Record speed and stylus wear.

[doodoos]

This might sound anal but I'm curious - if somebody plays mostly 45 rpm vinyl, will stylus life be reduced more quickly than playing at 33rpm, given that the stylus is 'seeing' more vinyl at the faster speed, if you follow?

[steveledzep]

It's a very good question, to which I don't know the answer. My initial reaction was that of course it will wear more quickly.

On consideration, at the faster speed 1.36 more vinyl goes under the stylus per second, but it only contains the same information as the slower speed vinyl. So, I consider the acrobatics needed from the stylus are the same at each speed. However, the faster speed will generate more heat which may degrade the stylus more quickly.

On the other hand, a 33rpm record has a greater diameter usually, so at the perimeter the vinyl speed is greater than at the centre of a 45rpm single.

Just a layman's viewpoint based on schoolboy physics. Anyone know the proper answer ?

[Macca]

The stylus is a diamond and the vinyl is about 1000 times softer so really the record should wear out before the diamond does. I wonder that stylus life is compromised massively by playing records with a lot of dirt in the grooves. By massively I mean years.

As to the 45/33 thing it is number of hours of moving contact that matters most so except for the additional heat which Steve mentions it should be about the same.

[The Grand Wazoo]

I disagree, it's not a time thing. Drive your car for 24hrs at 20mph while someone else drives at 80. Will the tyres have the same wear afterwards?

[DSJR]

I think the mantra here over and above all else is to KEEP YOUR RECORDS CLEAN :)

[Macca]

I disagree, it's not a time thing. Drive your car for 24hrs at 20mph while someone else drives at 80. Will the tyres have the same wear afterwards?

45 rpm is only 50% faster than 33 rpm so more like driving at 20mph versus 30 mph there won't be much difference in tyre wear - even assuming it is an apt analogy :)

[Barry]

A simple question with a not so simple answer. The wear of both the stylus and of the record, depends on the frictional forces experienced at the groove-stylus interface. This frictional force is clearly dependant on the tracking force, as it is on the complexity of the record groove. It ought to be velocity dependant, but if it is, it is probably not proportional. We are comparing an average tangential groove velocity of 19.1 m/s for a 12" 33rpm disc compared with 16.8m/s for a 7" 45rpm single. If one is considering 12" 45rpm discs, then the average tangential groove velocity is 25.8 m/s.

To translate this into effective playing time, one would assume 20 min per side for a 12" 33rpm record, 14.8 min for a 12" 45rpm record, and say 3.5 min for a 7" 45rpm single.

In general it is a good idea to at least inspect the stylus after 1000 hours for (inevitable) wear, and to replace the stylus after 2000 hours use. That's 3,000 LPs running at 33rpm, 4,140 LPs running at 45rpm and over 17,000 7" singles!

[struth]

what's a stylus???

[Qwin]

Simple question, simple answer, Yes.

All else being equal. The more you play your vinyl the more your stylus will wear. The faster the movement between the two surfaces, the faster the wear. The greater the sylus presure the greater the wear.
It is taken as read that alignment is correct - or this adds an additional wear factor.

In real world terms you probably arn't going to see too much difference, because how often you play your records, is going to effect "perceived" stylus life anyway. Even things like abient temperature will have an effect. But so will keeping your records clean. Many factors of which playing speed is just one.

Your point is relevant, but don't lose sleep over it. :D

[Audio Al]

what's a stylus???
http://www.stylusplus.co.uk/

[Qwin]

Here's a couple of thoughts for you.

1). The LP has a larger diameter, so travels further on each revolution (outer tracks) the single has shorter distance per revolution but faster speed . Wear per single v LP track, may well be similar though you are probably going to listen to far more singles per hour than LP's.

2). There probably isn't much difference in contact speed between the outer groves on LP at 33rpm and those of a 7" at 45 rpm - contact speed is continuously slowing towards the centre of the record on both anyway.

All to be taken with a pinch of salt really because the stylus is still going to last hundreds if not thousands of plays. Incorrect set up will be much more of a concern and cause accelerated wear to both vinyl and stylus.

Hey what about 12" singles? :eyebrows: