Cartridge Questions

[JDaniel]

Does a cartridge ever wear out or go bad? If so, what wears out? I understand a stylus wearing out. And I understand the desire to upgrade to a better quality cartridge.

Reason I'm asking, it is time to replace my stylus. I have a vintage Elac Miracord 46 TT that I really enjoy. It has a Shure cartridge. The cartridge is several years old, but still performs well. I'm trying to decide whether to just replace my stylus, or buy a new cartridge/stylus.

And I'm trying hard not to get a serious case of the upgrade bug.

And while I'm asking, why should one ever replace a headshell?

Elementary questions, I know, but I appreciate any input.

JD

[tentoze]

JD,

I won't claim to be anything near an expert, but in all my years fooling with vinyl (starting back when there was not many other choices), I've personally never had a cartridge "wear out" or fail altogether. If you like the Shure, and replacement styli are available, by all means just replace it and keep on enjoying. As for the headshell replacement question, I guess I'll leave that one to the tweakers to answer- I don't see why you would want to as long as what you have locks securely into the tonearm.

just my cheap-a$$ $.02.....

et

[hifitommy]

the stylus tip and the cantilever suspension. you didnt say which shure you have so its a question whether its worth replacing the stylus.

for less than $100, you can get a NEW m97xe, a move that could be beneficial. the other good option is the audio technica AT440ML, about $90 delivered from garage-a-records.com. it has a microline stylus and a very good sound.

the only reason to replace a headshell is if it were broken or the contacts somehow go bad. it IS a good idea to have an extra shell around for having a second cartridge for swapping (they ALL sound different from one another).

also, if something happens to one cartridge, the other is always there for listening, no waiting around til you get another.

some people keep a cheeeeep cartridge around for when their ham fisted friends are over for a party. better to lose a grado black than a v15V.

if you can score another headshell for your miracord, i would do so.

[Ray H]

In a moving magnet or moving iron cartridge it's the stylus/cantilever assembly that does all the mechanical work. The body contains the coils and circuitry necessary to deliver the signal to the output connectors on the back of the cartridge body. With moving iron cartridges the cartridge body also contains the magnet. Since nothing inside the body is required to move (indeed, Shure makes a sales pitch in their product information sheet with the V-15 that the innards are permanently encapsulated in a resin that prevents unwanted resonances), theoretically the cartridge body has no finite life span short of accidental or intentional(?) physical abuse. Shure is rumored to have a re-tipping policy for their stylus assemblies - send the old one in, and cantilever condition permitting, they'll re-tip any stylus assembly for a flat $20.00 fee except the V-15s with micro-ridge styli - those get charged $50.00 if my understanding is correct. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong.) Contrast that with MC cartridges. They can be re-tipped by the factory or specialist technicicans, but there is a finite life to the innards. Since by definition the coils move, the delicate leads from the coils to stationary contact points are being flexed. Sooner or later metal fatigue will lead to failure and one or both channels will quietly die. While an MC could be overhauled to new specs, doing so might well cost as much or more than a brand new MC cartridge with little except the magnet(s) and frame being reusable.

In short the only reason to entirely replace a moving magnet or moving iron cartridge is:
A> it got broken,
B> the onwner aspires to something better, or
C> the owner didn't know any better

Conversely, it's never a matter of whether the owner of a moving coil cartridge will have to replace the cartridge - merely a matter of when and under what circumstances. To be fair to the MC manufacturers, most (all?) have a generous trade-in program for the inevitable replacement. Still, the thought of paying upwards of $12,000.00 for certain Koetsu and ClearAudio models staggers both the imagination and the kids' college fund with the absolute certainty that they will have to be replaced if they're used. (Those of you who're well-heeled and suspect I'm on a tight equipment leash are absolutely right. )