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Does NOS Highend MC carts 'expire'...

Sometimes I see tempting opportunities on 'New old stock' highend MC cartridges - new in box at a great price (that I couldn't afford back then, at original MSRP). I think I read somewhere that rubber components can dry out with time (perhaps suspension and such).

My question is - will a highend MC cartridge that's for example about 5 years old when it's first taken into service, sound as good as it did new? What's your opinion and experiences? Is there a certain time limit (and for certain carts)? Or is there not much to worry about in this case?

Thanks in advance for sharing and have a GREAT day!
go4vinyl

Showing 2 responses by mulveling

mulveling's avatar
mulveling
1,774 posts
 
Five years on the shelf is nothing for a quality cartridge, unless there were egregious problems in the storage or the design/build was defective in the first place. Plenty of high-end MC carts 15+ years or older can still provide quality service today (e.g. Koetsu); I have one myself over 20 years old that sounds fantastic, though it really needs a re-tip due to it high usage in the 1990s.

There are lots of pristine MC carts over 5 years old, ready to provide stunning analog sound.
mulveling's avatar
mulveling
1,774 posts
 
Oh, and obviously "proper storage" means a climate controlled environment with some kind of casing so that the stylus/cantilever doesn't get caked in dust over time.
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