2. analog
  3. 178995-41852

How many plays can you get out of a good record?

I haven't seen this question posed in the Audiogon forums, but I have seen many answers on generic audio sites, that say a record can be expected to last for "hundreds" of plays before any sonic degradation is noted, if well cared for. 

I'm wondering if they might last even longer with modern audiophile styli / styluses, which track at around 1.8 grams.  Does anyone have any real experience or knowledge about the longevity of records in such a scenario?  (If records only last 100-200 plays before some degradation, then this means that playing a record once a week could be at least partially deteriorated in two to four years, which is a real shame.)  

drbond

Showing 1 response by pryso

pryso
1,912 posts
 

drbond,

Is your cartridge set up correctly?

Do you clean the stylus tip after every play?

Is the record stored properly?

Do you have an adequate record cleaning procedure?

Are you a smoker?

Do you handle your records without touching the groove area?

You say "a good record", but what was the initial quality of the pressing?

Do you repeat play or allow a reasonable time interval between plays?

Do you have a clean, relatively dust-free environment?

With all that I can only say that I have LPs purchased 60 years ago that are still enjoyable and distortion free to listen to.  But as any wear may have occurred my hearing resolution has declined, so I can't offer a number. ;^)

More to discover