Worn stylus?

[Chasong]

Hi,
My first post on this forum and I have one question about worn stylus.
I guess it is used about 500-600 hours, but I am not sure of that, bought it used.
It is a contact line nude stylus, Soundsmith Aida.

I got a hold of a usb microscope and got taken som pictures.
Maybe these pictures can bring clarity about wear and tear on my stylus?

Btv. I have listened to this cartrige on a Technics SL1200 and it sounds perfectly to me...I think...

Cheers

Chasong

[walpurgis]

Looks fine to me Chasong. If you are using recommended tracking downforces on clean records, I'd expect a stylus to last 2000 hours or more.

[Barry]

Yep - it looks absolutely fine to me as well. You should be able to get 1,000 to 1,500 hours playing time from a stylus.

[Chasong]

Thank you for reply.

Then I can use it with no worries. A dealer told former owner it was worn out.
He took obviously wrong.

[topoxforddoc]

Steinar,

The magnification from your USB scope isn't really high enough to tell if the stylus is worn. You need to look at the stylus tip end on with a 200 x magnification with side lighting looking for the wear spots, which are visible as highlights. Stylus wear is indicated by larger highlights and the highlights almost meeting in the middle of the tip. See here in the figures on page 7 of the Shure SEK2 stylus microscope manual - the standard tool used in the 80s to check for stylus wear.

http://pubs.shure.com/guide/SEK-2/en-US.pdf

Charlie

[Jimbo]

That photo just tells you, you have a diamond on the end of your cantilever.:D

[Chasong]

Ok, thank you for the information, I will try to take better pictures, maybe get some help.
Looks like one need some experiense to determine stylus wear...

In worst case, I will send it to Soundsmith for evaluation and retipping just to be sure.

BTV. Can a test record give some information about stylus wear? I have both Dr. Feicert and Hi-Fi News test record.

[topoxforddoc]

Ok, thank you for the information, I will try to take better pictures, maybe get some help.
Looks like one need some experiense to determine stylus wear...

In worst case, I will send it to Soundsmith for evaluation and retipping just to be sure.

BTV. Can a test record give some information about stylus wear? I have both Dr. Feicert and Hi-Fi News test record.

Steinar

Don't use a potentially worn stylus on a test record, as you'll damage the groves, esp the high amplitude tracking tests. Why don;t you go back top your dealer and have a look down their microscope? Alternatively ask them to send you some pictures of the inspection.

Charlie

[Barry]

Steinar,

You might find this article from a Shure Applications Engineer interesting: http://shure.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4135/~/stylus-wear-and-record-wear.

According to the article, one should replace the stylus after 800 - 1,000 hours; a little less than the figures I suggested.