How do you tell your Cartridge needs replacing?


I know this is a stupid question but I don't know how to answer it. I have a Sumiko Blue Point No. 2 on a MT-2 player. Came with it. Probably , 4 years old now. The first 2 years I was not cleaning records but have been for the past 2 years. I have no equipment beyond my ears to measure degradation of the stylus. Seems to me that the intervals between cleaning of the stylus due to muffled sound are getting shorter. That is all I can say. Maybe my brain is adapting to the sound degradation over time and what I would not consider abnormal 4 years ago is now normal. Anyways, I suspect the easy answer is just to replace it and listen but was wondering if there is any other advice out there. Thx. 

ricmci

Showing 1 response by avanti1960

OP,

keep a log of how many record sides you play over a month or so and assume each one is 20 min or .33 hours.  

then estimate the accumulated hours on your cartridge based on your record playing habits.  

If it is upwards of 1500 hrs or so have it inspected by a qualified dealer.  

I had a cartridge inspected at 1200 hours and it had a lot of life left according to the dealer.