Classic Hifi Care

I stumbled upon this interesting YouTube video testing record wear on different turntable/cartridge combos. Moral of the story? Keeping records clean matters more than stylus pressure or cartridge quality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZOj-eO8Mvw

Warning--he uses religious records because he was able to score multiple brand-new copies of the same record in a thrift shop, si he could compare the wear using identical new discs. Me, I like all kinds of music and was not offended.

Chris Campbell

I never did hold much store on all the hand-wringing about cartridges, weight and all that nonsense. Keeping records clean, keeping the stylus in good condition and having accurate tracking and compliance is more important. I have records that were played on a kiddie player with a diamond needle. I tried to keep good needles. The records still play well after all that "abuse". I believe one can get into trouble playing stereo records on a mono cartridge, though.

Yep, good ole common sense still applicable.

I tell all my customers who are playing records for the
first time that a clean record is the best insurance for
sound quality, stylus life and record groove life.

I use the diamond as hardest substance on Earth
explanation of how it interacts with dirt, grime,
and micro-hard particles in the grooves.