Cartridge Demagnetisers

A few years ago I bought a Gryphon Black Exorcist cartridge demagnetiser, as it seemed a good idea. The trouble is that every time I use it on the Kontrapunkt B, the sound becomes congested for a few hours before reverting to normal, eg enjoyable and musical. So, I don't use it any more. Does my experience tally with anyone else's? Maybe it is a Good Thing, but the Ortofon just hates it? I'd be interested to hear of any experiences with the Gryphon or other demag devices.

 

Mr V D Hul says no!

Have a read through here:
http://www.vandenhul.com/artpap/phono_faq.htm#20

 

I'm not a great enthusiast for vinyl, and cannot therefore claim to be knowledgeable on the subject, but this seems a crazy idea. As I understand it, all cartriges rely on the principle of there being a permanent magnet in the cartridge, and the movement of the stylus causes relative movement in a coil paired with the magnet, thus generating an electrical signal, which is then amplified. Thus, if you demagnetise, you have something that works less effectively. Or am I not understanding something?

 

To be fair, the general claims for this device, taken from Gryphon's website are easily understandable:

The trouble is that the device, in my system, causes a deterioration in sound quality, although a temporary one.

 

But are they? They sound like classic snake oil.

You are asked, first of all, to swallow the existence of these "serious consequences". Notice that they aren't named.

Here again, you are expected to swallow this.

I don't know enough to argue this, but it sounds distinctly suspicious. We are presumably passing an electrical signal. Why should it take away a magnetic field that has been acquired by the passing of an electrical current?

This seems to me to be sheer, unadulterated piffle, a classic snake-oil example of using fancy wording to impress and convince. How can periodic demagnetising "focus the magnetic flux"? It seems to me that these people are humbugs and can be trusted roughly as far as I can throw the "Queen Mary".

 

Well I use the demagnetizer of Aesthetix and it works fine for me.

 

More serpent lubricant!

 

It has the unmistakable whiff of oleaginous liquid of reptilian origin.