X-Static. Milty Zerostat 3.

The Milty Zerostat 3 static zap gun.

More analog stuffs? You bet! I've gone crazy over vinyl lately and in the process, started to look in to accessories that makes a vinyl nut's life that bit more exciting, not to mention better sounding too!

Since my vinyl revival, I've been pulling out almost all my 20 plus year old LPs to play again. I was horrified that some of those LPs have accumulated a lot of static and dirt, due to years of storage. I just couldn't stand hearing all those "ticks and pops" and "screechy" distortions coming from the LPs any further when I played them.

CMY Audio & Visual very courteously allow me to take the Milty Zerostat 3 for a home trial. The Zerostat 3 is a gun like device, you point the nozzle a few inches(12 inches max) from the item you wish to zap static away, press the trigger then release gently, and wah la! The static is removed.

How does it work? According to the instructions printed at the back of the box, the Zerostat 3 releases a very low voltage positive ion charge as the trigger is pulled, and will also release a second charge of negative ion, once the trigger is allowed to pull back in to it's original position.
The contents in the packaging tray, note the charge indicator nozzle attachment on the lower left. Please ensure that nozzle attachment is removed when in use. Otherwise, you've just wasted another charge!

Milty also supplies a charge indicator nozzle attachment, for easy verification of charge ability. To check, all one has to do is to attach the checking nozzle on to the original nozzle of the Zerostat 3, then pull the trigger as one would to zap away static, watch for a red LED to light up on the attachment nozzle. If the red LED fails to light up, then it means you've used up all the 50 thousand zaps available from your Milty Zerostat 3. Priced at RM435.00 each, that works out to less than RM$0.01 sen per zap, if costing does matter.
Money For Nothing, by Dire Straits. One of my very first LP purchased back in 1988.

I took out my favourite Dire Straits, Money For Nothing LP, an original 1988 UK pressing, which has been played like thousands of times by now, and the more popular tunes like Money for Nothing, Sultans Of Swing and Private Investigations are so dirty and full of static, it was almost un bear able to listen to. I thought of sending the LP to be cleaned. But with a zap by the Zerostat 3, I can say that nearly 80% of those nasty surface "ticks and pops" had vanished! The slightly screechy high frequencies were gone too! The LP is now not only listenable, in fact I can almost enjoy the music now. But some of those stubborn surface dirt still clings on and only a through wash will do those I guess.


LP or CD, the Zerostat 3 does make it better!

The Milty www. also noted that CD sound will benefit from a zap too! So I tried it on one of my current favorite CDs, I Dream Of An Opera, produced by Rhymoi Music China. This is one of the best Chinese recording I've come across till date. The recording is totally natural sounding, and capable of transforming the listener to the recording of the event in a China CCTV studio(if you hifi system is up to par). The recording of various Chinese classical opera themes with traditional instruments like Erhu, Guzheng and Pipa amongst others, is re-arranged with Western classical influenced sound for a more gentle representation, to allow easy accessibility of the music, which includes non Chinese international audiences. I only have a very small gripe regarding this CD, that is on track2, tittled Mulan, the main Erhu located on the left side of the sound stage, can sound some what aggressive or forward in many hifi systems, including mine to various degrees. I listened to the same track again, after the zapping the CD with the Zerostat 3. This time, I found that same Erhu, to be more sympathetic to the ear, less distracting, and puts the Erhu back in it's place within the sound stage, compared to the previously outstanding forward sound of the said string instrument.
I Dream Of An Opera. One of my favorite Chinese CDs. There's so much to like from this excellent JVC recording, produced by Rhymoi Music China.

I then proceeded to zap every CD before I started playing in the CD player, each time the result is predictably the same. If the CD has some form of glare or edginess in it's sound reproduction, the Zerostat 3 treatment either reduces or eliminates it to certain degrees.

Apparently each zap is supposed to be permanent once treated. But I sometimes found my self zapping the same LP a few more times, just to be sure, but it does not bring further improvement on the once treated LPs.
The Zerostat 3 even makes a difference on cartridges! Hey, this doesn't look like the Benz Micro Glider? Patience please, story to come in due time.

I've also found another use for the Zerostat 3. I've found by pointing the nozzle from a few inches away to the direction of the cartridge helps too. I've been in the process of running in an "old" new cartridge this past month or so. The highs are somewhat fizzy and splashy at the same time. But I have no choice except to endure whilst the cartridge is being run in. With a zap from the Zerostat 3, the said cartridge now has a gentler, not to mention tidier sounding high frequencies. It brought a smile to my face each time I listen to an LP.
The offset printed box, with simple instructions on the back.

I am keeping the Milty Zerostat 3!(If it seems that I am always lapping up review samples, call me weak if you must. I just can't help my self, not especially if the product is so effective!)

Milty Zerostat 3 is sold by CMY Audio & Visual, contact John, tel:03-21439206