How to tell if your needle is damaged

[Mike_Schmidt]

So after having my P5 up for a couple of days with hours of playing, I left my lever down while the arm was sitting in the cradle and while forgetting i set the needle down on the record pretty hard, or so i think. The sound doesn't sound muffled just not as loud as first nor are the highs as high there there but not screaming like CD. So how do you tell if there is damage

 

[gregory]

Mike, see Georges post as i dont know what cartridge you use.

 

[Anonymous]

Mike, Are you using a rega cartridge?

I've heard that they have had some quality issues (when i questioned why the p3 wasn't getting demo'd with a rega cartridge), so it may not be anything you have done. Something about suspension collapsing after a very short time.

also, how are you getting on with the lp3?

The demo i had of the p3 and lp3 prived way way too much bass and made the rest of the sound muffled, but when i switched to my pp2 it went totally the other way. Bought on the promise that you can tune the phono stage to the cartridge with switches on the inside (and a promise of full refund if i still don't like it)

 

[Mike_Schmidt]

im using the exact cart on the P5 and your right my dealer told me that the lever that lets the arm down is hydraulic so keep it in the low position when the arm is in the cradle. It sounds different from new and after that incident, less brash and the volume isnt there like it was.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Mike, I'm talking about in the cartridges them selves, not the lever.

Apparently the store had loads of returns after only a short time where the cartridge suspension (i think thats the right term) had gone.