Coming Soon - Blue Horizon Record Brush

http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/t...ide-ONLY-1.jpg

Blue Horizon brought us their excellent record mat which Marco and I both use, the clean it is also a superb contact cleaner, the latest product was spikedfeet which sold completely out following an excellent review in hi-fi world and record collector, and now there is another excellent item, a record brush for a sensible price, get your orders in now as the first batch is sure to sell out, it costs less than a round of drinks so pm to get your hands on one now. £19.95 or thereabouts.

Here it is guys.

I have the same type of brush. It has served me well for years and is the best type of record brush you can own (IMHO).

Hmm, me to Dave :) Nothing fancy, it just states on the side "Carbon Fibre Cleaner".. It looks exactly the same though, even down to the rounded bottom corners :lol:

Mark,
Bearing in mind what Blue Horizon have produced to date, one of the best record mats next to the Oyaide (not me saying this just sales volumes prove it), clean it contact cleaner which is simply brilliant and again sells well and the new spiked feet which have sold so well the supplier cannot meet demand (following the review in record collector and hi-fi world) so it would be fair to say without even using it that the reputation of Blue Horizon will be good enough for most potential buyers to pump up 20 notes.

I have no doubt about it Dave ;) It's just interesting that exactly the same design has been used by BH which has been about for at least 20 years. Perhaps that actually speaks volumes of it's efficacy :)

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Originally Posted by Reid Malenfant

I have no doubt about it Dave ;) It's just interesting that exactly the same design has been used by BH which has been about for at least 20 years. Perhaps that actually speaks volumes of it's efficacy :)

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Probably right mate, I am waiting with baited breath to see what their new RCM is all about!

I think we're possibly missing the point, chaps...

Yes the Blue Horizon and the ubiquitous 'Carbon Fibre Cleaner' share the same plastic shell/holder, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the important bit, the bristles, are the same! ;)

If the bristles on the BH are finer, or are made from a different material altogether, then that could make all the difference to its efficacy....

Anyway, I'm buying one to use in conjunction with my Furutech anti-static brush. I also have one of the bog standard Carbon Fibre Cleaners (which is worn out, hence why I need another one), and so will report here in due course if there is any difference between it and the BH :)

Marco.

The thing I like and also dis-like about forums is we are all human and all have different needs and desires, another forum someone said it was too expensive, someone posted a link to a brush at 1/2 the price, its been debated at length many times and I have to laugh out loud sometimes, 2 identical looking items can perform like chalk and cheese, I know from using keith's gear already that he would not make anything that was not "right", or correction, his designer (who is german) would not make anything that was not "right".

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marco

I think we're possibly missing the point, chaps...

Yes the Blue Horizon and the ubiquitous 'Carbon Fibre Cleaner' share the same plastic shell/holder, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the important bit, the bristles, are the same! ;)

If the bristles on the BH are finer, or are made from a different material altogether, then that could make all the difference to its efficacy....

Anyway, I'm buying one to use in conjunction with my Furutech anti-static brush. I also have one of the bog standard Carbon Fibre Cleaners (which is worn out, hence why I need another one), and so will report here in due course if there is any difference between it and the BH :)

Marco.

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Don't ask me to count them :lolsign:

It is possible that somewhere in the world there is one company making these brushes and just
customizing by adding the particular company logo (I have a Memorex one here),but don't let
that put you off ,the same thing can happen with tonearms.

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Originally Posted by markf

It is possible that somewhere in the world there is one company making these brushes and just
customizing by adding the particular company logo (I have a Memorex one here),but don't let
that put you off ,the same thing can happen with tonearms.

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+1 :eek:

Of course, my carbon's better than yours......:lol:

My carbon's lighter than yours and it's blacker...;)

Lol!

But there's a serious point here... Why must people be so cynical all the time? Guys, it really isn't healthy!

The proof of the pudding will this time be in the looking.

If, when my BH record brush arrives, it is identical to my generic old 'Carbon Fibre Cleaner', in all but company logo, I'll say so (and Brooky will get a slap :eyebrows:), and if it's not, I'll describe the difference(s) - and then you can all STFU! :ner:

Marco.

Fair comment. We all wait with baited breath...:popcorn:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by markf

It is possible that somewhere in the world there is one company making these brushes and just
customizing by adding the particular company logo (I have a Memorex one here),but don't let
that put you off ,the same thing can happen with tonearms.

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Second that (probably in China). A case of paying for branding and packaging. Of course I am not stopping anybody paying the extra if designer logos make them feel good.

:lolsign:

But what will you say, Paul, if I report after using it, that it's an entirely different brush, albeit contained within the same generic holder as the items you're referring to, but actually much more effective at cleaning records?

Will you feel rather silly, then? ;)

Remember that I'll have both products with which to compare directly... I can assure you that I haven't bought the Blue Horizon because it's got a "designer logo"...! :doh:

If that's what you think, you obviously don't know me very well :rolleyes:

Marco.

It looks the same as the mity one i got and the one i took back to maplins because it left more bristles on the record than the dust it removed..

I've got probably, half a dozen ( maybe more) of these brushes from the 80's. To my knowledge, one is branded Oracle and another Teac and have plug in earthing leads to reduce the static. The others are from companies long gone.

They are quite effective, though I prefer the soft, plush brushes such as the Discwasher and Watts of old.

All brush orders dispatched today (along with loads of Blue Horizon spiked shoes which are selling like hot cakes after the Hi-Fi World and Record Collector positive reviews.

http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/t...pikeshoe-1.jpg

Ive heard a few times that the static brushes from back in the day had small particles of Polonium 210 added to effectively de ionise the vinyl so some of you might want to replace your brush collections. Just to be on the safe side ;)

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Originally Posted by colinB

Ive heard a few times that the static brushes from back in the day had small particles of Polonium 210 added to effectively de ionise the vinyl so some of you might want to replace your brush collections. Just to be on the safe side ;)

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If any of them have survived this long, that is....(the owners not the brushes:lol:)

Sorry David but i'm a bit of a sceptic when it comes to things like this but it's only cos i've been burn in the past, i'm not saying the Blue Horizon brush is a generic cos i've never seen or used one, but my question is why go to the trouble of designing a fantastic new brush then make it look like everyone else's? doesn't make sense to me, but does make me think that they may be cashing in a bit on their name, it's not a bad thing, and TBH loads of top companies do the very same thing, that's business.

Well I sold all my initial stocks, and having problems meeting demand for the spiked shoes as well, suppose they may have copied an established design, I think its brill myself, the brush that is.

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Originally Posted by Mains Cables R Us

Well I sold all my initial stocks, and having problems meeting demand for the spiked shoes as well, suppose they may have copied an established design, I think its brill myself, the brush that is.

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So can you explain how it differs from others that look the same, imagine i'm Alan Sugar, c'mon David sell it to me ;)

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Originally Posted by Jac Hawk

So can you explain how it differs from others that look the same, imagine i'm Alan Sugar, c'mon David sell it to me ;)

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:eyebrows:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jac Hawk

So can you explain how it differs from others that look the same, imagine i'm Alan Sugar, c'mon David sell it to me ;)

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I don't really have time at the moment mate, have 100's of unique product identifier codes to add to my site to keep google happy, but if it helps it's £20, what else do you know of that costs such a low price that could potentially save and prolong the life of your vinyl?

I have mine and a couple of people on the CU have said they are quite good, pity our lordship did not get his which is a pity as I sent it 3 days ago.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mains Cables R Us

I don't really have time at the moment mate, have 100's of unique product identifier codes to add to my site to keep google happy, but if it helps it's £20, what else do you know of that costs such a low price that could potentially save and prolong the life of your vinyl?

I have mine and a couple of people on the CU have said they are quite good, pity our lordship did not get his which is a pity as I sent it 3 days ago.

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No bother Dave, well i'm in the market cos my brush is starting to moult like a frikin chinchilla :doh:

I have had my HMV version for well over 15 years and its as good as the day I bought it! I suspect it will go on forever.

The first of these I remember was the Decca one without pivoted handle. The forst ones shed badly, but this was sorted in future batches and my second one from a year or two later (still 1980 or so) is fine. So is my pivoted Path brush in a fetching golden colour instead of the bright aluminium finish of most others. This latter one is currently used daily.

Hi Mike,

Quote:

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but my question is why go to the trouble of designing a fantastic new brush then make it look like everyone else's?

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Most likely to keep the costs down and maintain a competitive price. I'd imagine that you can buy the generic plastic injection moulding (which is commonly used by other manufacturers) for buttons from China, or wherever.

But the important part is the brush itself; how that's been designed and the materials used. When I get mine, that's the part I'll be examining. The bottom line though, and all that matters, is how well it works.

If a bespoke 'holder' had been produced, then the cost of the finished article would not have been £19.95! ;)

Like David, I'm a little bemused that some folk who wouldn't bat an eyelid at spending £40 or £50 on, for example, one new audiophile pressing on vinyl, are baulking at coughing up a mere £20 for a record brush.... :scratch:

Jeez, we've spent more on the wine for our dinner this evening - get a grip, people!! :lol:

Marco.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DSJR

The first of these I remember was the Decca one without pivoted handle. The forst ones shed badly, but this was sorted in future batches and my second one from a year or two later (still 1980 or so) is fine. So is my pivoted Path brush in a fetching golden colour instead of the bright aluminium finish of most others. This latter one is currently used daily.

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I've got one of the Decca brushes too Dave, in my opinion the bristles are a little too soft, so it takes a bit longer to do a good job on yer vinyl, but it is very affective

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marco

Like David, I'm a little bemused that some folk who wouldn't bat an eyelid at spending £40 or £50 on, for example, one new audiophile pressing on vinyl, are baulking at coughing up a mere £20 for a record brush.... :scratch:

Jeez, we've spent more on the wine for our dinner this evening - get a grip, people!! :lol:

Marco.

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As the maker of the original comment in the other thread, I have to say that I have absolutely no problem with anyone spending as much as they want on whatever they want, if they are happy with their purchase. I know I'm as guilty as the next person of occasionally spending a certain amount on something when something cheaper would do the job and, in this case, £20 certainly isn't breaking the bank.

You've got to admit, though, it does look "uncannily similar" to other brushes available!

Oh, and I stand by my comments regarding the Furutech makeup brush...:lol:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Beobloke

As the maker of the original comment in the other thread, I have to say that I have absolutely no problem with anyone spending as much as they want on whatever they want, if they are happy with their purchase. I know I'm as guilty as the next person of occasionally spending a certain amount on something when something cheaper would do the job and, in this case, £20 certainly isn't breaking the bank.

You've got to admit, though, it does look "uncannily similar" to other brushes available!

Oh, and I stand by my comments regarding the Furutech makeup brush...:lol:

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Adam,
Feel guilty and buy a brush, go on you know you want one...:drool:

I have the generic designed brush mentioned here...but I found this brush to be more effective in removing dust and as well as static, paid £50.00 for it when it was on sale:
http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8909

Quote:

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Originally Posted by etphonehome

I have the generic designed brush mentioned here...but I found this brush to be more effective in removing dust and as well as static, paid £50.00 for it when it was on sale:
http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8909

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things are much cheaper in the far east! :)

Hi Adam,

Quote:

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As the maker of the original comment in the other thread, I have to say that I have absolutely no problem with anyone spending as much as they want on whatever they want, if they are happy with their purchase. I know I'm as guilty as the next person of occasionally spending a certain amount on something when something cheaper would do the job and, in this case, £20 certainly isn't breaking the bank.

You've got to admit, though, it does look "uncannily similar" to other brushes available!

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And I've already explained why that's likely the case about three times, but people seem to be selectively ignoring it!! :rolleyes:

Do I have to type it in big bold red letters before folk will pay attention?? ;)

Quote:

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Oh, and I stand by my comments regarding the Furutech makeup brush...:lol:

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Lol... That one's more difficult to justify. In terms of material value, it's undoubtedly poor, but in terms of its effectiveness at removing and reducing static build-up on records, for me, it's worth every penny - as nothing else I've used on the market gets even close to doing as good a job!

If you're really serious about keeping your records in pristine condition and ready to achieve the highest fidelity during playback, then for me, the Furutech brush is a must. Its SOLE purpose is static removal. I don't use it for actually cleaning records. The bristles are too soft to do a proper job.

View the Furutech brush as part of a meticulous record care programme. All my records, new and old, receive the following treatment when purchased:


1) Thorough cleaning on the VPI RCM (I usually spend a minimum of five minutes cleaning both sides of each record). New records are cleaned simply to remove mould release agent, dust and static - the latter which the usual supplied scratchy and horrible white paper record sleeves help not one iota.

2) Then when totally dry, both sides of the record are brushed with the Furutech, whilst being spun round on the VPI, to remove any built-up static from the cleaning process.

3) Just to make sure, I then give both sides of the record a quick zap with a Milty Zerostat gun.

4) The shining clean, pristine, static-free record is then popped inside a Nagaoka anti-static sleeve, ready to use.

5) Before playing, I spin the record on the platter and brush it with the Furutech brush, to remove any slight static build up, as a result of removing the record from its sleeve, so I know that I have a squeaky-clean, totally static-free record, ready for playing!


The result is then the most noise-free vinyl you'll ever hear, virtually as silent during playback of music, as a CD. And that's the sort of standard I demand! :cool:

Marco.

what you need to do is buy a cheap brush off ebay and the blue horizon then do a side by side comparison, and be honest with yourself, if the blue horizon is better, then it's better, and all they have accomplished by using generic parts is give the doubters a reason not to buy it.

I await Marco's report on it's quality and effectiveness with baited breath and 20 quid literally burning a hole in my pocket.

Let's be honest with ourselves here. If what you need is a gadget to push dust around your records and flick some around the lip onto the underside of the record then a carbon fibre brush is just the ticket. ;-)

If however you want to clean the dust, grime, grunge, finger prints and mythical release agent from your vinyl then you need to buy yourselves a record cleaning machine.


There is of course the middle road that lies in between these two extremes of price and ease of use. Anti static record sleeves, if you aren't use polylined sleeves or better, then why bother with a brush or RCM your records will never ever be clean.

So start saving, you need all three, brush, polysleeves and RCM..

I bought a different type of thing from an hi-fi show in the mid 80's (i can't for the life of me remember it's name :scratch: ) It was about four inch diameter more like rough red velvet powder puff, cream moulded top with finger grip, it was in a cream circular plastic container with clear plastic dome lid cost quite a bit & was brilliant better than the carbon fibre brush.

Call me strange but I just put them on the turntable and listen to them. Pops and all.

I don't have a problem with the odd crackle and its few and far between believe you me.

That's part of the beauty of vinyl for me. The mutual symbiosis if you like.

But hey i'm weird.

Hi Simon,

Welcome :)

Just a couple of formalities... Could you please add your first name and basic geographical location to you profile? Just something we do here, cheers! :cool:

Marco.

P.S I hear you were at Mr Toy's place for a sesh? ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Andre

I bought a different type of thing from an hi-fi show in the mid 80's (i can't for the life of me remember it's name :scratch: ) It was about four inch diameter more like rough red velvet powder puff, cream moulded top with finger grip...

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Are you sure it wasn't at that Ann Summers party you gatecrashed? Did it whirr and rotate, too? :eyebrows:

Marco.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sq225917

Let's be honest with ourselves here. If what you need is a gadget to push dust around your records and flick some around the lip onto the underside of the record then a carbon fibre brush is just the ticket. ;-)

If however you want to clean the dust, grime, grunge, finger prints and mythical release agent from your vinyl then you need to buy yourselves a record cleaning machine.


There is of course the middle road that lies in between these two extremes of price and ease of use. Anti static record sleeves, if you aren't use polylined sleeves or better, then why bother with a brush or RCM your records will never ever be clean.

So start saving, you need all three, brush, polysleeves and RCM..

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Quite correct and I would categorically like to state that anyone who wants the best possible sound from their vinyl needs these:-

Moth RCM | Furutech Make Up Brush | VRP Record Sleeves

Only then will you be able to fully appreciate the time and effort I put in to keeping your vinyl tip top (other RCM's are available but the brush and sleeves are the best out there IMHO)

must admit the VRP sleeves are very very good, they will happily slide into an inner sleeve and up to now i've had zero static problems when using them, plus they have a thin stiffening sheet in them, so unlike the Nagaoka's they are a doddle to use

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jac Hawk

must admit the VRP sleeves are very very good, they will happily slide into an inner sleeve and up to now i've had zero static problems when using them, plus they have a thin stiffening sheet in them, so unlike the Nagaoka's they are a doddle to use

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Agree

Ok, guys, having now compared the Blue Horizon brush to my generic 'Carbon Fibre Cleaner', I can confirm that it is a suitably different beast to warrant the extra expenditure.

First of all, the plastic holder itself it more solidly made and finished to a higher standard, so that it 'feels' nicer to use, and crucially, is also heavier than the cheaper generic item, which allows the carbon-fibre bristles to achieve greater penetration into record grooves in order to remove any muck within.

Most importantly of all, however, and as I suspected, the brush part itself is a totally different ball game. The bristles are finer (and appear to be made of a different material) and are more numerous, more tightly packed, and crucially also harder, so that much deeper cleaning of the grooves is possible.

One 'swish' of the Blue Horizon brush around the record, removes all dust and dirt present (although in my case, with having records already in pristine condition, it is merely specs of dust on the surface), so one can then simply blow the accumulated debris off to ensure that the record is ready for playing.

Furthermore, one other important difference is that when the Blue Horizon brush is used, it does not charge the record surface with static, as is the case with the cheaper generic item, which of course is a major bonus in itself. All in all, the advantages of the BH brush over its less expensive counterpart are in my opinion worthy of the extra expenditure: it is simply a much better product.

In conclusion, the Blue Horizon brush is overall very effective, and has now become a valued part of my record care regime. I therefore would have no hesitation in recommending this product to our members, so buy with confidence - it most definitely gets a firm thumbs-up from me! :thumbsup:

Marco.

What more could we ask for, every home should have one...:)

Here it is guys for anyone who wants one.

Received mine today and am in agreement with Marco on the quality of the Blue Horizon anti-static brush. Good value. Well pleased :cheers:

John

Maybe I should take the plunge...:)

I quite fancy the brush thingy but £105 will break the bank i'm afraid.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marco

Hi Adam,



And I've already explained why that's likely the case about three times, but people seem to be selectively ignoring it!! :rolleyes:

Do I have to type it in big bold red letters before folk will pay attention?? ;)



Lol... That one's more difficult to justify. In terms of material value, it's undoubtedly poor, but in terms of its effectiveness at removing and reducing static build-up on records, for me, it's worth every penny - as nothing else I've used on the market gets even close to doing as good a job!

If you're really serious about keeping your records in pristine condition and ready to achieve the highest fidelity during playback, then for me, the Furutech brush is a must. Its SOLE purpose is static removal. I don't use it for actually cleaning records. The bristles are too soft to do a proper job.

View the Furutech brush as part of a meticulous record care programme. All my records, new and old, receive the following treatment when purchased:


1) Thorough cleaning on the VPI RCM (I usually spend a minimum of five minutes cleaning both sides of each record). New records are cleaned simply to remove mould release agent, dust and static - the latter which the usual supplied scratchy and horrible white paper record sleeves help not one iota.

2) Then when totally dry, both sides of the record are brushed with the Furutech, whilst being spun round on the VPI, to remove any built-up static from the cleaning process.

3) Just to make sure, I then give both sides of the record a quick zap with a Milty Zerostat gun.

4) The shining clean, pristine, static-free record is then popped inside a Nagaoka anti-static sleeve, ready to use.

5) Before playing, I spin the record on the platter and brush it with the Furutech brush, to remove any slight static build up, as a result of removing the record from its sleeve, so I know that I have a squeaky-clean, totally static-free record, ready for playing!


The result is then the most noise-free vinyl you'll ever hear, virtually as silent during playback of music, as a CD. And that's the sort of standard I demand! :cool:

Marco.

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Bloody heck, you mentioned MRA without a single slap down :eek: