Cartridge hours

chris_bates1974

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Feb 28, 2013
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I really like to see the discussion around various carts on here, and the time and help some are willing to give for assistance.

It seems that in the vast majority of cases, carts get replaced for reasons of upgrade, with the odd MC misadventure thrown in!

I don't recall anyone posting that they need a new cart as their old one was done in from use.

My question is, how many hours would one normally expect to get from a cart? Does it vary by manufacturer, price, stylus profile etc?

I only listen to mine on average once or twice per week for a couple of hours, so a max of 100 hrs per year. Is that average use?

Thanks all....
 

trevorok

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hi chris i think carts tend to last a very long time all mine are at least 30 to 40 yrs old and i have 5 ortofon ff15e mk2 and 1 shure m75 ed and all get played regully and still work fine as for wear allways the stylus needs regular relpacing after 500 to1000 hrs and on the carts i have you can upgrade the needles to suite your listning requirements
 
I recall that 1,000 hours used to be a guideline, but I'm sure different makers will suggest their own. Back in the pre-CD era I'd replace mine every year or two, but that was getting ten to twenty hours a week use, sometimes more. I'd think nothing of playing records all Sunday afternoon, for example. And I was able to try new models easily, so often splashed out! Now I spin a couple of LPs a month if I'm lucky.

Truth is, its really hard to tell if wear is significant. By the time the sound is persistently dull or distorted it's way too late. A loupe or microscope under bright light can familiarise you with the stylus profile, and identfy cleaning needs and signs of wear.

Old cartridges are more likely to lose elasticity in their suspension, and that will manifest as mistracking rather than stylus wear.
 

trevorok

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look at it like plugs in a car when its done the miles change it think prevention rather than wate till it fails
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nopiano said:
I recall that 1,000 hours used to be a guideline, but I'm sure different makers will suggest their own. Back in the pre-CD era I'd replace mine every year or two, but that was getting ten to twenty hours a week use, sometimes more. I'd think nothing of playing records all Sunday afternoon, for example. And I was able to try new models easily, so often splashed out! Now I spin a couple of LPs a month if I'm lucky.

Truth is, its really hard to tell if wear is significant. By the time the sound is persistently dull or distorted it's way too late. A loupe or microscope under bright light can familiarise you with the stylus profile, and identfy cleaning needs and signs of wear.

Old cartridges are more likely to lose elasticity in their suspension, and that will manifest as mistracking rather than stylus wear.

I'd agree with nopiano. Most cartridges last a good long while if set-up as dictated by manufacturers and looked after. Most old ones fail because of suspension problems or are replaced through boredom / upgrade. Manufacturers normally quote a cartridge life but this can be taken with a pinch of salt as some low (200) hours seem more to get you to replace the stylus before you actually need to.
 
It’ll partly depend on the state of your records - if you have no damaged ones, and you look after and regularly clean the records you have, there’s no reason why a single stylus couldn’t far exceed recommendations. Playing old, badly scratched records will just shorten the life span of the stylus.
 

daytona600

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500-1000 hours should be the norm , 1000-1500 hours for exotic & expensive MCs

incorrect set-up can vastly reduce lifespan , incorrect bias , tracking weight , azimuth & dirty records

if records are spotless & cleaned with a RCM seen 2000,-2500 myself with ortofon & koestu
 
i'd like to get one of my styli beyond 400 hours, too many wobbly pops and bad decisions have meant i've probably not got one beyond 150 hours!

i'm not looking forward to the Nagaoka waring out, thats gonna be expensive to replace, as the stylus is the bolt on type,like the MP300 and MP500 not the push on type.
 
daytona600 said:
500-1000 hours should be the norm , 1000-1500 hours for exotic & expensive MCs

incorrect set-up can vastly reduce lifespan , incorrect bias , tracking weight , azimuth & dirty records

if records are spotless & cleaned with a RCM seen 2000,-2500 myself with ortofon & koestu

This is why not many manufacturers, apart from the money grabbing type, quote hours because of too many variables.
 

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