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Joined: August 01 2007
Location: United Kingdom
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Points: 3659
Topic: Stylus wear Posted: May 29 2015 at 06:19
Being concerned at the risk of damaging my Vinyl I'm sure I've changed my stylus far more frequently than I need too but with a replacement being around £100 I'd like to get more life out of it if possible. I've heard people say that around 500 hours is a rough guideline but I'm not sure how accurate this is and keeping tabs on how many hours I've played LP's is difficult, especially when much of my listening is on Cd's.
Joined: December 23 2009
Location: Emerald City
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Points: 17848
Posted: May 29 2015 at 09:43
The first sign of a worn stylus is your sound, as compared when it was new. Depending on the type of stylus, conical, elliptical, micro line, shibata...Is another way to determine the hours before changing. You can also, if interested, get a USB microscope and inspect the tip under high power for wear.
I probably average 18 months and use about 1,000 hours of play time, I figure about 8 hours per week is a good number and go from there. I tend to buy higher up carts and based on the mfg I use and tip about 1200-1500 hours is normal.
Most of the damage that can happen is usually from a cartridge that is not installed properly and not aligned well, if you take some time to understand the alignment of your cartridge not only will the sound be brilliant but the wear will be well below minimal.
Joined: August 01 2007
Location: United Kingdom
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Points: 3659
Posted: May 29 2015 at 12:41
Thanks guys. I'd read somewhere that if the sound was distorting, assuming it wasn't a pressing problem that it was a sign of a worn stylus but I guess if you wait until then the damage is done to your records.
If you're averaging 1200 - 1500 hours play time then I'll be nowhere near that yet as although I am buying more vinyl these days I have gone weeks without using my deck if I've mainly been playing Cd's. I'm anticipating it'll be getting more use in the future though.
My cartidge by the way is a Goldring 1012 GX (stylus replacements approx £150) and it was set up by the dealer many years ago but I guess it could move slightly, though it looks pretty well lined up to the naked eye. I beleive there is a special tool required to check it and set it up accurately?
Joined: December 23 2009
Location: Emerald City
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Points: 17848
Posted: May 29 2015 at 16:14
Nightfly wrote:
Thanks guys. I'd read somewhere that if the sound was distorting, assuming it wasn't a pressing problem that it was a sign of a worn stylus but I guess if you wait until then the damage is done to your records.
If you're averaging 1200 - 1500 hours play time then I'll be nowhere near that yet as although I am buying more vinyl these days I have gone weeks without using my deck if I've mainly been playing Cd's. I'm anticipating it'll be getting more use in the future though.
My cartidge by the way is a Goldring 1012 GX (stylus replacements approx £150) and it was set up by the dealer many years ago but I guess it could move slightly, though it looks pretty well lined up to the naked eye. I beleive there is a special tool required to check it and set it up accurately?
Ok that is a nice cartridge and I think uses a Gyger elliptical fine line stylus, so you should get about 1200 hours. You can check the alignment with a protractor designed for your particular tonearm setup, this to make sure your dealer set it up correctly. You can go to vinylengine.com and download a tonearm specific protractor or alignment tool and check it. You have to join the website but that is easy and free....
Find your tonearm and some other measurement details and you can print one.
Joined: August 01 2007
Location: United Kingdom
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Points: 3659
Posted: June 05 2015 at 11:49
Catcher10 wrote:
Nightfly wrote:
Thanks guys. I'd read somewhere that if the sound was distorting, assuming it wasn't a pressing problem that it was a sign of a worn stylus but I guess if you wait until then the damage is done to your records.
If you're averaging 1200 - 1500 hours play time then I'll be nowhere near that yet as although I am buying more vinyl these days I have gone weeks without using my deck if I've mainly been playing Cd's. I'm anticipating it'll be getting more use in the future though.
My cartidge by the way is a Goldring 1012 GX (stylus replacements approx £150) and it was set up by the dealer many years ago but I guess it could move slightly, though it looks pretty well lined up to the naked eye. I beleive there is a special tool required to check it and set it up accurately?
Ok that is a nice cartridge and I think uses a Gyger elliptical fine line stylus, so you should get about 1200 hours. You can check the alignment with a protractor designed for your particular tonearm setup, this to make sure your dealer set it up correctly. You can go to vinylengine.com and download a tonearm specific protractor or alignment tool and check it. You have to join the website but that is easy and free....
Find your tonearm and some other measurement details and you can print one.
Have fun!!
I downloaded a cartridge alignment Protractor and it's spot on!
Joined: December 23 2009
Location: Emerald City
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Points: 17848
Posted: June 05 2015 at 17:02
^ Very cool!! Glad it worked out for you, that site is an excellent source of information for your analog setup. Especially all the tools they provide for DIY analysis and setup.
If it was off any, once you get it dialed in you should hear some improvement in SQ.....Also remember to check the azimuth of the stylus as it sits in the groove, you want to make sure it sits perpendicular to the groove so the stylus reads both groove walls as even as possible, that will yield you the best sound stage, also surface noise should diminish some.
Joined: August 01 2007
Location: United Kingdom
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Points: 3659
Posted: July 07 2015 at 17:21
Ain't it just typical, got a new stylus 3 weeks ago and was playing a 7" single with a poor run off groove and it kept going onto the label. Luckily I got to it pretty quick and there doesn't appear to be any damage (I hope!).
Joined: December 23 2009
Location: Emerald City
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Points: 17848
Posted: July 09 2015 at 11:51
Nightfly wrote:
Ain't it just typical, got a new stylus 3 weeks ago and was playing a 7" single with a poor run off groove and it kept going onto the label. Luckily I got to it pretty quick and there doesn't appear to be any damage (I hope!).
Can happen with 7" singles, but rarely will that cause any severe damage. What cartridge did you get?
I have used SHURE´s top cartridges with Micro Ridge stylus for decades and I´m extremely pussy about accurate alignment of the stylus tip, VTF, VTA & azimuth . In my system a MM cartridge w/ Micro Ridge begins loose dynamics & detail after I have played 750 LP records (a little more or less). In other words, music becomes lame & uninspiring and I have no idea how long a MR tip actually will last but it just begins loose dynamics after certain point. Sad but true .
Joined: December 23 2009
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Points: 17848
Posted: July 09 2015 at 14:49
Son.of.Tiresias wrote:
I have used SHURE´s top cartridges with Micro Ridge stylus for decades and I´m extremely pussy about accurate alignment of the stylus tip, VTF, VTA & azimuth . In my system a MM cartridge w/ Micro Ridge begins loose dynamics & detail after I have played 750 LP records (a little more or less). In other words, music becomes lame & uninspiring and I have no idea how long a MR tip actually will last but it just begins loose dynamics after certain point. Sad but true .
Hmm...that's about 700-725 hours of play time, you might be 200-300 hours off with I assume a Shure V15 type V. Other factor could be the condition of your vinyl or if you are playing a lot of used vinyl, too much VTF pushing the upper limit maybe.
Joined: August 01 2007
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Points: 3659
Posted: July 09 2015 at 16:13
Catcher10 wrote:
Nightfly wrote:
Ain't it just typical, got a new stylus 3 weeks ago and was playing a 7" single with a poor run off groove and it kept going onto the label. Luckily I got to it pretty quick and there doesn't appear to be any damage (I hope!).
Can happen with 7" singles, but rarely will that cause any severe damage. What cartridge did you get?
I didn't replace the cartridge, just got a stylus replacement for my Goldring 1012.
Joined: June 14 2007
Location: Near York UK
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Posted: November 06 2015 at 17:55
My cartridge (a Lyra Lydian - cost £699 in 1996 and that was the budget model in the range!) has been in use since 1996 and has logged about 3000 hours. It's just showed signs that it's coming to its end.
Why so long? It's in a fabulous arm (an SME series V), was set up meticulously and has been regularly checked and, finally, I clean my records very carefully.
God only knows what I'll replace it with - I can't afford even the base version of the new Lyras.
Joined: December 23 2009
Location: Emerald City
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Points: 17848
Posted: November 07 2015 at 11:56
Hercules wrote:
My cartridge (a Lyra Lydian - cost £699 in 1996 and that was the budget model in the range!) has been in use since 1996 and has logged about 3000 hours. It's just showed signs that it's coming to its end.
Why so long? It's in a fabulous arm (an SME series V), was set up meticulously and has been regularly checked and, finally, I clean my records very carefully.
God only knows what I'll replace it with - I can't afford even the base version of the new Lyras.
Outstanding Herc, I think for a Lyra cart 3,000 hours is pretty good and yes you are probably at the end of the stylus life. Since this is a MC cart the stylus is not user replaceable.....Two suggestions for you:
1) Check out SoundSmith in NYC, they can rebuild your Lyra and I promise you it will sound better than ever, they have different options on a rebuild, not cheap but much cheaper than a new Lyra Delos.
2) Email Lyra, they might also offer a rebuild option for the Lydian, but not sure of the cost or where you would have to send it to, probably Japan.
It lasted so long because you probably did all the right things, number one your vinyl was very clean and you played no damaged vinyl, that will tear up your tip.
Secondly you were meticulous about set up and maintenance, keeping mindful of the VTF and that SME is a fine arm....
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Stylus wear
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Nightfly wrote:
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