Crosley Revolution portable record player - magnetic cartridge!

Does that rule apply even with high quality equipment?

 

Yes, it does

I'm sure this was based on examination by microscopic viewing of the grooves over that time period, I remember seeing something of it, but can't remember where.

 

For me it does

 

I would think so. I usually don't play a record once in a 24 hour period anyway, but since first hearing about it I try to follow it. I suspect that it's less of an issue with a line-contact stylus as the stress is exerted over a wider area.

 

My first magnetic cartridge, a Realistic made by Shure, was a huge step up from the ceramic cartridge that came in my BSR turntable. I was concerned that the ceramic cartridge would damage my records (this was about the time I started reading High Fidelity magazine,) so I went to Radio Shack, and the salesman sold me the cartridge ($12.95), a phono stage ($10.95), and a stylus force tracking gauge ($7.95.) I had to modify the spring counterbalance in the tonearm to accommodate the lighter tracking force (I went from 5 grams to 2.) To say that the magnetic cartridge was a revelation would be an understatement, even with my modest stereo system (a Grant's Bradford cassette/receiver combo, made by Panasonic) there was a huge improvement in sound. That started me on my audio journey. I guess I never considered that a new stylus needed polishing. But then, I've used pretty decent cartridges since 1975, and that's less of a concern.

 

As far as damage to vinyl: distortion = damage. If you are hearing sibilance where there should be none, your cartridge is literally cutting a new path through the vinyl that every subsequent cartridge will follow. One play likely won't kill a record, but it might. If it's valuable stuff like Francoise hardy, why not just download on the road or listen on youtube and save the vinyl for home?

I'm extremely doubtful about the alignment of those portables. I'm very skeptical of the quality and alignment of the stylus on the cantilever. I'm skeptical about correct tracking weight and low friction and anti-skating.

If you really want to play vinyl on the road, get a DJ table and a flight case and just lug the thing.

 

Back when I had a home I had a Pro-Ject Debut III with the factory cartridge, stylus, and alignment and I would definitely hear sibilance sometimes. Does that mean damage was being done, or was that sibilance likely caused by something else?

This got me curious so I took a good hard look at the stylus and it turns out it wasn't all the way seated on the cartridge, instead kind of pushed over to one side, and now the sibilance is gone. Ouch. This just goes to prove your point really. The thing is a piece crap but I'm hoping I can get away with a single play of each record at 2g VTF for a needledrop. Does anyone feel strongly that that isn't the case? Playing a record one-time-only on this thing doesn't seem to elicit the same sort of negative response as my original plan to play them over and over. Yes, I'm looking for approval.

 

I'll bet you could find a pre-existing digital file of the records you're attempting to copy if you look. Needledropping is best performed with good, non-portable gear. By the way, you probably were damaging your records with the mis-aligned Project turntable, more damage than your Crosley player after you properly seated its stylus. While I really don't think you would permanently damage LPs with your portable Crosley set-up, I seriously doubt the results would be worth the effort in terms of sonics.


Edit—after reading earlier posts on this thread, I'd say ignore the audiophiles. Also, get a Mr. Clean Magic eraser to clean the stylus of your Crosley and get an additional stylus. Seems like you're in the Songcatching business, audiophiles would never understand.

 

Something else to consider, which I'm not sure has been mentioned in this thread, is that these records that the OP is buying probably were not played on good equipment earlier in their lives. The people who bought them originally more than likely had cheapo BSR-equipped "all-in-one" systems with ceramic cartridges. I'm sure this portable player, no matter the cartridge, is not going to do significantly more damage than was already done in years past.

 

Not every ceramic cartridge is garbage. Many a VM changer from 1962 and later tracked at 2 grams and those were gentle on records. And no less than our host says this. The Weathers strain gauge FM system, the Micro-Acoustics, the Win Labs, the Panasonic Strain Gauge, and a few others are ceramics of high quality. My grandmother's old Philco had the Micro-Touch type changer and was very gentle on records like the Zenith changer of the era was. The Magnavox Micromatic changers tracked at 3 grams and usually were also kind to record life as long as styli were replaced as needed.

 

I agree with this. the Panasonic Strain Gauge (also known as a Semi-Conductor type) back in the '70s was equipped with a Shibata stylus and tracked at 1.5 grams. It was CD-4 capable and very gentle on records. Sadly, it requires a specific type of phono stage to listen to. I had one at one time it was quite nice sounding.

I get the sense that some folks here think that BSR record changers were rare and not a lot of vinyl that we buy used today ever got played on one. Not so, BSR was at one time the largest manufacturer of turntables/record players/changers in the world. The made tens of millions back in the day. It is likely that most of the used records out there were played on one at one time or another.

Console stereos varied quite widely in the quality of changers that they had. My mom's Sears Silvertone console, has a floating cartridge (a ceramic one, with a flip over stylus for 33/45 or 78 rpm) that I estimate to track at more than 5 grams, though I never could get an accurate reading on it because of how the cartridge is mounted. Magnavox consoles had a reasonable VTF as you stated, and some friends of ours had one, and they said that Magnavox guaranteed the stylus to last 10 years! If that's true they must have used diamonds of very high quality.

 

This is true that BSR was the largest manufacturer of turntables/record changers/record players during the 70s.

 

Which is precisely why I opined that a good percentage of used vinyl out there was played on one. And also why I supposed that that same used vinyl is already damaged to some extent, and would not be seriously harmed by playing it once on the portable unit.

 

Exactly.

 

Hmm...good point.

Best to keep those records away from good (valuable) carts , seriously.

 

I don't agree with this statement. A diamond is the hardest substance known, and vinyl is pretty soft, so the vinyl is going to lose a contest regarding which one will be damaged first. That said, I'd never play an old worn record without first giving it a thorough cleaning first. It's not the record itself that would give me pause with a good cartridge/stylus but the dirt on the surface and in the grooves. The benefit of playing a worn record with a modern line contact stylus is that such styli reach down deeper into the groove (conical styli ride higher), so it is possible that you'd get a little "cleaner" sound as the tip would be tracing a relatively unworn portion. Also, I'd play such a record just once and record it so as not to subject the stylus to it on a regular basis.