Plain and simple. I clicked to maybe learn something and I learned that I already knew, which is never cause for complaint :) As a matter of fact I already have this microscope on its way, $13.99-free shipping from a place that rhymes with mal-wart. 'How to know when to replace your turntable stylus'... you showed us the least expensive, most effective AND versatile method. I mean, it can be used to observe stili condition, hunt down dust in grooves and maybe even the haters can use it to find purpose... ;) Let them hate, you delivered on your promise and are much easier to listen to than many others. Subscribed! Cheers!
Great - I have one of these microscopes (Jiusion brand). It’s very touchy to position the microscope in relation to the stylus. After fiddling around it did give me a good view of my stylus. I used the microscope with my MAC laptop by downloading the software from the Juision site. To be worthwhile, I think a person would need to look at and photograph the new unused stylus to have a point of reference for comparison later.
This input may be a bit irrelevant to the topic, but when I thought it was time to replace my stylus I went for an upgrade from conical to elliptical (Indeed I replaced the whole cartridge+stylus). I already knew that elliptical styli deliver more clarity (or detail), but that added detail applies not only to the music on the record. I ended up with more pops and clicks! I realised some records, which I thought were clean, were not clean enough :)
Yes, and it also magnifies distortion on worn discs. I upgraded to an elliptical once, and I was very impressed. Later, I went back to the conical because of the reasons you stated. It's kind of like HDTV. It's impressive, but do you really want to be able to see people"s nose hair?? LOL.
5 років тому+1
That's true in some cases. If you want the best out of your records, you'll need to drop $300 - $600 for shibata, or microline , super elliptical.(ect) .. no way around the deficiencies of the normal elliptical..but sometimes they mask some of the problems of records higher end carts have problems with as well. So kind of a paradox.. you can learn what stylus plays with what type of record the best and then you can build a stylus cartridge collection. I have many , as I do Vinyl to digital transfer. Just a fact of vinyl life. It's a good input you have. It's very relevant.
I have used StyLast since 1984, and have treated the stylus with every record-side. After some ten years, finally, I was forced to make a decision on a new cartridge, because the glue of the AT-36ML had dried/ disappeared. And the stylus was suddenly gone, it came out from the canti. But until that moment the stylus had been pristine, with almost daily spinning. In 2006 I had to buy my second StyLast, and use it now for a diverse set of cartridges, AT, Grado, and Nagaoka. I check the styluses every six months with microscope, and: no wear. Great stuff, and worth the investment.
i have build some really fine tube amps, own great speakers, and a 701 turntable, but a great part of the hole performance of that high end set has grown a lot thanks to this great channel!!! i am really thankfull for al youre amazing tips and tricks shared to all of us! great!!! thanks!!!! i find it strange that you prefure the antistat cleaning mix haha i used it a lot but went back to a other solution; alcohol! Yes! you say NO!!! 50 ml alchol, 450ml iron water(purified water) and 2 drops of dischwasser shine . i now some audiofhile guys dowing this for more than 30 years with the same records. anti stat mix makes the styles dirty fast. give it a try if youre not shure try it a lot on a not so special record and check with the microscoop! keep up the good work! i,m learing every day!! thanks!!!
Hi Jeff! Thank you so much for you comment. It ie great to know that out thete are people like you that are truly getting useful info from my channel...thsnks for letting me know! Going back to vinyl washing formulas...sorry, I just csn't approve alcohol. Vinyl is plastic and alcohol eats plastic..I oniw it is diluited but I prefer not to risk! Who does, should compare a treated record with a new one and listen for any differences...thanks again for writing your opinion!
Hello, I got one of those microscopes last year and am very happy with it. You need to go back to the first stylus/cartridge you showed and give the tip a good clean. That is quite a buildup of dust/dirt covering most of the diamond tip. I discovered this was the case on a DL-207 I had bought, thinking it was part of a repair. I think you'll find the tip is still perfect once it is cleaned.
Interesting video. It stirred a memory of the 60s and 70s when I was young, my dad got a bad old auto changer turntable, we children used to play all sorts or records (including 78s) on it, my brother used to roll the records about the room. Sometimes I would experiment to see how many records I could pile on the auto changer. However in the seven years we had it, a new stylus was never bought. They must have been better pressings in those days because I now have all those records and they play relatively well, given the bad treatment they got.
No.records just aren't as delicate as everyone makes them out.they can take a beating from fingers,fingerprints,kids,dirt,dust,bad or worn out styluseseses,etc etc
I have an Audio Technica AT15SA that was mounted in a nice standard headshell. I just slapped it on the ol' AT LP120 USB and made the necessary adjustments. It sounds amazing. I bought it in 1975 and it's the original stylus. :) I pulled it out of 41 years of storage (I'd replaced it with an AT 155 LC and an ADC ZLM in around 1977 when I got the KD500). The cantilever suspension is perfect. It's like new, which surprised me.
AT-155LC, that was a good one, very very good bass response, powerful, but never "boomy". Great memories. Used it in a Micro Seiki BL-91 equipped with AT-1100 arm. Those were the days!! The ADC's were troublesome, great tracking in a Black Widow, and uuhhhh, in a Black Widow. That was about it.
This is great and a way to visually see if your stylus is on its way out, or has already gone out. Just to clarify, MOST MM/MI carts have replaceable styli (Rega carts tend to be one of the few exceptions), most MC you have to either completely replace the cart, or get it retipped by the likes of SoundSmith and others.
What do you mean, Rega is one of the exceptions? Are you saying you have to replace the WHOLE cartridge? Ahem! I can't believe that. Rega would soon lose all sales at over $600 a throw!! Surely the cartridge AND the cart. HOUSING are replaceable, without having to renew the whole head assembly!??? Please clarify.
@@anadialog I tend to disagree. Rega carts, despite not having a replaceable styli, tend to come in as average otherwise according to many. Now, I've never owned one of their carts but their tables from the P3 and up tend to be highly prized and do currently own the P6 that I bought last year in the spring. To further muddy the waters, what they sell for carts for is considered too high for their performance capabilities, but if you exchange or pay for the cart with the table, they are more in line pricewise to what their performance, according to many that had them in the past. Some of their models more than others.
If you know how to use the microscope then you can determine if the cart is worn out. The stylus is so small that you would feel bad to use it, or if it is worn out only on one side. It's simple as that.
I bought a Yamaha PF 50 about 10 years ago at an estate sale for $30. Other than some scratches on the dust cover, it's like new. It came with a Signet TK5e and the cantilever was pretty badly bent (about ten degrees to one side). However, it's a great cartridge and stylus design so, before replacing the stylus, I tried to fix it. I put a spacer between the stylus and the side of the cutout in the plastic to keep it in position, and then, with my finger, pushed very carefully and slowly on the tip. After several iterations, it is now dead center in the mount, pounting directly down (easy to verify because of the magnets placed at a 90 degree angle from each other at the other end of the cantilever). It now sounds great and I have no idea how long it will last.
Uuh risky business...Well if the dound is ok you did good I guess but usually if the canyilever is bent it will create oroblems with the coils...again good job...and cokd blood you have there!
i use to work in a laboratory which worked to know when plagues or deseases were strong enough to make atreatment on the type of plant you have in your terrain ,this are the same used by space agencies to look to samples retrieved from Mars ,ours were nikon not yet digital but with a amplification that one could see in detail the tip of your stylus or how it was assembled to the metal spike ,but as you said the most easy way is when one notices some records not being played correctelly normally in the last tracks of one side of the record which are more dificult to read either using a S-shaped arm ,or a diferent model of arm as in SME brand or the modern tonearms released in the 80´s, some complain that some records have extra time and the needle can´t read with accuracy the last gooves ,this an error they are suposed to be read well as others in diferent positions of the record ,that´s why there´s geomethry in the installing of a arm in your turntable but for each kind the method of fine tunnig the stylus is diferent from arm to arm ,normally people think they are well installed but no, not all ways of installing a new cartridge or stylus is acurate with diferent types of arm´s ,there were in late 60´s or till mid 70´s turntables that didn´t had anti-skating but the S-shaped arm installed in that turntable was not equal to the others and when reading bad the last grooves of the record was a sign that the stylus was worn out but this type of arm it appeared and in a short number of years disappeared. There are lot´s of matters to take in consideration when instaling a new cartridge after all is taked in consideration the final judgement which is our ears and the capability of hearing the sound in diferent spots of the record they should sound the same if not some corrections need to be made.
This is a great video! Well explained, informative, and I like that you took time to go into depth a bit. Just one tip for your future videos. When you pick up each item and then move it, shake it around, it makes the viewer a bit dizzy and is hard to watch! A better idea might be to hold each thing still (please) and maybe even bring it close to the camera so we can see it better. Keep up the good content! I'm off to buy an amazon microsocope now
I am a big believer in preemptive replacement of the stylus. Once the damage has occured, your records will be damaged also and there is NO fixing that.
I have both ortofon red and bronze that came with used TT I've bought, you can never be sure about the usage of the stylus with used table and I was about to trash the red stylus but will surely buy this microscope instead.. thanks!
Good presentation.Must have for requiring LP listener not only for checking the stylus which may be seldom done, but also to show visually how clean are grooves.
I have one such LP and I can point which parts were most beloved by previous owner. Sadly by me too :). It may be his pickup needed more force than mine and that is why. Any way still is playable with satisfaction.
I’m ordering one of these, just to make sure. I have a 2M Bronze with only 300 hrs on it, but it would be nice to be able to inspect it for myself if anything is off with uneven stylus wear or access dirt etc. Thanks for the video.
Great video and a topic I hadn't really thought about. What's amazing to me is that a diamond can be worn down by vinyl. I would think it would be the other way around. Cheers!
In my view it is very very valuable to clean LP as much as possible. Inside long stored LP is settled different kinds of residuum, most of them possibly dangerous to stylus and that residuum is contacting it not by sides of groove as designed but at bottom lifting whole pickup. . Stylus top is most delicate and supposed not to touch - force should be transmitted by sides. . As it was presented, wearing may look just like grinding the sharp top flat. Most second hand LPs which I purchased due to dirt in grooves was in not usable condition - distorting sound and noisy. I doubt the condition of styluses of their previous owners because this LPs were killing them . After consequent few cleanings and playbacks the stylus picks dirt, settles it in itself which forces to clean it sometime 8-10 times at side and they (except obvious scratches) may start to play as almost new and save more wear of stylus. .
Some of these microscopes (identically looking ones, there are many brands) only have full resolution when you install the driver. Mine was stuck at 640x480 with default driver, and is 1920x1080 with the driver from the CD.
I recently purchased a Sony PS-LX300USB turntable. Purchased it locally from a seller on FB Marketplace. Turntable itself works fine. I have it connected to a Bose wave radio/CD player for sound quality. The issue I’m having is that regardless of the volume level, it’s not very loud. All inputs connected properly. Since I don’t know the exact age of the unit, if Inreplace the cartridge, would I get better volume? Thanks
Well, for what is worth, BenzMicro offers, instead of replacement of the whole thing, to re tip your cartridge and check the suspension as well for a reasonable fee. This is much more economical than buying a new one, especially if your cartridge is worth well over $ 1,000. The cartridge comes back from the factory certified with a graph to original specs. Not sure if other manufacturers offer the same service. Thanks for the great video!
Knowledge of subtle record and stylus wear is difficult for me to discern unless its effect is abrupt. A microscope can reveal wear and may support a good understanding of what has brought about sound degradation. Just this morning I listened to a new album I purchased yesterday, a Bill Evans recording. The album popped at revolution intervals but did not appear to be scratched. A 3 power magnifier in strong light however did indeed reveal a scratch, which made me think the album was a repackaged affair. At any rate, that album is going back to the book store where I purchased it later today. So, yes, having a microscope seems to be a means not only to appraise stylus and record wear but also to discern record defects while it may still be possible to return such defective albums.
Charles Ludwig sorry about your record, man! I've bought new albums that had a Skip on it, and I wanted it so bad and didn't want to wait for another copy, so I just kept it! If I'd heard two skips I would have turned it in regardless, Hahaha! But I agree, we pay so much for these LP's now, is it too much to ask for them to at least be in decent condition?
The old Simpsons episode that had Ricky Gervais was really funny. There is a great quote from that episode. Ricky’s character is talking and Homers looks him in the eye and says, “it takes you forever to say nothing”. I think of this whenever I watch a video that seemed to ramble on and on.
🤔The problem is that he can’t tell you when to change your stylus .. he can only speak generally about the different types, and the longevity relative to another type. Every stylus is in a different tonearm/turntable setup and playing different records, cared for by different people. Some people are OCD about cleaning the records and stylus, some are not. There are various habits regarding stylus and record cleaning, or even getting the cartridge setup into the tonearm optimally. There is an optimal setup, but did it get done ? So, how could he possibly tell you when your stylus should be replaced? 🤣🤣
How funny: three years later and just looking for a cheap solution, I found the very same USB microscope that I bought for the very same intent. And ONLY NOW I see your video…?!? I guess I have a lot of backlog on your channel... LoL In my case it helped finding out that I actually did not need to change the stylus but I definitely had to remove a lot of junk that gel-based cleaners had left behind: once properly cleaned, the cartridge played flawlessly and “as new”. The only issue I have with this device is that by rotating the zoom it seems it just focuses and does not enlarge any further (plus the “zoom” button doesn’t do anything. Maybe a software issue?)
Fascinating. Well thought out. Multiple styli sealed the deal. Already ordered the magnifier. Very descriptive AND short. Don't ever change. Please carry on!
An important issue to be sure. The last time I replaced mine (about a year ago) I began hearing mis-tracking, exaggerated sibilants mostly, on records I knew should sound better. A new cartridge of the same model brought it all back. Q: when you hear issues such as this is that an early sign of stylus wear (what I always thought) or is it too late?
Hi Paul, looks like the stylus was not correctly attached or wired. Cartridge wear brings a poor sound, a loss in frequencies and, in the end when it is too late, strong distortion
I really appreciate your videos and often use the advice mentioned. However, for cleaning the stylus I just discovered the Flux hifi sonic stylus cleaner. Maybe this is something to mention extra in a video and show the (I think) great result.
I rebuilt an old college microscope of my uncles so I could view my stylus condition. Here is a view and cleaning with magic eraser and then with qtip and alcohol. BTW this is the original stylus that came on the table from 1978... Still looks good to me. i.imgur.com/iaLeJ8q.jpg
Awsome stuff, mille mille grazie! I know you are sort of starting out with tubes as well, if I understood correctly. But I would love to see some videos on that topic, for example, how to know when to replace your tubes perhaps? Do you know anything about that? Ciao!
Hello, I have a 1960 stereo console that belonged to my grandparents. It is in all original condition including the Diamond stylus. How do I remove and get a replacement diamond stylus?
You must check of the brand and model of the phono cartridge has a replaceable stylus (probable does) and then you must look for a new one if still in production or a used good one (or NOS) on ebay and places like that
I have two questions which deals with styli/cartridges generally. I have an AT LP120XUSB with a VM95E. I was thinking of getting a VM95EN. Would the sound performance be noticeably enhanced? Every comment seems to say that it would be. Second question. Should I get just a new stylus, or get stylus and cartridge? I trusted your judgment on a mono cartridge. I will trust your judgment on this, too. Stay safe, my friend.
Exotic tipped stylii should be checked for proper alignment to extend its' life. Cleaned tip (after every side) & cleaned LP will also extend its' life.
I always clean the stylus completely after every side. It baffles me when people only clean the stylus once a week - perhaps they only play a couple of LPs a week instead of 20-30 like me.
Hmmm... I don't know. I don't think the tip of the stylus is what wears off (except maybe in extreme cases, where I think the damage to the stylus and my records is extreme. I think it's the sides, that contact the grooves. And I still don't know how to tell if the stylus shape has become too worn to accurately and safely track record grooves.
Yes, you are right main wear is the sides but also the tip, clearly in a minor way because the tip appears to still be there since the sides are disappearing.
Hi! This is my question. I just got my first turntable (used condition) which does not contain any adjustments and it have used ceramic stylus and I know very well, that ceramic or sapphire stylushes is bad for vinyl-regords. Can you tell me it is ceramic stylus safe to use on turntables or what I can do to make this turntable more better?
Hi and welcome aboard! The stylus is never made of ceramic, it's the transducer that back in the days prior to magnetic solutions used a piezoelectric solution. It's ok, but I would upgrade to a new cart.
2:24 ... When did it become more common for the stylus to be non-removable? All magnet cartridges I have owned have had replaceable styluses. I can see it might be an issue with "moving coil" but I never owned one. Even the old ceramic cartridges of the cheap systems could be replaced in most cases.
What I mean is that there are more non-removable than removable stylus cartridges. In fact, all high quality cartridges, the vast majority out there, have a non removable stylus...
So the Shure V-15 type III is shyt or low quality? I know it is very old but it was still selling in the 1980s and from about 1989 through 2014 there was an extremely small market for vinyl. I do not remember cartridges in the old era that did not have replaceable styli. Perhaps the moving coil models, but I never used or saw one demonstrated. They were extremely expensive and required an additional preamplifier stage that was rarely included in the preamplifiers (control center) of the day. V-15 type II cost $75 back in the day. Adjusted for inflation that is $450.00 US dollars today. It will track reliably at 3/4 gram and I am not aware if newer designs can match or exceed this.
Hey hello again. What kind of experience you can share with us about this nice cartridge Lyra Dorian is it worth or no? If you have offer for 600€ brand new, are you take it again?
Your Dorian didn't look wornout to me. Dirty yes, as it had a lot of sticky residue that was pushed up on top of the diamond tip against the stylus arm. This is something you see when playing records that have been kept in smokers areas. So it's basically nicotine residue I that case which is dug up by the diamond tip from the groove and got stuck up against the stylus arm. What I used to clean mine was patience and a lot of gentle brushing with the Audio Technica stylus cleaner that comes in a small bottle. This is the reason why I recognized it as dirt. Also the reason it sounds worn is because the dirty presents the diamond tip to properly get in the groove, especially in deeper grooves. So it ends up floating half in the groove and thus you get a loss of information/fidelity.
Nice video!!! I will look into the scope I have a pocket microscope Carson 60x120 but I want a more powerful one and one that I can look at the side of my stylist while it's on the turntable itself,So I think this will work Thanks...
Thanks for the tip. I have the smaller microscope that I bought a few years ago, but this would be big help in determining stylus tip ear. I have several carts, but my prize cart is my Ortofon MC-3 Turbo that is rated at 500 hours by Ortofon. I've put this on my amazon wish list to buy some time soon.
To Anadialog: Hello, I have a question, can the needle be damaged when removing the needle cover, and if so, how to recognize it? I am asking because when I started the new turntable for the first time, I somewhat clumsily removed the cover from the Ortofon 2M RED stylus - instead of pulling the cover down I moved it forward and I'm afraid that something might have happened and now I'm worried. I will be grateful for your opinion. Regards, Adam
I just got a brand new stylus and accidentally turned the table on without a record. The stylus hit the padded felt surface while it was running for a few seconds before I noticed. The needle should be alright correct? I’m sorry for such a noob question but I am indeed a vinyl noob.
Good tip (no pun intended). I bought that exact microscope a couple months ago for just this purpose and it works quite well. However, if you think a grungy stylus is disgusting to look at, point that microscope at your own anatomy and you'll be in for a shock. The pores in your skin, the callouses on your hands and elbows, and the stubble on your face. Ugh!
If I used my standard factory shipped stylus on a not too clean 78 for about a minute or less, does that mean it is no longer good for use only pristinely clean vinyl records? Will it potentially harm them if I play my good vinyl with them without replacing the needle cart?
You can't use a normal stylus for microgroove ( 33rpm records) on a shellac 78rpm. You need a dedicated cartridge, possibly mono. Here is a video a made on tye topic: ua-cam.com/video/_aybfww2nIg/v-deo.html
You judge a worn out stylus by looking down on it, not at its profile. You look at the tip down the shaft and look for any sharp edges along the sides.
Yeah that is useful to see if there are parts more worn out than others. But if the stylus is completely worn out the profile will clearly tell you. At least that is my experience.
A quick question... how old of a stylus can a person use, are there elements that can wear out if it is several years old (I have brought an old TT back to life that didn't get used much and the sound is still quite good after a cleaning). Thanks in advance!
Uuuh! I see...in that case you are right...if you have rubber suspensions they you might have issues, they melt after 30/40 years...better opt for other solutions...
I said that it is pretty worn out but in decent condition. In other words it is almost at the end but it still has some hours on its back. In any case I also show a comparison next to it and it is clear that my stylus is actually almost completely worn out.
I got a question. Is skipping also a sign that it needs replacing. I ask this because I have 2 record players. On one of them all my records skip terribly but on the other one they play perfectly fine.
Nice video dude very informative :-) I also want to know if this little guy is compitible to windows 7 64 bit which i use ? Thanks for any reply regards :-)
Shure V 15 type 3 , Jico SAS, boron cantilever, it'll give you just about 500 hours. Not cheap, but beautiful sounding. Any wonder why C.D.s became popular??
It depends from usage. Usually after 2000/4000 hrs the cart will greatly reduce its initial specs. A full replacement needs a microscope to be sure. Hence the video.
Con un microscopio come quello del video ed il software adatto è possibile fare un'accurata messa a punto dell'SRA, hai già pensato di fare un video in merito a ciò?
Ciao Matteo, potrebbe essere un'idea...è un po' difficile mettere il tutto a fuoco ma di potrebbe fare. Il problema sarebbe la correziobe drll'angolo se sbagliata...:-)
In effetti una messa a fuoco non ottimale non è auspicabile per una misurazione così complessa. Il modo con cui si modifica l'altezza del braccio nel 1200 tuttavia dovrebbe semplificare il tutto. C'è anche una scala numerata nella ghiera, ma non so se effettivamente corrisponde all'altezza in mm che si aggiunge al braccio, se così fosse bisognerebbe tenere a mente che 4 mm di differenza di altezza corrispondono, in un braccio da 9 pollici, approssimativamente ad 1 grado di differenza dell'SRA.
The cartridge is like the engine in your car and the stylus is like the tires on your car. Even if you put a brand new set of tires on your car with 300,000 miles on the engine your car is still going to drive like crap.
@@wardell1518 I think instead of tires, a set of spark plugs would be a better analogy, being that the cartridge and stylus work together as well as spark plugs and engine. The high mileage analogy is still great.
@@orlandopockets6372 The rubber damping blocks (elastomers), again to use the car analogy, the shock absorbers but unlike a car one can't change the elastomers in the cartridge.
mmmm….yes....one Stylast application only lasts for one side of an LP record. Although the standard 7ml bottle contains enough fluid for multiple applications, it seems like too much effort to me.
Most styli are diamond tipped. The fact of the matter is, that the only reason you would EVER need to replace it, was if you accidentally damaged the cantilever....which does happen. Diamond can cut steel. Does it make sense to you that dragging a diamond stylus across a vinyl disc with 1.5-3 gms of pressure would wear it out??? Your cartridge has a shorter live expectancy than your stylus.
Are you kidding? You can't even imagine the amount of pressure that goes trough your poor stylus. A diamond stylus wears out around 500-1000 hrs (unfortunately). It depends by the tracking force. This is common knowledge... check around don't take my word for it!
My turntable sounds reasonably well though I must've used it for around 500 hours. And my spectrum analyzer shows frequencies at 16K in full height while using my turntable. Need I change my stylus? I don't have an option to compare the sound to another turntable. I don't have a digital microscope either.
I am sure that it is still in goid condition (if you respected the manufacturer recommended tracking force). Otherwise you can get the microscope on Amazon, use it, and send it back! This message will autodistruct in minus 3...2...1...
As someone that works for a small business, I would like to clarify that all of the costs associated with returning things to Amazon are put directly on the manufacturer or distributer of the product. Not only has courier freight become very expensive (moreso for small businesses), but often times these items also come back in a state that renders them unsaleable and are a total loss. If Bezos were to be the one who bears the cost for returns, he would not be a billionaire.
My rule is to never spend more money on a cartridge than I’m willing to loose if it gets broken. Usually for me that’s about $150 US dollars. There are good cartridges out there that are priced reasonably.
For good cartridges for LPs and 45s with good stylii, shouldn't you be looking for enlargement of the side radii of the hyperellipical, shibata, or similar geometry where it contacts the grooves? And isn't it the enlargement of these radii to a certain point that determine when the stylii are worn out and should be replaced? The point of these geometries is to provide a reasonably large contact area with a minimum of tracing distortion. When these radii enlarge, high frequency information in the groove gets boosted and harmonic distortion (due to increased tracing error) increases. The video infers that the stylus should be changed when is worn to the point that its overall size is much smaller than it was when it was new. I think this is WAY TOO LATE as the stylus can no longer trace as it was originally intended. The master is cut with a sharp edged cutter, so any radius on the playback follower adds tracing distortion. It is fortunate that through most audible frequencies this distortion is very small - particularly when the stylus is new.
Yes, you are correct, especially with particular geometries like shibata. IF the stylus was properly adjusted and used during its lifespan, it should consume homogeneously and maintain a similar geometry up untill the end. Obviously we are going to loose the full contact after, say 500hrs or so. But if properly used the stylus will continue to give us pleasure consuming also vertically besides horizontaly. If that consumption is irregular, then you will have an issue.
Again, if tracking forse is too strong, it will sinck in the groove and wear also that part...what Michael is showing is 'normal' wear...I do agree that this is more common to find...
I jus go by the sound for now , My Pioneer cartrage is years old but the treble sounds god with old original analog pop albums is the best test "more HI Res" . WD40 will shift that gue
At155lc worked since 70s buy an old one cartridge and cantilever #myadvice Dont buy ortofon om10 and likes you are better Than that. If you want to go cheap buy nagaoka mp100 Very low distortion on the nagaoka. Put it in a 50 dollar dual 1218 and you Will have the same quality as a 2000 dollar new TT for example Project the classic. I Also like ortofon black or denon 110 mc high output .
![ANA[DIA]LOG](http://yt3.ggpht.com/50CpmGNilS8aoMlarZVhI_GxRDoZdbj4ZgwCMZXg-Rq2PrEvCytlE6RVyLUrNY-rwE_sAlZ1Zw=s48-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj)
Plain and simple. I clicked to maybe learn something and I learned that I already knew, which is never cause for complaint :) As a matter of fact I already have this microscope on its way, $13.99-free shipping from a place that rhymes with mal-wart. 'How to know when to replace your turntable stylus'... you showed us the least expensive, most effective AND versatile method. I mean, it can be used to observe stili condition, hunt down dust in grooves and maybe even the haters can use it to find purpose... ;) Let them hate, you delivered on your promise and are much easier to listen to than many others. Subscribed! Cheers!
Great - I have one of these microscopes (Jiusion brand).
It’s very touchy to position the microscope in relation to the stylus. After fiddling around it did give me a good view of my stylus.
I used the microscope with my MAC laptop by downloading the software from the Juision site.
To be worthwhile, I think a person would need to look at and photograph the new unused stylus to have a point of reference for comparison later.
This input may be a bit irrelevant to the topic, but when I thought it was time to replace my stylus I went for an upgrade from conical to elliptical (Indeed I replaced the whole cartridge+stylus). I already knew that elliptical styli deliver more clarity (or detail), but that added detail applies not only to the music on the record. I ended up with more pops and clicks! I realised some records, which I thought were clean, were not clean enough :)
Very true!
Yes, and it also magnifies distortion on worn discs. I upgraded to an elliptical once, and I was very impressed. Later, I went back to the conical because of the reasons you stated. It's kind of like HDTV. It's impressive, but do you really want to be able to see people"s nose hair?? LOL.
That's true in some cases. If you want the best out of your records, you'll need to drop $300 - $600 for shibata, or microline , super elliptical.(ect) .. no way around the deficiencies of the normal elliptical..but sometimes they mask some of the problems of records higher end carts have problems with as well. So kind of a paradox.. you can learn what stylus plays with what type of record the best and then you can build a stylus cartridge collection. I have many , as I do Vinyl to digital transfer. Just a fact of vinyl life. It's a good input you have. It's very relevant.
I have used StyLast since 1984, and have treated the stylus with every record-side. After some ten years, finally, I was forced to make a decision on a new cartridge, because the glue of the AT-36ML had dried/ disappeared. And the stylus was suddenly gone, it came out from the canti. But until that moment the stylus had been pristine, with almost daily spinning. In 2006 I had to buy my second StyLast, and use it now for a diverse set of cartridges, AT, Grado, and Nagaoka. I check the styluses every six months with microscope, and: no wear. Great stuff, and worth the investment.
Stylast and Last Record Preservative have been my weapons of choice since the 80's. Superb stuff.
i have build some really fine tube amps, own great speakers, and a 701 turntable, but a great part of the hole performance of that high end set has grown a lot thanks to this great channel!!! i am really thankfull for al youre amazing tips and tricks shared to all of us! great!!! thanks!!!! i find it strange that you prefure the antistat cleaning mix haha i used it a lot but went back to a other solution; alcohol! Yes! you say NO!!! 50 ml alchol, 450ml iron water(purified water) and 2 drops of dischwasser shine . i now some audiofhile guys dowing this for more than 30 years with the same records. anti stat mix makes the styles dirty fast. give it a try if youre not shure try it a lot on a not so special record and check with the microscoop! keep up the good work! i,m learing every day!! thanks!!!
Hi Jeff! Thank you so much for you comment. It ie great to know that out thete are people like you that are truly getting useful info from my channel...thsnks for letting me know! Going back to vinyl washing formulas...sorry, I just csn't approve alcohol. Vinyl is plastic and alcohol eats plastic..I oniw it is diluited but I prefer not to risk! Who does, should compare a treated record with a new one and listen for any differences...thanks again for writing your opinion!
Hello, I got one of those microscopes last year and am very happy with it. You need to go back to the first stylus/cartridge you showed and give the tip a good clean. That is quite a buildup of dust/dirt covering most of the diamond tip. I discovered this was the case on a DL-207 I had bought, thinking it was part of a repair. I think you'll find the tip is still perfect once it is cleaned.
Interesting video. It stirred a memory of the 60s and 70s when I was young, my dad got a bad old auto changer turntable, we children used to play all sorts or records (including 78s) on it, my brother used to roll the records about the room. Sometimes I would experiment to see how many records I could pile on the auto changer. However in the seven years we had it, a new stylus was never bought. They must have been better pressings in those days because I now have all those records and they play relatively well, given the bad treatment they got.
No.records just aren't as delicate as everyone makes them out.they can take a beating from fingers,fingerprints,kids,dirt,dust,bad or worn out styluseseses,etc etc
@@NintenDub yeah they'll still play, but with diminished sound quality...
I have an Audio Technica AT15SA that was mounted in a nice standard headshell. I just slapped it on the ol' AT LP120 USB and made the necessary adjustments. It sounds amazing. I bought it in 1975 and it's the original stylus. :) I pulled it out of 41 years of storage (I'd replaced it with an AT 155 LC and an ADC ZLM in around 1977 when I got the KD500). The cantilever suspension is perfect. It's like new, which surprised me.
Wow! A true vintage cartridge back in the game! Nice job there!
AT-155LC, that was a good one, very very good bass response, powerful, but never "boomy". Great memories. Used it in a Micro Seiki BL-91 equipped with AT-1100 arm. Those were the days!! The ADC's were troublesome, great tracking in a Black Widow, and uuhhhh, in a Black Widow. That was about it.
This is great and a way to visually see if your stylus is on its way out, or has already gone out. Just to clarify, MOST MM/MI carts have replaceable styli (Rega carts tend to be one of the few exceptions), most MC you have to either completely replace the cart, or get it retipped by the likes of SoundSmith and others.
What do you mean, Rega is one of the exceptions? Are you saying you have to replace the WHOLE cartridge? Ahem! I can't believe that. Rega would soon lose all sales at over $600 a throw!! Surely the cartridge AND the cart. HOUSING are replaceable, without having to renew the whole head assembly!??? Please clarify.
High quality cartridges NEVER have a replaceable stylus, do to the signal break and the low quality geometry required to detach the cantilever...
@@anadialog So are you saying there are NO high quality MM or MI cartridges? That is absolutely ridiculous!
Of course not, I am just saying that USUALLY a replaceable stylus offers less quality.
@@anadialog I tend to disagree. Rega carts, despite not having a replaceable styli, tend to come in as average otherwise according to many. Now, I've never owned one of their carts but their tables from the P3 and up tend to be highly prized and do currently own the P6 that I bought last year in the spring.
To further muddy the waters, what they sell for carts for is considered too high for their performance capabilities, but if you exchange or pay for the cart with the table, they are more in line pricewise to what their performance, according to many that had them in the past. Some of their models more than others.
That's a great way to decide whether you need a stylus replacement. Thanks for sharing 👍
This should’ve been titled : how to use a digital microscope to inspect a stylus + full blown review of microscope. Cus BRUH.
the point is. I dint even understand how to determine a worn stylus. I only know how to use the microscope now lol
If you know how to use the microscope then you can determine if the cart is worn out. The stylus is so small that you would feel bad to use it, or if it is worn out only on one side. It's simple as that.
@@anadialog calm down
@@anadialog yes but how?
You hook it to the PC or Mac and look at the stylus...
I bought a Yamaha PF 50 about 10 years ago at an estate sale for $30. Other than some scratches on the dust cover, it's like new. It came with a Signet TK5e and the cantilever was pretty badly bent (about ten degrees to one side). However, it's a great cartridge and stylus design so, before replacing the stylus, I tried to fix it. I put a spacer between the stylus and the side of the cutout in the plastic to keep it in position, and then, with my finger, pushed very carefully and slowly on the tip. After several iterations, it is now dead center in the mount, pounting directly down (easy to verify because of the magnets placed at a 90 degree angle from each other at the other end of the cantilever). It now sounds great and I have no idea how long it will last.
Uuh risky business...Well if the dound is ok you did good I guess but usually if the canyilever is bent it will create oroblems with the coils...again good job...and cokd blood you have there!
Fun to see the close ups. Every time I see a close up of the grooves I'm amazed music sounds so good from vinyl. Cheers. /Paul
Just ordered that scope from your link. Been wanting this for a while anyways.
Thanks man!
i use to work in a laboratory which worked to know when plagues or deseases were strong enough to make atreatment on the type of plant you have in your terrain ,this are the same used by space agencies to look to samples retrieved from Mars ,ours were nikon not yet digital but with a amplification that one could see in detail the tip of your stylus or how it was assembled to the metal spike ,but as you said the most easy way is when one notices some records not being played correctelly normally in the last tracks of one side of the record which are more dificult to read either using a S-shaped arm ,or a diferent model of arm as in SME brand or the modern tonearms released in the 80´s, some complain that some records have extra time and the needle can´t read with accuracy the last gooves ,this an error they are suposed to be read well as others in diferent positions of the record ,that´s why there´s geomethry in the installing of a arm in your turntable but for each kind the method of fine tunnig the stylus is diferent from arm to arm ,normally people think they are well installed but no, not all ways of installing a new cartridge or stylus is acurate with diferent types of arm´s ,there were in late 60´s or till mid 70´s turntables that didn´t had anti-skating but the S-shaped arm installed in that turntable was not equal to the others and when reading bad the last grooves of the record was a sign that the stylus was worn out but this type of arm it appeared and in a short number of years disappeared. There are lot´s of matters to take in consideration when instaling a new cartridge after all is taked in consideration the final judgement which is our ears and the capability of hearing the sound in diferent spots of the record they should sound the same if not some corrections need to be made.
This is a great video! Well explained, informative, and I like that you took time to go into depth a bit. Just one tip for your future videos. When you pick up each item and then move it, shake it around, it makes the viewer a bit dizzy and is hard to watch! A better idea might be to hold each thing still (please) and maybe even bring it close to the camera so we can see it better.
Keep up the good content! I'm off to buy an amazon microsocope now
Thx!
I am a big believer in preemptive replacement of the stylus. Once the damage has occured, your records will be damaged also and there is NO fixing that.
Great, informative, and detailed video! Thumbs up. Very detailed, and honest explanation, ana[dea]log. Also, vinyl is final.
Thank you very much George!
Had one of these digital microscopes for years! Great to know I already have all that I need.
I have both ortofon red and bronze that came with used TT I've bought, you can never be sure about the usage of the stylus with used table and I was about to trash the red stylus but will surely buy this microscope instead.. thanks!
Good to know! Thanks!
Good presentation.Must have for requiring LP listener not only for checking the stylus which may be seldom done, but also to show visually how clean are grooves.
Yeah!! Or if the grooves are worn. Sometime they look mint but they are completely shaved.
I have one such LP and I can point which parts were most beloved by previous owner. Sadly by me too :). It may be his pickup needed more force than mine and that is why. Any way still is playable with satisfaction.
I’m ordering one of these, just to make sure. I have a 2M Bronze with only 300 hrs on it, but it would be nice to be able to inspect it for myself if anything is off with uneven stylus wear or access dirt etc. Thanks for the video.
Thank you! Yes, you xan also check if there is uneven wear or, worse, cracks.
Really interesting, I learned a lot that I didn’t know.
Glad!
Great video and a topic I hadn't really thought about. What's amazing to me is that a diamond can be worn down by vinyl. I would think it would be the other way around. Cheers!
Thanks! In fact it acts in both ways!! A good practice is not to play too many times the same part...
In my view it is very very valuable to clean LP as much as possible. Inside long stored LP is settled different kinds of residuum, most of them possibly dangerous to stylus and that residuum is contacting it not by sides of groove as designed but at bottom lifting whole pickup. . Stylus top is most delicate and supposed not to touch - force should be transmitted by sides. . As it was presented, wearing may look just like grinding the sharp top flat. Most second hand LPs which I purchased due to dirt in grooves was in not usable condition - distorting sound and noisy. I doubt the condition of styluses of their previous owners because this LPs were killing them . After consequent few cleanings and playbacks the stylus picks dirt, settles it in itself which forces to clean it sometime 8-10 times at side and they (except obvious scratches) may start to play as almost new and save more wear of stylus. .
Frank, it's not the vinyl that wears the diamond stylus it's dust.
Charles Ludwig - Thanks for the info. I almost find that more amazing. Cheers! 😁👍
I'd say both!...in other words FRICTION
Some of these microscopes (identically looking ones, there are many brands) only have full resolution when you install the driver. Mine was stuck at 640x480 with default driver, and is 1920x1080 with the driver from the CD.
Interesting, thanks for sharing that!
Most cases the stylus is not removable from the cartridge? Did I hear that right? That is new to me. Thank you for clearing that up.
70% of cartridges or even more are all with a fixed stylus. Usually, low quality carts (but not always, see jico) have detachable stili.
I recently purchased a Sony PS-LX300USB turntable. Purchased it locally from a seller on FB Marketplace. Turntable itself works fine. I have it connected to a Bose wave radio/CD player for sound quality. The issue I’m having is that regardless of the volume level, it’s not very loud. All inputs connected properly. Since I don’t know the exact age of the unit, if Inreplace the cartridge, would I get better volume?
Thanks
Have you set the back to line or using an external phono pre-amp? Answer in a new comment otherwise the system does not forward it to me
I bought the USB camera in your link. The camera I have now does not have a stand and not enough power to see the stylus tip like your camera. Thanks
Great! Thanks for the feedback. Let us know if it works for you or not.
Well, for what is worth, BenzMicro offers, instead of replacement of the whole thing, to re tip your cartridge and check the suspension as well for a reasonable fee.
This is much more economical than buying a new one, especially if your cartridge is worth well over $ 1,000.
The cartridge comes back from the factory certified with a graph to original specs. Not sure if other manufacturers offer the same service.
Thanks for the great video!
Good to know, thanks!
Great Video really helpful , and i recently bought LED microscope which enlarge up to 60x for $1.98 really cheap and does the job very well .Thanks
Thanks!
Knowledge of subtle record and stylus wear is difficult for me to discern unless its effect is abrupt. A microscope can reveal wear and may support a good understanding of what has brought about sound degradation. Just this morning I listened to a new album I purchased yesterday, a Bill Evans recording. The album popped at revolution intervals but did not appear to be scratched. A 3 power magnifier in strong light however did indeed reveal a scratch, which made me think the album was a repackaged affair. At any rate, that album is going back to the book store where I purchased it later today. So, yes, having a microscope seems to be a means not only to appraise stylus and record wear but also to discern record defects while it may still be possible to return such defective albums.
Charles Ludwig sorry about your record, man! I've bought new albums that had a Skip on it, and I wanted it so bad and didn't want to wait for another copy, so I just kept it! If I'd heard two skips I would have turned it in regardless, Hahaha! But I agree, we pay so much for these LP's now, is it too much to ask for them to at least be in decent condition?
True...this happens way too often...
Talking too much, rather than explaining to when should we change the stylus
agreed
The old Simpsons episode that had Ricky Gervais was really funny. There is a great quote from that episode. Ricky’s character is talking and Homers looks him in the eye and says, “it takes you forever to say nothing”. I think of this whenever I watch
a video that seemed to ramble on and on.
🤔The problem is that he can’t tell you when to change your stylus .. he can only speak generally about the different types, and the longevity relative to another type. Every stylus is in a different tonearm/turntable setup and playing different records, cared for by different people. Some people are OCD about cleaning the records and stylus, some are not. There are various habits regarding stylus and record cleaning, or even getting the cartridge setup into the tonearm optimally. There is an optimal setup, but did it get done ? So, how could he possibly tell you when your stylus should be replaced? 🤣🤣
How funny: three years later and just looking for a cheap solution, I found the very same USB microscope that I bought for the very same intent. And ONLY NOW I see your video…?!?
I guess I have a lot of backlog on your channel... LoL
In my case it helped finding out that I actually did not need to change the stylus but I definitely had to remove a lot of junk that gel-based cleaners had left behind: once properly cleaned, the cartridge played flawlessly and “as new”.
The only issue I have with this device is that by rotating the zoom it seems it just focuses and does not enlarge any further (plus the “zoom” button doesn’t do anything. Maybe a software issue?)
Yes, there is no zoom. I have noted the same thing. It's a fix scope. Remove the plastic end to get even closer!
Awesome video. Looking to upgrade my Rega cartridge in the $200-$300 range; What are your thoughts on the ortofon 2M Blue? Thanks,
It's a great cart!
Fascinating.
Well thought out.
Multiple styli sealed the deal.
Already ordered the magnifier.
Very descriptive AND short.
Don't ever change. Please carry on!
Nice...thank you. I have been using a hand held loupe, but it's cumbersome with lighting, being still and looking very closely.
An important issue to be sure. The last time I replaced mine (about a year ago) I began hearing mis-tracking, exaggerated sibilants mostly, on records I knew should sound better. A new cartridge of the same model brought it all back. Q: when you hear issues such as this is that an early sign of stylus wear (what I always thought) or is it too late?
Hi Paul, looks like the stylus was not correctly attached or wired. Cartridge wear brings a poor sound, a loss in frequencies and, in the end when it is too late, strong distortion
Excellent video. great idea, using a digital microscope. Thank you for posting.
Thanks Chris!
Great video I've just ordered a
YOMYM 40 to 1000x
Looking forward to review Tool's Lateralus picture disc!
Great!
How much ?
I love the video ♥️ no dire más! Great!! 🤍 Greetings from Ecuador 🕺🏽
I really appreciate your videos and often use the advice mentioned. However, for cleaning the stylus I just discovered the Flux hifi sonic stylus cleaner. Maybe this is something to mention extra in a video and show the (I think) great result.
I rebuilt an old college microscope of my uncles so I could view my stylus condition. Here is a view and cleaning with magic eraser and then with qtip and alcohol. BTW this is the original stylus that came on the table from 1978... Still looks good to me. i.imgur.com/iaLeJ8q.jpg
Wow! Yes, it does look great!
Awsome stuff, mille mille grazie! I know you are sort of starting out with tubes as well, if I understood correctly. But I would love to see some videos on that topic, for example, how to know when to replace your tubes perhaps? Do you know anything about that? Ciao!
It's really interestin...👌👍 as my record player's stylus life 's over & 'm unable 2 play LPs..🙏🙏
Hello, I have a 1960 stereo console that belonged to my grandparents. It is in all original condition including the Diamond stylus. How do I remove and get a replacement diamond stylus?
You must check of the brand and model of the phono cartridge has a replaceable stylus (probable does) and then you must look for a new one if still in production or a used good one (or NOS) on ebay and places like that
Great info
I have two questions which deals with styli/cartridges generally. I have an AT LP120XUSB with a VM95E. I was thinking of getting a VM95EN. Would the sound performance be noticeably enhanced? Every comment seems to say that it would be. Second question. Should I get just a new stylus, or get stylus and cartridge? I trusted your judgment on a mono cartridge. I will trust your judgment on this, too. Stay safe, my friend.
My suggestion to try different things. Audiotechnica is great but there are so many sound signatures and great carts out there. Try exploring!
@@anadialog I will experiment. Thanks for all your help.
Exotic tipped stylii should be checked for proper alignment to extend its' life. Cleaned tip (after every side) & cleaned LP will also extend its' life.
I always clean the stylus completely after every side. It baffles me when people only clean the stylus once a week - perhaps they only play a couple of LPs a week instead of 20-30 like me.
Bravo!
Thanks for sharing
Thank YOU!
I knew about these USB microscopes, but now I want one.
It is not ruby, it is saphire...
Thanks a lot for every great video you upload!!!
Its both! We have both ruby and sapphire but I mentioned ruby in contrast to diamond because much more soft, sapphire is much harder.
Hmmm... I don't know. I don't think the tip of the stylus is what wears off (except maybe in extreme cases, where I think the damage to the stylus and my records is extreme. I think it's the sides, that contact the grooves. And I still don't know how to tell if the stylus shape has become too worn to accurately and safely track record grooves.
Yes, you are right main wear is the sides but also the tip, clearly in a minor way because the tip appears to still be there since the sides are disappearing.
Hi! This is my question. I just got my first turntable (used condition) which does not contain any adjustments and it have used ceramic stylus and I know very well, that ceramic or sapphire stylushes is bad for vinyl-regords.
Can you tell me it is ceramic stylus safe to use on turntables or what I can do to make this turntable more better?
Hi and welcome aboard! The stylus is never made of ceramic, it's the transducer that back in the days prior to magnetic solutions used a piezoelectric solution. It's ok, but I would upgrade to a new cart.
2:24 ... When did it become more common for the stylus to be non-removable? All magnet cartridges I have owned have had replaceable styluses. I can see it might be an issue with "moving coil" but I never owned one. Even the old ceramic cartridges of the cheap systems could be replaced in most cases.
What I mean is that there are more non-removable than removable stylus cartridges. In fact, all high quality cartridges, the vast majority out there, have a non removable stylus...
So the Shure V-15 type III is shyt or low quality? I know it is very old but it was still selling in the 1980s and from about 1989 through 2014 there was an extremely small market for vinyl. I do not remember cartridges in the old era that did not have replaceable styli. Perhaps the moving coil models, but I never used or saw one demonstrated. They were extremely expensive and required an additional preamplifier stage that was rarely included in the preamplifiers (control center) of the day. V-15 type II cost $75 back in the day. Adjusted for inflation that is $450.00 US dollars today. It will track reliably at 3/4 gram and I am not aware if newer designs can match or exceed this.
Interesting video,thank you so much.
Thank you Max!
Hey hello again. What kind of experience you can share with us about this nice cartridge Lyra Dorian is it worth or no? If you have offer for 600€ brand new, are you take it again?
Probably not, a little to bright at the top, better a Dynavector 20X2L, which unfortunately the price doubled.
Your Dorian didn't look wornout to me. Dirty yes, as it had a lot of sticky residue that was pushed up on top of the diamond tip against the stylus arm.
This is something you see when playing records that have been kept in smokers areas. So it's basically nicotine residue I that case which is dug up by the diamond tip from the groove and got stuck up against the stylus arm.
What I used to clean mine was patience and a lot of gentle brushing with the Audio Technica stylus cleaner that comes in a small bottle.
This is the reason why I recognized it as dirt.
Also the reason it sounds worn is because the dirty presents the diamond tip to properly get in the groove, especially in deeper grooves. So it ends up floating half in the groove and thus you get a loss of information/fidelity.
Nice video!!! I will look into the scope I have a pocket microscope Carson 60x120 but I want a more powerful one and one that I can look at the side of my stylist while it's on the turntable itself,So I think this will work Thanks...
Thank you Paul!
@@anadialog No Problem Thank You!!!
Thanks for the tip. I have the smaller microscope that I bought a few years ago, but this would be big help in determining stylus tip ear. I have several carts, but my prize cart is my Ortofon MC-3 Turbo that is rated at 500 hours by Ortofon. I've put this on my amazon wish list to buy some time soon.
To Anadialog:
Hello, I have a question, can the needle be damaged when removing the needle cover, and if so, how to recognize it? I am asking because when I started the new turntable for the first time, I somewhat clumsily removed the cover from the Ortofon 2M RED stylus - instead of pulling the cover down I moved it forward and I'm afraid that something might have happened and now I'm worried. I will be grateful for your opinion.
Regards, Adam
Can be. Check if it is straight and if sound is equal/good on both sides. Can't do much more.
Which is a better turntable?:
Sony PS-LX310BT or Audio-Technica Consumer AT-LP60XBT?
Sony PS-LX310BT is better (IMHO)
www.whathifi.com/reviews/audio-technica-at-lp60xbt
www.whathifi.com/reviews/sony-ps-lx310bt
I just got a brand new stylus and accidentally turned the table on without a record. The stylus hit the padded felt surface while it was running for a few seconds before I noticed. The needle should be alright correct? I’m sorry for such a noob question but I am indeed a vinyl noob.
If you don't hear problems then most probably there aren't
Good tip (no pun intended). I bought that exact microscope a couple months ago for just this purpose and it works quite well.
However, if you think a grungy stylus is disgusting to look at, point that microscope at your own anatomy and you'll be in for a shock. The pores in your skin, the callouses on your hands and elbows, and the stubble on your face. Ugh!
I did!🤮
Nice - I was using a reversed telephoto lens to try and see the tips of my stylii - I may well invest in one :-)
Great!
If I used my standard factory shipped stylus on a not too clean 78 for about a minute or less, does that mean it is no longer good for use only pristinely clean vinyl records? Will it potentially harm them if I play my good vinyl with them without replacing the needle cart?
You can't use a normal stylus for microgroove ( 33rpm records) on a shellac 78rpm. You need a dedicated cartridge, possibly mono. Here is a video a made on tye topic: ua-cam.com/video/_aybfww2nIg/v-deo.html
You judge a worn out stylus by looking down on it, not at its profile. You look at the tip down the shaft and look for any sharp edges along the sides.
Yeah that is useful to see if there are parts more worn out than others. But if the stylus is completely worn out the profile will clearly tell you. At least that is my experience.
A quick question... how old of a stylus can a person use, are there elements that can wear out if it is several years old (I have brought an old TT back to life that didn't get used much and the sound is still quite good after a cleaning). Thanks in advance!
If the diamond tip (stylus) is still in good shape a decent quality cartridge can last for ever!
@@anadialog thanks for the quick response! Some info on YT notes that these are "rubber bushings" that don't age well - it seems that is misleading?
Uuuh! I see...in that case you are right...if you have rubber suspensions they you might have issues, they melt after 30/40 years...better opt for other solutions...
I'm somewhat confused. That first stylus you showed you stated was very worn, but then said it was in good shape. Which is it? Should it be replaced ?
I said that it is pretty worn out but in decent condition. In other words it is almost at the end but it still has some hours on its back. In any case I also show a comparison next to it and it is clear that my stylus is actually almost completely worn out.
Nice video. I appreciate you adjusting your chair height.
I got a question. Is skipping also a sign that it needs replacing. I ask this because I have 2 record players. On one of them all my records skip terribly but on the other one they play perfectly fine.
Usually the answer would be no, it depends from the dirt in the grooves and, as your case seems to be, from the quality of the tonearm!
Nice video dude very informative :-)
I also want to know if this little guy is compitible to windows 7 64 bit which i use ?
Thanks for any reply regards :-)
Yup! It is compatible with WIN MAC and ANDROID. Check it here (it changes often): amzn.to/2OL1hYZ
@@anadialog Thanks :-)
Shure V 15 type 3 , Jico SAS, boron cantilever, it'll give you just about 500 hours. Not cheap, but beautiful sounding. Any wonder why C.D.s became popular??
Thanx 4 the image @ 9:07 - have search such one for a long time... - finally i know's how it looks inside of the LP's channel ...
As I can’t fine the vid of the turntable so as I am asking you, what brand name was you showing. Where did you get it from.
Its all in the video description!
Great video,thanks!
Thank you!
It kind of annoys me that some records stores sell used styli... If it's secondhand, you can gather that it's worn
True...they should at least provide a closeup of the stylus...
How can i tell regarding a 78 stylus is worn?
Shellac is even harder so it will consume the 78rpm stylus even faster...same way...
I will add that even it the stylus looks OK, the cantilever's suspension might have issues
how often should you replace your stylus, How many months?
It depends from usage. Usually after 2000/4000 hrs the cart will greatly reduce its initial specs. A full replacement needs a microscope to be sure. Hence the video.
@@anadialog lets say i want to figure out how many months 2000/4000 hrs is, what equation do I use?
You need to know how much you listen each day or week. Then you just multiply. But again there are various factors things aren't that straight.
actual inspection of stylus starts at 9:40
Thank you
Skip to 9:00
Skip to 11:38 and go watch something more useful.
A jewelers loope works well also.
Con un microscopio come quello del video ed il software adatto è possibile fare un'accurata messa a punto dell'SRA, hai già pensato di fare un video in merito a ciò?
Ciao Matteo, potrebbe essere un'idea...è un po' difficile mettere il tutto a fuoco ma di potrebbe fare. Il problema sarebbe la correziobe drll'angolo se sbagliata...:-)
In effetti una messa a fuoco non ottimale non è auspicabile per una misurazione così complessa. Il modo con cui si modifica l'altezza del braccio nel 1200 tuttavia dovrebbe semplificare il tutto. C'è anche una scala numerata nella ghiera, ma non so se effettivamente corrisponde all'altezza in mm che si aggiunge al braccio, se così fosse bisognerebbe tenere a mente che 4 mm di differenza di altezza corrispondono, in un braccio da 9 pollici, approssimativamente ad 1 grado di differenza dell'SRA.
I have had my gold ring cartridge since the mid nineties. I change the stylus but not the cartridge.
The cartridge is like the engine in your car and the stylus is like the tires on your car. Even if you put a brand new set of tires on your car with 300,000 miles on the engine your car is still going to drive like crap.
@@wardell1518 I think instead of tires, a set of spark plugs would be a better analogy, being that the cartridge and stylus work together as well as spark plugs and engine. The high mileage analogy is still great.
@@orlandopockets6372 The rubber damping blocks (elastomers), again to use the car analogy, the shock absorbers but unlike a car one can't change the elastomers in the cartridge.
I always change mine when Kate Bush starts to sound like Tom Waits
😂
I thought your channel said ANAL-DIALOG. That's why I happened to be thrown in here. 😆
🙈
Have you ever try stylast, it seems makes it last 10 times, it means 10.000 hours
Very intetesting Julio! I must investigate furthet. Thanks for sharing!
mmmm….yes....one Stylast application only lasts for one side of an LP record. Although the standard 7ml bottle contains enough fluid for multiple applications, it seems like too much effort to me.
Most styli are diamond tipped. The fact of the matter is, that the only reason you would EVER need to replace it, was if you accidentally damaged the cantilever....which does happen. Diamond can cut steel. Does it make sense to you that dragging a diamond stylus across a vinyl disc with 1.5-3 gms of pressure would wear it out??? Your cartridge has a shorter live expectancy than your stylus.
Are you kidding? You can't even imagine the amount of pressure that goes trough your poor stylus. A diamond stylus wears out around 500-1000 hrs (unfortunately). It depends by the tracking force. This is common knowledge... check around don't take my word for it!
My turntable sounds reasonably well though I must've used it for around 500 hours. And my spectrum analyzer shows frequencies at 16K in full height while using my turntable. Need I change my stylus? I don't have an option to compare the sound to another turntable. I don't have a digital microscope either.
I am sure that it is still in goid condition (if you respected the manufacturer recommended tracking force). Otherwise you can get the microscope on Amazon, use it, and send it back! This message will autodistruct in minus 3...2...1...
As someone that works for a small business, I would like to clarify that all of the costs associated with returning things to Amazon are put directly on the manufacturer or distributer of the product. Not only has courier freight become very expensive (moreso for small businesses), but often times these items also come back in a state that renders them unsaleable and are a total loss. If Bezos were to be the one who bears the cost for returns, he would not be a billionaire.
Thank you for the great video though :)
My rule is to never spend more money on a cartridge than I’m willing to loose if it gets broken. Usually for me that’s about $150 US dollars. There are good cartridges out there that are priced reasonably.
Can a stylus worn out even if not been played over 30 years?
Nope!
@@anadialog ty
For good cartridges for LPs and 45s with good stylii, shouldn't you be looking for enlargement of the side radii of the hyperellipical, shibata, or similar geometry where it contacts the grooves? And isn't it the enlargement of these radii to a certain point that determine when the stylii are worn out and should be replaced? The point of these geometries is to provide a reasonably large contact area with a minimum of tracing distortion. When these radii enlarge, high frequency information in the groove gets boosted and harmonic distortion (due to increased tracing error) increases. The video infers that the stylus should be changed when is worn to the point that its overall size is much smaller than it was when it was new. I think this is WAY TOO LATE as the stylus can no longer trace as it was originally intended. The master is cut with a sharp edged cutter, so any radius on the playback follower adds tracing distortion. It is fortunate that through most audible frequencies this distortion is very small - particularly when the stylus is new.
Yes, you are correct, especially with particular geometries like shibata. IF the stylus was properly adjusted and used during its lifespan, it should consume homogeneously and maintain a similar geometry up untill the end. Obviously we are going to loose the full contact after, say 500hrs or so. But if properly used the stylus will continue to give us pleasure consuming also vertically besides horizontaly. If that consumption is irregular, then you will have an issue.
Why not just calculate approximate number of hours used?
The diamond wears out on the sides, not the bottom. That's why they call them "wear flats".
Not only, also on the bottom if the tracking force is too strong...
@@anadialog:www.analogplanet.com/content/what-does-stylus-wear-look
Again, if tracking forse is too strong, it will sinck in the groove and wear also that part...what Michael is showing is 'normal' wear...I do agree that this is more common to find...
Stylus tip can,t touch the bottom of the groove. If that would happen, the sound in the groove would be replaced with white noise.
I remember as a kid we used to put coins on to of the tone arm to weigh it down if a record was scratched so it wouldn’t skip 😂😂
Very informative.
Nice seiko what reference :P im drooling over a sarx055
It's a sarb 35
I jus go by the sound for now , My Pioneer cartrage is years old but the treble sounds god with old original analog pop albums is the best test "more HI Res" .
WD40 will shift that gue
Fair enough!
Yes, those old albums "all analog" has more resolution on those record's than ANYTHING digital!
At155lc worked since 70s buy an old one cartridge and cantilever
#myadvice
Dont buy ortofon om10 and likes you are better Than that.
If you want to go cheap buy nagaoka mp100
Very low distortion on the nagaoka.
Put it in a 50 dollar dual 1218 and you Will have the same quality as a 2000 dollar new TT for example Project the classic.
I Also like ortofon black or denon 110 mc high output .
Have you heard of a company called JICO?
I haven't!
@@anadialog basicly there like making replacement stylus like for example the shure M44-7. Here;s a link to check them out www.jico-stylus.com/
Molto interessante 🙂