Signs of cartridge wear


I have a Helikon with 2K hours that becomes sibilant on transients in the inner third of LPs. This is a bit odd, as I'm using a linear tracking arm set up for perfect tangency across the full radius of the platter. Raising VTF to 2.3g (about 20% higher than Lyra's suggested maximum VTF) eliminates the problem. Is this a sign of stylus wear, suspension wear, or perhaps of both?
dgarretson
I use a Souther, and when this happens to me I clean the tracks and the problem goes away. You might check and see if your arm gets in a bind along the track.
Well, sibilance where it did not exist before on a particular record is often a sign of a worn or damaged stylus.

Do you have a spare cart in good shape to swap in for comparison? That's how I determine this when needed.

Of course, also make sure dirt/dust deposits are not accumulating on the stylus as the record plays. That will often do it too.