle, etc., etc. over time.
Your thoughts?
Here is one example- albeit an expensive one!
https://walkeraudio.com/product/quantum-silver-treatment-for-contacts/

[BobM]

The first thing to know about contacts is YOU NEED TO CLEAN THEM AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR!

Sorry for shouting but so many so called Audiophiles omit this very basic thing.

[James Edward]

Yes- I posted about this a while back in preparing for some audiophiles coming over for a listen. As I was typing out my question regarding contact enhancement, I thought the same thing Bob- maybe it’s just the cleaning…

[Nick B]

I need t get back in the habit 😞 Have done it a few times and once with graphene. I only use a microfiber cloth nowadays

[rpf]

I remember reading that some contact enhancers were dangerous in some locations. Possibly tube pins among other spots. IIRC amp oscillation or shorting was possible. And IIRC, Walker's Silver treatment, while good for some places, was bad for others.

Jena Labs had a good and safe contact enhancer. Don't know if they still do.

I just clean everything with DeOxit, once a year for plated materials (and wipe it dry afterwards). Unfortunately a lot of my connectors are un-plated copper (like my 6 TWL power cords  ) and require cleaning 2-3 times per year. The un-plated copper does have a more natural tonality though.

[tmazz]

I remember reading that some contact enhancers were dangerous in some locations. Possibly tube pins among other spots. IIRC amp oscillation or shorting was possible. And IIRC, Walker's Silver treatment, while good for some places, was bad for others.

Jena Labs had a good and safe contact enhancer. Don't know if they still do.

I just clean everything with DeOxit, once a year for plated materials (and wipe it dry afterwards). Unfortunately a lot of my connectors are un-plated copper (like my 6 TWL power cords  ) and require cleaning 2-3 times per year. The un-plated copper does have a more natural tonality though.

Yes, there was a contact enhancer on the market back in the late 80s that was an oil based solution. I remember reading about people who used it too liberally on some tube sockets and the oils=d ended up sitting on top of the socket and forming a conductive bridge between adjacent pins which effectively formed a dead short between them. And when you are talking about tubes voltages that can run 200 - 400 volts or more, shorts between pins can cause quite a bit of damage. 

Does this ring a bell with anyone? I remember it came in a hypodermic needle type dispenser, I I'll be damned if I can  remember then name of the product.

[Nick B]

I remember reading that some contact enhancers were dangerous in some locations. Possibly tube pins among other spots. IIRC amp oscillation or shorting was possible. And IIRC, Walker's Silver treatment, while good for some places, was bad for others.

Jena Labs had a good and safe contact enhancer. Don't know if they still do.

I just clean everything with DeOxit, once a year for plated materials (and wipe it dry afterwards). Unfortunately a lot of my connectors are un-plated copper (like my 6 TWL power cords  ) and require cleaning 2-3 times per year. The un-plated copper does have a more natural tonality though.

Yes, there was a contact enhancer on the market back in the late 80s that was an oil based solution. I remember reading about people who used it too liberally on some tube sockets and the oils=d ended up sitting on top of the socket and forming a conductive bridge between adjacent pins which effectively formed a dead short between them. And when you are talking about tubes voltages that can run 200 - 400 volts or more, shorts between pins can cause quite a bit of damage. 

Does this ring a bell with anyone? I remember it came in a hypodermic needle type dispenser, I I'll be damned if I can  remember then name of the product.

Years ago, there was a product called squalene oil that I’m quite sure was used for audio applications. Is that the stuff??

[tmazz]

I remember reading that some contact enhancers were dangerous in some locations. Possibly tube pins among other spots. IIRC amp oscillation or shorting was possible. And IIRC, Walker's Silver treatment, while good for some places, was bad for others.

Jena Labs had a good and safe contact enhancer. Don't know if they still do.

I just clean everything with DeOxit, once a year for plated materials (and wipe it dry afterwards). Unfortunately a lot of my connectors are un-plated copper (like my 6 TWL power cords  ) and require cleaning 2-3 times per year. The un-plated copper does have a more natural tonality though.

Yes, there was a contact enhancer on the market back in the late 80s that was an oil based solution. I remember reading about people who used it too liberally on some tube sockets and the oils=d ended up sitting on top of the socket and forming a conductive bridge between adjacent pins which effectively formed a dead short between them. And when you are talking about tubes voltages that can run 200 - 400 volts or more, shorts between pins can cause quite a bit of damage. 

Does this ring a bell with anyone? I remember it came in a hypodermic needle type dispenser, I I'll be damned if I can  remember then name of the product.

Years ago, there was a product called squalene oil that I’m quite sure was used for audio applications. Is that the stuff??

I don't think so. I'll ask a couple of long time audio buddies tommorow.

[P.I.]

Squalene oil is the major component of whale oil, but was first extracted from shark liver oil.  It was used in the old famed formula of Ampex 456 recording tape as a plasticizer.  It has a lot of uses in industry and is extracted from all types of sources.

Furutech contact enhancer contains squalene oil.

Jena Labs contact enhancer is a slightly diluted (using mineral spirits) silicon oil.

The advantage of these oils are that they are neutral oils (no petroleum) and tend to remain in place held by surface tension between the parts they are used with.  They exclude air and prevent oxidation for quite a while.

Graphene in a non-drying oil 'can be' good as long as the oil is non-migrating.  Graphene used with something like the base used in DeOxit would not be a good idea.

Oleic acid (olive oil) has been used with contacts, too.  It polymerizes with oxygen and can create an air excluding joint over time.

Then there is Stabilant 22.  It is a weird one in that it is non-conductive in the bottle, but conductive in thin films.  It is non-migrating, but I've heard of conductive issues with it when improperly applied.

The most important thing to remember with any contact enhancer is to use the absolute minimum that gets the job done.

[Nick B]

Squalene oil is the major component of whale oil, but was first extracted from shark liver oil.  It was used in the old famed formula of Ampex 456 recording tape as a plasticizer.  It has a lot of uses in industry and is extracted from all types of sources.

Furutech contact enhancer contains squalene oil.

Jena Labs contact enhancer is a slightly diluted (using mineral spirits) silicon oil.

The advantage of these oils are that they are neutral oils (no petroleum) and tend to remain in place held by surface tension between the parts they are used with.  They exclude air and prevent oxidation for quite a while.

Graphene in a non-drying oil 'can be' good as long as the oil is non-migrating.  Graphene used with something like the base used in DeOxit would not be a good idea.

Oleic acid (olive oil) has been used with contacts, too.  It polymerizes with oxygen and can create an air excluding joint over time.

Then there is Stabilant 22.  It is a weird one in that it is non-conductive in the bottle, but conductive in thin films.  It is non-migrating, but I've heard of conductive issues with it when improperly applied.

The most important thing to remember with any contact enhancer is to use the absolute minimum that gets the job done.

Dave,
I have a very vague recollection that it was also sold to “revitalize “ very old records. May have even tried it once for that application. If so, the result wasn’t good 😔 I’m talking maybe 35+ years ago…

[tmazz]

I remember reading that some contact enhancers were dangerous in some locations. Possibly tube pins among other spots. IIRC amp oscillation or shorting was possible. And IIRC, Walker's Silver treatment, while good for some places, was bad for others.

Jena Labs had a good and safe contact enhancer. Don't know if they still do.

I just clean everything with DeOxit, once a year for plated materials (and wipe it dry afterwards). Unfortunately a lot of my connectors are un-plated copper (like my 6 TWL power cords  ) and require cleaning 2-3 times per year. The un-plated copper does have a more natural tonality though.

Yes, there was a contact enhancer on the market back in the late 80s that was an oil based solution. I remember reading about people who used it too liberally on some tube sockets and the oils=d ended up sitting on top of the socket and forming a conductive bridge between adjacent pins which effectively formed a dead short between them. And when you are talking about tubes voltages that can run 200 - 400 volts or more, shorts between pins can cause quite a bit of damage. 

Does this ring a bell with anyone? I remember it came in a hypodermic needle type dispenser, I I'll be damned if I can  remember then name of the product.

Years ago, there was a product called squalene oil that I’m quite sure was used for audio applications. Is that the stuff??

I don't think so. I'll ask a couple of long time audio buddies tomorrow.

The product I was thinking of was call, oddly enough, Tweek.

It came in a small syringe and was a real PITA to use. You only needed to apply a drop, but even a small amount of pressure on the syringe plunger cause it to dispense a squirt, which got all over the place and made a mess. the Application of too much Tweek fluid also ran the risk of it migrating and causing shorts in your equipment. I eventually ended up squirting a small amount of a Q-Tip and using that to treat 3 or 4 RCA jacks. It got to be more trouble than it was worth so I stopped using it. Soon after than it was pulled from the market

[Nick B]

I remember reading that some contact enhancers were dangerous in some locations. Possibly tube pins among other spots. IIRC amp oscillation or shorting was possible. And IIRC, Walker's Silver treatment, while good for some places, was bad for others.

Jena Labs had a good and safe contact enhancer. Don't know if they still do.

I just clean everything with DeOxit, once a year for plated materials (and wipe it dry afterwards). Unfortunately a lot of my connectors are un-plated copper (like my 6 TWL power cords  ) and require cleaning 2-3 times per year. The un-plated copper does have a more natural tonality though.

Yes, there was a contact enhancer on the market back in the late 80s that was an oil based solution. I remember reading about people who used it too liberally on some tube sockets and the oils=d ended up sitting on top of the socket and forming a conductive bridge between adjacent pins which effectively formed a dead short between them. And when you are talking about tubes voltages that can run 200 - 400 volts or more, shorts between pins can cause quite a bit of damage. 

Does this ring a bell with anyone? I remember it came in a hypodermic needle type dispenser, I I'll be damned if I can  remember then name of the product.

Years ago, there was a product called squalene oil that I’m quite sure was used for audio applications. Is that the stuff??

I don't think so. I'll ask a couple of long time audio buddies tomorrow.

The product I was thinking of was call, oddly enough, Tweek.

It came in a small syringe and was a real PITA to use. You only needed to apply a drop, but even a small amount of pressure on the syringe plunger cause it to dispense a squirt, which got all over the place and made a mess. the Application of too much Tweek fluid also ran the risk of it migrating and causing shorts in your equipment. I eventually ended up squirting a small amount of a Q-Tip and using that to treat 3 or 4 RCA jacks. It got to be more trouble than it was worth so I stopped using it. Soon after than it was pulled from the market

I’ve searched my memory banks and that one isn’t familiar. I think the squalene was the strangest one I ever bought….

[tmazz]

Here is a link to an AC thread about Tweek:

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=4641.0

[rollo]

   De-Oxit and Pro Gold is all you need. Once or twice a year. Clean contacts bring out the best in the top end. Sounding bright or hard lately ? If so a cleaning is in order. Do not use too much.


charles

[Nick B]

Here is a link to an AC thread about Tweek:

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=4641.0

Wow…interesting reading…nasty stuff