Q. I followed your electric toothbrush recommendation several years ago and have been very pleased with it. Can you recommend a water flosser?

—J.B., Minneapolis

A. After my positive experience with the Oclean toothbrush I bought the Oclean W10 Water Flosser and have been very pleased with it. I will expand on that later, but first would like to share a story from my distant past that is relevant to this week’s column.

From a very young age I was obsessed with gadgets and technology, and wanted to play with and learn about everything I could lay my hands on. (I do not think I have changed much.) One day when I was 9 we visited some family friends, and when I was in their bathroom I saw a Waterpik there. It had a thin wand with a nozzle at the end, attached to a long length of plastic tubing that led to a base with a full water reservoir on top. Curious about what it did, I turned it on. The wand launched itself from the stand, powered by pulsing jets of water. It then rapidly flicked around, spraying around the bathroom. I tried to grab the wand out of the air but was unsuccessful, so I turned off the machine and the action stopped. I put the wand back and dried everything thoroughly so I did not get in trouble, but I learned a valuable lesson that day!

Today you can get a portable, rechargeable water flosser with an integrated water tank that does not occupy a permanent space in the bathroom. Just charge, fill and go. Over the years I tried a few inexpensive models from Amazon, and though I have found that even an inexpensive sonic toothbrush can be satisfying to use, I did not find the same to be true of water flossers. They tended to feel unrefined, heavy, noisy, and to my surprise, painful. Even at low settings the blasts of water could be as uncomfortable as dental floss, perhaps even more so at times.

The Oclean W10 water tank is easy to fill. The hose inside moves freely and is weighted at the bottom, so it is always immersed in water as you use the flosser. It offers quad pacing and a timer to direct flossing in each quadrant of your mouth, and even the high settings are comfortable, removing bits of food from between my teeth quickly. It is also easy to handle and operate. The W10 Water Flosser lists for $69.99, but when I bought mine I was able to use the code oclean25 to save $25 at oclean.com, bringing the price down to $44.99. For under $50 it is a satisfying and effective flossing option, and a good value.

Q. I am using an ATI 1502 amplifier to drive Vandersteen 2C speakers. Recently the speakers developed a severe buzzing sound. I replaced the amp with an amplifier from another system and the buzz resolved, so the amplifier needs repairing. If it is not repairable, what suggestions do you have for something reasonably priced to to drive the Vandersteens, something with similar audio quality?

—P.F., Pittsburgh

A. Check out Buckeye Amps at buckeyeamp.com. Buckeye Amps have found wide acceptance among enthusiasts and the company rates as an American success story, making powerful, high-quality amplifiers by hand in the U.S. and selling them for much less than competitors. The Buckeye Hypex NC502MP 2-Channel amplifier produces 350 watts/channel into 8 ohms for only $695. I will have more about Buckeye Amps in an upcoming column.

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