MC Cartridge Life

What are the signs that a MC cartridge is coming to the end of its usable life?

 

Distortion and mistracking. Are some of your records sounding muddy and weird? Technically, a cart's life is mesured by the life of the tip, and condition therein. Can you give us details?

 

Muddy Waters Folk Singer track 3 My Captain Muddy’s opening line the “OHHH Captain” Sounds sorta like he’s got his head in a trash can. I pulled out my MoFi copy, which I pretty much mothballed since the Classic version was released and it sounded even worse.

 

Ok, what MC you have, how old is it, how many hours do you play vinyl per day average, and have you weighed the arm & checked the anti-skating to make sure it's not mistracking for these reasons?

What table do you use? Ya know....those kinda details.....

 

This is a subject of much debate. Before tossing any cartridge one should demagnetize it first. Also clean the stylus carefully. Then check on set up. If everything is in order and it still sounds like crap it may be time for a change. I have had friends who were ready to ditch their cartridges only to find out several blasts from a flux buster and careful cleaning was all it needed.

 

VPI 19 Jr. Rega 300 VPI VTA adjustable base Benz Glider it's about 2 1/2 years old. Weekdays it plays about 2 hours, on the weekends maybe 10-15 hours over Saturday and Sunday. My “local” dealer is about 150 miles away. He set me up I sat the table on my back seat went home and its been sitting in the same spot for over 2 years. I’m not very good at turntable setup so I find it easier to pay someone to do that for me. I called my dealer and he went and had a heart attack on me, his 2 employees are CD only guys and haven’t been much help. Anyway every thing seemed fine until about 2 weeks ago. And it’s been getting worse ever since.

 

I'll bet a demagnetizing session and an ultrasonic cleaning will cure it of all it's ills.

 

Becha $1 cash it's a worn styli. 2 1/2 years? It's been getting some action on the weekens on average, enough to make me wanna think "worn".


Hey Andy, after cleaning off the styli, does the tip look small and worn down? How good's yer eyesight at close range?

This is a mad idea, but remove the cart, carefully go down to your nearest jeweler friend, and ask him to borrow his eyepiece or his microscope. You know what a bad tip looks like?

 

You know what a bad tip looks like?

Nope.


The only problem with my vision is sometimes my arms are to short to see things clearly.

 

Is demagnetizing only applicable for moving coils?

 

Having had a stylus last over twelve years with regular cleaning and demagnetizing I'll take that bet. I said this was a disputed subject. Magnetic flux builds up in a cartridge much more quickly than the diamond stylus is eroded by vinyl rubbing against it, not to mention the illusion of a worn stylus due to build up. (hows that for a truely crappy run on sentence?) I'm not talking about loose dust I'm talking about the crap that gets welded on the stylus. That is why you need an ultrasonic cleaning.

 

That is why you need an ultrasonic cleaning.

Where does one go, or what does one need for such a cleaning?

 

Andy what area do you live in?

 

And yes demagnetizing is only for moving coils. If you do it to a moving magnet you will demagnetize the magnet.

 

I live in SE Montana.

 

Yikes. If you lived in L.A. I was going to offer to come over and do it for you. Music Direct sells demagnetizers and stylus care products. Sorry the good stuff isn't cheap but I made the investment and never regreted it.

 

I've been using LAST stylus cleaner, but I've never demagnetized.

 

Buy one from Music Direct. If it doesn't do the trick send it back. I'll owe someone a dollar.

 

Yeah, condition of the suspension is not important at all.

 

I tend to agree, I'm not an expert, but I think the tip is one of the last things to go. Most of the time what people think is a worn tip is really the suspension drying up. I'd call the Benz distributor and get his opinion.

- Gabe

 

I use the Cardas Sweep Record. It claims to demagnetize the cartridge and clean the stylus ultrasonically but I'm not sure how it does this. Anybody have any thoughts or experience with the Sweep Record?

 

That's an idea.

 

I have the sweep record and I have the Flux Buster demagnetizer. The sweep record is good for warming up the stereo but I never hear the improvements I get with the Flux Buster.I doubt that the sweep record does anything to demagnetize a cartridge.

 

Andy mentioned LAST Stylus cleaner. I use this, as well as STYLast treatment. This is supposed to coat the stylus for less wear and better tracking, but I'm somewhat skeptical. What keeps the stuff from being worn off after the first groove rotation?

Apparently STYLast can also increase the life of the rubber cantilever suspension but can also attract dust/dirt into the mechanism.