What fluid to clean cable connectors

Iver, in most cases you can clean contacts by unplugging and plugging back Snaics and interconnects a few times. 

I use the unplug/plug in routine too, every few months to scrape off any residue. 

I'd not use any liquids to clean these. Follow the suggestions above. 

James

Just poke them in and out and shake em all about...

I use this on my connectors and sockets. But also use kitchen paper to buff off any oxidation residue.  Easy on banana and plug pins, but not so I'd imagine on din din - so best to follow the in out in method.

I also use this to clean along the cables.   Gets rid of dust build up, static and lets them all look as good as new.

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Just poke them in and out and shake em all about...

With burndies you can do the Hokie-Kokie with them as well to relax them.

This is what is used on all cables sold by Russ Andrews

For me with DIN's its strictly no spray & I only pull/push a few times,  this applies to IC's, SNAIC's & Burndy.    I do it once a year when I remove all the box's for a deep dust clean & polish.  Outside that it might get done for other reasons,  but I don't think more often is needed.   

In the past I treated the speaker cable banana pins with DeoxIT,  I found them to have a grey dustlike deposit in the gold plated speaker sockets when I used Naim nickel plated plugs,  I suspected this was a dissimilar metals reaction & the dust was metal erosion.  I then changed the Naim plugs for Deltron gold plated pins & renewed the eroded gold Monacor speaker binding posts.  That has now fixed the socket/pin erosion & I no longer use DeoxIT on it.   

Power plugs get a wipe with a DeoxIT rag,  absolutely no brasso type metal cleaners as they leave a skin deposit thats an insulator.   The power sockets had an internal squirt of DeoxIT when new,  thats all they need.    

Iver van de Zand posted:

hi all,

What kind of fluid is best used to clean the connectors of my interconnect, Snaic and loudspeaker connectors. Can I use the sprays typically used to clean glasses and TV screens or do I need to use something specific?

iver

Well if you read some of the Naim manuals, they strongly advise against the use of any fluid/chemical to clean contacts as it will compromise the sound.... so I don’t use anything..

Naim and many others also advise against using mains cables other than the ones supplied.

i particularly like the advice that " even high definition speaker cables should be avoided " when used with Naim amplification. Yes. Those high definition cables might not have the right properties suitable.   But also those high definition' cables might intermittently deter a would be box upgrader from upgrading a box - with Naim losing out on a sale.

Contact cleaners are mostly only intended for those that run budget kit and cables.  Where the mechanical coupling items are not so optimal and are more susceptible to degrading oxidation.     Better Hi-Fi should have a more robust nature that shrugs of such things. 

Although some high end hifi positively goes with the less is more philosophy and can benefit from a little TLC.

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Just poke them in and out and shake em all about...

What about Hilines ? From what I've read on this forum, this would put its constituent parts into pre assembly mode.

Cleaning is somewhat optional, it's not required very often, maybe once every 6 months in humid environments, every 2 - 4 years in arid conditions.

DIN plugs: Nothing is required they have wiping contacts, just unplug and reconnect once.

Cannon XL connectors:  Same but do 2 or 3 unplug and reconnect cycles.

4mm plugs:  Clean with isopropanol if they need degreasing, rub with a strong tissue and do 2 to 5 unplug and reconnect cycles.

I yank them out and put them back in again.

Everything counts. Even changing your electricity vendor can make a difference.

We change about every Two years.   First they supply great clean current for a great price, but then push up the price and the quality goes down dirty, making music sounding boring.  Best place for a contact cleaner.

I thought I read somewhere that a damp cloth is all you need...

...or was that on the casing  

(btw.. happy Christmas to all)

I've always taken advice not to use any and to merely unplug and replug regulary.

Is it OK to say that - fnar fnar 

I've always deemed fluids  + electronics as incompatible.