Cartridge/stylus "break in" period: Myth or fact?

I've had some carts sound pretty much the same from day one and others that came "alive" after hours of use.

So, I'd say sometimes "yes", but not always.

 

My last cartridge I bought new was a Rega Exact. Took 25 hours to break in. I'm convinced it's the suspension that needs the break in.

 

Roy Gandy mentioned in his Rega website that all their carts do not require break in. However, I agreed with you. I've had Bias2 and Elys2...unfortunately after the break in...both sounded worst on my RP3 and the IGD were unbearable despite how many times I set the tonearm, vta, azimuth and vtf. When I moved away from Rega carts to Nag cart then my RP3 becomes alive.

 

Break-in is a fact of life.

 

Who knows, but something definitely seems to happen - percieved changes after an initial period. Woulnd't be hard to test if anyone could ever be bothered: at least needle-dropping a cart from new then again after a 'break in' and comparing. All else equal. Better still with two or more carts including a control (establishing both/all sound same from new then re-comparing after one broken in and one or more not etc). Still down to perception but at least objective aims and a direct before/after comparison... Would there even be a way to measure and compare respective outputs?...

 

It is a fact. I've seen/heard it happen with my Ortofon OM5E.

One of the first records I bought after getting that cart was Portishead's "Third", cut at 45 RPM. When playing it, it sounded really distorted, especially the bass. When I looked at the waveforms from the needledrop, I noticed they were all cut off. Even though I wasn't anywhere near overloading the recording and causing clipping, the waveforms still looked clipped. Other records not cut as loud played ok.

After about 40-50 hours of play, the sound on the cart really started to improve. Bass got deeper, and everything sounded more natural. So I tried to 'drop that Portishead record again. This time, it sounded fine, and the waveforms looked normal. I hadn't done anything different between the recordings. Same set up.

I remember that any of the early waveforms looked digital. Even though they were recorded correctly, every one had the flat peaks (zoomed out), like you'd expect to see from a compressed CD. Once the cart broke in, the waveforms started looking like typical needledrop waveforms. Not so squarish and flat looking.

 

I agree that it is the suspension changing as it breaks in. Easy enough to demonstrate, right? Take two identical cartridges set up on identical arms on the same table/system, confirm that they sound identical out of the box; give one some mileage; then compare. Wouldn't that satisfy the skeptics?
I find that if my listening room is cold (I keep the heat off in the listening room during the winter and it can be really close to frigid in that room on a zero F day, at least until all the tubes start warming things up), it not only affects how the cartridge sounds after it is broken in; the turntable oil is more viscuous and the turntable takes longer to come up to speed from a standstill. Different issue than break-in, but the ambient temperature affects these mechanical devices as well.

 

No doubt that temperature has an effect. I tend to back off VTF just a bit during the warmer temperature months vs. heating season.

No doubt in my mind that there's a definite break-in period with cartridges and some will take longer than others. I would attribute most of it to suspension but I think there are other factors at work as well. I've had 3 retips performed by Soundsmith and Peter acknowledges that there is an element of break-in that relates to the stylus being being polished in use when new.

All the retips I've had done have also involved new cantilevers so it's also possible that the cantilever is breaking-in but I'd be at a loss to explain that one. And there is always the issue of the suspension on a retipped cartridge having to settle in for a period of time after being out of commission for a while. Interestingly, though, I have experienced just as lengthy or longer break-in periods (up to 35-50 hours) with the retips than with the same cartridge when it was brand new so my view is that there are forces at work in addition to suspension.

 

Interesting. I haven't had a retip done in decades. You'd think that whatever 'polishing' would have to be done through playing would be very minor- otherwise, it would suggest that wear on the stylus occurs relatively quickly, e.g. 100 hours. Maybe it does wear that quickly, my last cartridge was run for many years - probably well beyond the stated period for MC deterioration, with no apparent loss in SQ, tracking ability, etc. Granted, it was replaced with its uber successor, which does sound more robust.
PS: Peter is a good guy!

 

I just replaced the stylus on my Shure M97xE and actually, for the first time ever, I felt like the cartridge "settled" after a week or two and indeed sounded a little better regarding surface noise and distortion, so my vote's for it being true.

 

He's the best. A real artisan and gentleman-a great guy to do business with.

 

Most definitely agree on that.

 

Who is the authority on this these kinds of things? So many vinyl myths and misconceptions. There needs to be some kind of board or committee...

 

What's your experience and view on the subject?

 

Experience is the great leveler.

 

I don't have a view. Just stating I feel there needs to be some kind of authority.

 

You're in the wrong hobby my friend.

 

I had a new Ortofon 2M Blue on a Technics turntable the I eventually gave my son and there was a noticeable difference in the sound after 40 or so hours of play.

 

Smh

 

While the theory makes sense about physical break-in, I've never heard my cartridges change their sound over the course of its normal life expectancy. I have many, many needle drops over a long period of time and the variety of carts used for them are consistent sounding from new to hundreds of hours. However, on one occasion a cart with many hours on it tracked a difficult sibilant on an inner groove better than it did when it was brand new. Again, it was referenced to a needle drop test I did.

 

Fact.

 

Fact. New cartridges and styli will work better after 15-20 hours or so.
According to the fact sheet to my Ortofon 2M Black, break-in period is up to 100 hours. In early October this year I replaced the styli and I heard a significant improvement in sound after 10 hours or so. After 20 hours I have not noticed any dramatic changes, maybe some subtle things like more relaxed highs and slightly deepening of the lows.

 

Fact if you ask me. Myth if you ask our host based on a comment he made in a similar thread.

 

All right then, I'll be the head of that committee: Fact..

 

Smh?