How long does a stylus last?

[floppybootstomp]

Ok, I know - how long is a piece of string?

I'm using a Nagaoka mm MP11, here's a link to the stylus I bought for it aprox 6 months ago: http://www.musonic.co.uk/mp11-original- ... 10056.html

It's on DTB's ex setup of Goldring GL75 TT in heavy homemade plinth with a Decca Pivot Arm.

It has sounded great but over the last week it deffo sounding flakey and from my deep and distant past I recognise that as stylus wear.

The stylus cost £20.00 six months ago, it now costs £35.00.

I have been playing lots and lots of vinyl, I suppose, guessing, over six months we could say average play per day was, say, ten albums a day, both sides. Some vinyl platters are less than pristine but have been cleaned.

I remember in my days of Shure and A + R I used to change the stylus once a year. Is it normal for a stylus to wear out in that time span (six months) with that use?

There is a Boron version of the MP11 stylus available but it's £175.00. Is it worth it? Presumably it would last a helluva lot longer.

Ideally I'd like a Denon DL110 but I'm afraid I need a new car more than a new cartridge and I'm feverishly ferretting cash away to buy me's a second hand set of wheels.

Just wondered, really, whether my worn stylus was normal.

I also have a couple of Shure 75ED cartridges with three new styli but I'd really rather not go down that path cos the Shure is a bit dull, neutral, shall we say.

[Graeme]

1500 hours or there abouts if set up properly and clean records.

Lesser tips wear quicker due to the smaller contact patch.

As for the more expensive nagaoka stylus, some will interchange, some wont.
The top one is for the mp50/500 and they are different internaly.
It would probably work, but may not be ideal.

I'd check alighnment, VTF etc and make sure everything is still as it should be.
If things are still dodgy then replacement may be needed.

As for what to replace with, all depends on budget i guess.

[chris661]

Interesting. Perhaps a new stylus would clear the sound up on mine... I have a spare, so it'll be worth a go. Phillips 400... Whatever that means.

[floppybootstomp]

There's no bias on the arm to swing in or out, it stays static, the cartridge is as near to dammit at 90 degrees to the arm and it's tracking at 2 grams. Recommended weight is 1.8 to 2.2 grams for that cartridge/stylus.

The stylus tip to arm hub/pivot is exactly as it should be as well.

I'm actually wondering if it's my imagination as some albums still sound very good. But others sound not as good as they once did.

Perhaps the wear is a subtle thing.

[Graeme]

the cartridge is as near to dammit at 90 degrees to the arm

What does this mean?

Cartridge alignment has nothing to do with how the cartridge is in relation to the arm, all that matters is how the cartridge is in relation to the platter.

Do you have an alignment guage with various null points to check the alignment?

If not, you can download them from vinylengine.

There are lots of different ways to align a cartridge, it may be worth trying a few.
Some of them require the cartridge to sit far from 'in line' with the headshell slots.

[Mike H]

Also ~ "There's no bias on the arm to swing in or out, it stays static" what, no anti-skate?

It has sounded great but over the last week it deffo sounding flakey and from my deep and distant past I recognise that as stylus wear.

Sure it's not just clagged up with gunge? Couple of times I've had that I think, turned out it's covered in cack. Very small cack though, may need something like a microscope to see it.

I got an MP20 on mine but wasn't £175! Less than half, 90 if memory serves correctly.

Still think there's some confusion about boron, Musonic's web page still says 'boron cantilever', it's the tip surely?

Also think it's boron nitride, aka Borazon (trade name)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boron_nitride


You're about right on the tracking weight, I read 2 grams for Winter, 1.8 grams for Summer. No not sure why either!


PS many years ago when I knew naff all about it I once knackered up a ADC cartridge by having the alignment all cockeyed. Tip, do not trust the "easy ten seconds set-up alignment tool" that comes with a Thorens TP16 headshell



 

[floppybootstomp]

the cartridge is as near to dammit at 90 degrees to the arm

What does this mean?

Well, what it says, basically. I adjust arm balance weight left to right for tracking angle and up and down arm for playing weight. And it is an extremely long, tedious and frustrating adjustment to make, I have to say.

Cartridge alignment has nothing to do with how the cartridge is in relation to the arm, all that matters is how the cartridge is in relation to the platter.

Yep, agreed, I know, just to clarify, that is where we are coming from.

Do you have an alignment guage with various null points to check the alignment?

Nope. Woss dat den? All I have is me mince pies.

[Nick]

http://www.vinylengine.com/cartridge-al ... tors.shtml

[Mike H]

And it is an extremely long, tedious and frustrating adjustment to make, I have to say.

Yes it usually is. Nothing wrong there.


Think you may be in need of a bit of urgent setting up help. Don't worry we all had to start somewhere!



 

[Graeme]

With no alignment guage there is no way to align a cartridge properly.

You cant line it up with the tonearm, that wont work.
Follow nicks link and download a protractor.
I cant recomend which one as i use a linear arm so i have no need to protractors.

If for any reason you cant download one i can post you one of regas alignment guages.

[shane]

Still think there's some confusion about boron, Musonic's web page still says 'boron cantilever', it's the tip surely?

The tip will be a diamond, as ever. The cantilever will be a boron tube, which is lighter and stiffer (and much much more expensive) than the normal aluminium tube. I can't recall any manufacturer ever claiming to have come up with a better tip material than diamond.

[Mike H]

Is that what it is? Not a huge advantage then vis-a-vis making the tip last longer

So the 'boron' must be one of the metallic compounds



 

[floppybootstomp]

Still think there's some confusion about boron, Musonic's web page still says 'boron cantilever', it's the tip surely?

The tip will be a diamond, as ever. The cantilever will be a boron tube, which is lighter and stiffer (and much much more expensive) than the normal aluminium tube. I can't recall any manufacturer ever claiming to have come up with a better tip material than diamond.

Well I never. I was under the impression the term 'Boron' referred to a longer wearing tip, hence the extra cost. But yes, you can't really get harder than diamond can you and it seems likely that Boron is the metal alloy used to make the stylus tube.

I stand hedumacated.

When DTB first bequeathed the TT upon me he did give me the link that Nick supplied above (thank you Nick, btw) and attempted to teach me about the quirks of setting up an arm/cartridge combination.

The stylus tip to pivot distance is spot on, I think it's 150mm if memory serves me correctly, therefore I assumed that if the cartridge was mounted in the (fixed) headshell at right angles and at a position to make the stylus tip to pivot distance correct, all would be good.

Plus of course the cartridge being at ninety degrees to the vinyl and the playing weight correct.

Forgive me if I'm being a bit daft but how would using a protractor help me? I must confess I don't fully understand how to use one either.

And although a perfect alignment/setup is obviously desirable the fact remains that for six months vinyl playback on the TT combo has sounded - to my ears - very good indeed. And just lately it has not sounded quite so good.

Which is what made me suspect a worn stylus.

But I suppose it's possible the alignment could have gone askew so all I have to do now is work out how to check it properly, apart from by eye.

[Graeme]

Some alignments require the cartridge to be at an angle in the headshell.
It lines the cartridge up at 2 points on the arc.

It may be a worn stylus, but it may be that if its out of alignment it could have worn quicker than it should have.

[floppybootstomp]

Some alignments require the cartridge to be at an angle in the headshell.
It lines the cartridge up at 2 points on the arc.

It may be a worn stylus, but it may be that if its out of alignment it could have worn quicker than it should have.

Good point. Thanks.