The life of a record is only 40 to 50 plays?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by vwestlife, Aug 8, 2018.

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  1. Ken Clark

    Ken Clark Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago Suburbs
    That's why you need to have a lot of records, so you're not playing the same few over and over again!
     
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  2. fogalu

    fogalu There is only one Beethoven

    Location:
    Killarney, Ireland
    Back in the 60s, I played my early Beatle albums to death on a cheap Dansette player with a sapphire stylus. I shudder when I think of what the tracking force must have been! However, when I dug them out a few years ago, I was amazed at how good they sounded on a decent turntable.
    They were all mono, by the way. And back in the day I did change my stylus regularly.
     
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  3. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Good strategy
     
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  4. 5-String

    5-String μηδὲν ἄγαν

    Location:
    Sunshine State
    It seems to me that there is more degradation from playing a record repeatedly than playing a record many times in a long period of time.
     
  5. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    I grew up in a house where a stylus was only replaced if it stopped working. Like a lightbulb, it was replaced when it went out. I’m guessing this practice was most common. Especially with 45’s.
     
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  6. Schoolmaster Bones

    Schoolmaster Bones Poe's Lawyer

    Location:
    ‎The Midwest
    Hey, you actually read the ad before commenting.
     
  7. andrewskyDE

    andrewskyDE Island Owner

    Location:
    Europe
    If that is true I should do needledrops more often then.
     
  8. PhxJohn

    PhxJohn Forum Resident

    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    Agreed.
     
    H8SLKC likes this.
  9. Schoolmaster Bones

    Schoolmaster Bones Poe's Lawyer

    Location:
    ‎The Midwest
    Why? How would that increase the number of times the average record is played?
     
  10. andrewskyDE

    andrewskyDE Island Owner

    Location:
    Europe
    That was actually meant to be a joke, related to records being worn out the more you play them. Of course I didn't read the ad. Sorry.
     
  11. GroovyVinylDood

    GroovyVinylDood Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eastern Canada
    I don't really pay that much attention to "information" from marketing materials so I take stuff like that with a grain of salt. Some great points are made in this thread about "times changing" and technology (tracking force etc.) changing as well.

    FWIW, if the 40-50 plays thing was true, just based on the play's I'VE put on it my original RL mastered Zep II should have be completely trashed by now and that is NOT the case lol
     
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  12. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Joke or not, you should theoretically get a better needle drop from a new album and a newer stylus.

    We are walking in some pretty tall grass. I don’t think anyone needs to count the number of times a record has been played.
     
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  13. cdash99

    cdash99 Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    That’s interesting, I should dig out some of my vinyl that was extensively played with one of those Panasonic mid 70’s all in one systems to see how it sounds after being run through a Spin Clean.
     
    fogalu likes this.
  14. The FRiNgE

    The FRiNgE Forum Resident

    Not all ADC cartridges were ultra- light trackers. The 230-XE for example tracks at 1.5g, has a short cantilever and a whopping 8mv output. I had a nice one that sold with a turntable that I wish I hadn't. It was a little on the bright side, but incredible dynamics.
     
  15. Otlset

    Otlset I think I am I think

    Location:
    Temecula, CA
    Hmmm. How many times have I played my copy of Abbey Road I got in the '70s that I use as a test recording for evaluations? 250 times? 500 times or more? It's been an awful lot that's for sure. I still use it as a test recording, because I can't detect any degradation at all. And this is a test recording that I listen to intently for changes!
     
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  16. The FRiNgE

    The FRiNgE Forum Resident

    Please report back as the Panasonic all in one's featured usually a BSR turntable with a ceramic cartridge. Some of them had a magnetic cartridge. These weren't terrible on the records, but if a ceramic, the records do suffer audible degradation in fidelity and perhaps some distortion after about 20 plays. (or less)
     
  17. vwestlife

    vwestlife Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    The "40-50 plays thing" was only talking about the average number of times most people play their records. It did not say anything about record wear!
     
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  18. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    It's not a question of if it sounds good but does it sound as it did when it was new? The only way to know is to buy two identical copies and keep one as a reference point. If there are changes, it is likely that they are so small that you would never be able to hear it change. People don't generally hear their stylus wear down but do hear a clear difference when they replace it.
     
  19. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
  20. Otlset

    Otlset I think I am I think

    Location:
    Temecula, CA
    I didn't mention it, but actually I do have a clean second copy. Haven't played it recently for comparison, but now I think I will first chance I get. :righton:
     
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  21. cdash99

    cdash99 Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    Will do, though my ears aren’t super discerning. I’d be looking for surface noise and skips. Not sure beyond that.
     
  22. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    now we're getting somewhere.
     
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  23. Guitarded

    Guitarded Forum Resident

    Location:
    Montana

    I know. I should probably get suspended for that kind of activity...
     
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  24. Subagent

    Subagent down the rabbit hole, they argue over esoterica

    Location:
    Arlington, VA
    But wait...if I play the safety reference copy to check the regular reference copy, then the safety reference copy will have been played once. And if one is a bit OCD (What?? Audiophiles, OCD?), then the safety reference will get played pretty often. So then, I'll need to get an Emergency Backup Copy to go with the other two copies. But wait....:)
     
    Dennis0675 likes this.
  25. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    To be fair, you did read the title of the thread.
     
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