Flux Hifi Sleeves
Record sleeves - 12 pieces - Inner sleeves

The record is cleaned, carefully dried - and then put back into the old inner sleeve. In the very sleeve in which dust particles, paper abrasion and static charge have accumulated over the years. What started out clean is compromised again in a fraction of a second. The inner sleeve is the last and most frequently underestimated protective factor in the vinyl care chain. This is exactly where Flux Hifi sleeves come in: with a sophisticated multi-layer structure, a special anti-static coating and archive-quality materials that provide lasting protection - not just when first inserted.

Testers regularly compare the Flux Hifi Sleeves with the legendary Original Master Sleeves from Mobile Fidelity - almost identical in appearance and feel, at a much fairer price. fairaudio writes that the sleeves are so soft and smooth that you can entrust a rare Decca original or an expensive current reissue to them without hesitation.

Vinyl is a plastic - and plastic becomes electrostatically charged through friction. Even pulling a record out of a simple paper sleeve is enough to generate a measurable charge difference. All record collectors are familiar with the result: the charged record magnetically attracts dust particles from the air before it reaches the record player. During playback, these charge differences are discharged at the stylus as a fine crackling noise that covers the entire sound. Electrostatic charge is the most important reason why records quickly become dirty again after cleaning - and why the choice of inner sleeve is relevant in terms of sound and practicality.

The special antistatic coating of Flux Hifi sleeves makes the surface slightly conductive - charges do not build up in the first place instead of accumulating and discharging abruptly at the next touch. The result is a record that attracts significantly less dust after removal and delivers a quieter, darker sound black level during playback.

The milky gray surface of the Flux Hifi Sleeves, reminiscent of rice paper, is made of HDPE - high-density polyethylene - which is refined with low-conductivity additives. This material is not only antistatic, but also chemically inert: it does not react with the vinyl for decades, does not release any plasticizers and does not attract moisture. Cheap PVC sleeves, on the other hand, degrade over the years and can release stabilizers that cloud or damage the vinyl - a problem that many collectors are familiar with from old records in poorly stored original sleeves.

The cushioning intermediate layer between the outer layers of ultra-fine paper is the second protective factor: it buffers the direct contact between the sleeve wall and the vinyl surface and prevents dust particles that remain in the sleeve from acting as an abrasive on the groove flank when the sleeve is pulled in and out. Micro-scratches often occur precisely during this everyday process - and they are inaudible the first time, but not cumulatively over hundreds of plays.

A practical tip from audiophile practice: If you wash your records and use fresh inner sleeves afterwards, the cleaning process is complete. If you put the record back into the old, dirty sleeve after washing it, you have done half the work for nothing - dust particles and paper abrasion will immediately migrate back onto the clean surface the next time you remove it.