I have done a search on this issue here, and on Google, and cannot find a thing.
I have recently gone back to discovering the joys of vinyl (my record collection being stored away for sometime due to various house moves etc - long story).
But - now i have just gone and done something dumb - I inadvertently placed my stylus down on a record at the point before the run in groove commences, and tone arm went in reverse and fell off the record making a rather disturbing din in the process. :eek: (yes - i watched it begin to go in reverse - everything went in slow motion. Did i move in to rescue the errant tone arm? No, i just uselessly stood there, rather like a big dumb klutz would watch an errant tone fall off the end of a record.)
So, my question is - Is there anyway i can tell if i have damaged the stylus? It sounds ok still, but my paranoia is having me question whether it REALLY sounds as good as it did before this little accident…I am hoping because it is “diamond” that it is resilient to such knocks - but i wonder about the bond to the cantilever, and the cantilever connection to the housing etc(?) any help appreciated.
My main worry is the damage a damaged stylus could do to my babies, uh, sorry, i mean vinyl.
Well for a start you would do no more damage than if you dropped the stylus onto a platter. When it fell onto the inert turntable surface it would be less damaged than if it fell on a moving disc.
In my turntable days I had no doubt when a stylus was stuffed - if it sounds OK it is.
What is most likely to have happened is missalignment of the stylus mounting - the ‘rod’ thingy that the stylus itself sits at the end of. The problem as I see it is thet this missalignment may affect the angle the stylus sits in the groove and may increase the wear on the grooves, most likely asymetrically.
Compare the cost of a replacement stylus, or even a cartridge, with the damage done to your prized vinyl
:dubious:
Incidently, I held this opinion myself until recently (vinyl better than digital) but with a better cd player/amp/speakers the position is definitavely reversed.
I just replaced Joni Mitchell’s ‘Hejira’, although it was in almost pristine condition, with a cd, more for convenience than anything, and was amazed at the sonic improvements on the cd - sounds more like vinyl than vinyl is supposed to. Fluid and etherial.
I am hoping that this is the case - that if it is broke, i will know for sure. As in, it cannot be a little broke - it is either broke or totally fine.
I was playing (well, was about to play) the second side of the Minutemen’s Double Nickels on the Dime.
I think i know what you are getting at - i moved my arm away simply because i assumed that the stylus had made good contact well within the run-in groove to the first track (the lighting in my lounge was a bit dim at the time - a bit like me ). Initially, it even moved in the correct direction for a fraction of a second. Then it all went pear shaped, and the damn thing slipped into reverse and fell off me record.
Is there any way i could tell whether this has occurred? As it is so tiny, it is really hard to tell.
I like both for different reasons - it would rather be like asking me if i prefer apples or oranges. They are both completely different tastes and textures, but i would not be able to choose between them.
Glyndour has the right idea. Buy a replacement, sometimes you can just get the needle, and try it. Even if the orginial is okay you have a replacement ready.
The stylus costs £100.00 - which is not too bad once the time for recommended replacement comes along - but i only bought the cartridge with the stylus last Saturday, for £120 (i got a reduction for exchanging it for my previous cart- otherwise, i think it would have cost £150). Bah. So it is a case of carry on at the possible risk of damaging my vinyl, or spend £100 for piece of mind. My choice i figure.
Must be awful good gear. Check out the Aussie styli source perhaps it will be cheaper.
I asked a friend who is a vinyl collector about your problem. He agrees that, assuming you have decent hearing and don’t just play “punk” (his words not mine 'cos it was definitive punk) you should be able to pick a damaged stylus by ear. He recommends listening to lead guitar breaks or loud orchestral music using headphones. He said if you have a record in good condition that you are willing to sacrifice, put it on the turntable and play it endlessly for days. Apparently a damaged, worn or dirty stylus produces distinct marks on the record. He says that the grooves look “whitened” and with a “loupe” (yeah, you have to be dedicated) you can see scratches running along the grooves. If the sacrificial LP makes it through 2 or 3 days all is well.
Thanks to your problem I now know much more than I need to know about how turntables work and the care of records and styli. I don’t have any. But you made an old record collecting audiophile very happy.
I would suggest that you get a magnifying glass and make a visual check. Just look for any misalignment of the stylus arm. It may be difficult to know if the angle of the stylus is correct. For an expensive cartridge such as yours, perhaps you could have the place where you bought it (or some other high end shop) check it for you.
If it just fell on the turntable chassis and didn’t hit the rotating platter, my guess is that is that it should be OK.
). Initially, it even moved in the correct direction for a fraction of a second. Then it all went pear shaped, and the damn thing slipped into reverse and fell off me record.