Vinyl and LPs - Analogue Music Goodness

Do you know how real the burn in on a new stylus is?

Can't say I "know". Like I haven't taken the same cartridge, ran it for a bunch (but not too much!) to burn in, and then did a blind AB comparison with a brand new one to listen for differences.

Personally I don't believe in any kind of audio equipment burn in. I don't think manufacturers put out a product that would require the user to burn in the equipment for hundreds of hours before reaching its max potential. I think it makes sense that they'd want to release the product in an excellent state to impress potential buyers and reviewers.

To me it sounds like typical audiofool quackery but you can test it out and draw your own conclusions, or you can choose to believe in a little magic if that's what makes you happy. Won't hurt anyone but your wallet :)

I just use a hand held padded velvet brush type thing, with some cleaning spray. You can actually wash them with soapy water and a rag if they're really bad, just make sure to rinse all the soap off. They sell special spinner things that wash with a solution along the bottom, so you don't accidentally get the labels wet, but those are more money than I wanted to spend. For records that I purchased new, I use the padded thing. For old vintage records I get at the thrift store, I rinse them with water and wipe them down along the grooves with a dusting rag, then just use the padded thing. I clean them every time I pull them out, before playing them. Some old records still pop every now and then, which I attribute to record damage, not anything wrong with my system. I kind of dig it, since it adds to the charm.