Has my stylus gone?

I've noticed lately that my turntbale has being sounding a bit flat and lifeless. However tonight some of the records have start jumping which are in good condition.

Is this a likley indication that my stylus is warn? It is 3.5 years old and has had quite a lot of use especialy in the last year.

I am just a bit annoyed as my mobile broke this week too costing me £50 to replace, if my stylus needs replacing thats another £30 down the drain.

Idealy I would replace the cartridge as well but I am not sure I want to risk removing my old one and replacing one becasue the cables seem very flimsy, I don't want to accidentaly damage them.

 

A 3.5 year old 30 quid styus is unlikely to be doing your records any good.

 

What Gary said!

But also check tracking wieght and bias

 

...and don't forget to clean it

A stylus in general (on an MM at least) seems to have a recommended life of around 400 hours, so at 1 album a night, that's about 1.2 years of music.

 

oh eck, mines 6 year old ;/

 

If it's MM, change it! Either way, the rubber suspension'll be getting harder with age...

 

10x4 MC

might trade in on 10x5...........

 

Thanks, I will swap my mums stylus for now (she has a DN165E) this will fit OM5 cartridge. If this works then I know its the stylus.

 

I keep a spare stylus around for my OM5 cart. Shouldn't cost you any more than £20 to replace.

 

Yeah just bought one, £20. It sounds so much better now, I have bass and there is so much more detail. Also the crackles in this £2 LP are much less and it no longer skips.

There is a major physical difference as well before the needle was barely visible now the stylus is about about 4mm of the record. I am going to replace it every year from now on.

 

Hmm - sounds to me like the old one's cantilever might have gone off, hence the lack of gap between cart and vinyl. Mind you, my Ortofon 540 on the Rega 3 only has about 4mm, and yet the 530 on my NAD 533 (aka Rega 2) has about 2mm gap! It still tracks my "Heartbreak station" by Cinderella - the most warped LP I own (about a 5mm+ warp!)

 

yeah but I only have a crappy project debut with a thin arm so I guess more expensive ones are better at tracking. Also the OM series are not exactly the best cartridges in the world.

I've had a look at the old one but it looks the same as the new one to me, but I guess they are so tiny you need a magnifying glass to properly inspect damage.

 

Never one to miss a pun....

 

I *knew* someone'd pick up on that!!! I didn't even know this LP existed until last weekend - I got it for £1. Had to be done despite warp.

AT - the original Debut's not too bad. I reckon an Ortofon 520 wouldn't be too bad on it - and then you can go up to 540. I doubt it'd handle an MC cart, but it's not that bad

 

My most warped LP was Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart, it was a London Records fake though. I want to try and get an original factory one.

I'm hoping this stylus will last me until graduate and get a job, then I will probably just buy a Rega 3 deck.

 

Sorry 'bout that, Dom - it's the 80's US rock thread that's brought out the joker in me.

AT - glad you've got the stylus thing sorted. Could do a lot worse than one of those Ortofon 500's, although it'd be worth buying from overseas to save a wad. Let me know if you need any names of reputable sellers.

Goomer.