stylus question

I second Jmcgrogan's suggestion. I've rehabbed over a dozen "broken" or "worn out" cartridges just by cleaning the stylus properly. The Magic Eraser is the best method for 90% of such cases I've found since I first wrote about it on this forum. In rare cases, stuck-on gunk needs more vigorous cleaning. A sliver of ultra-fine sandpaper will remove most anything that the ME won't.

By all means check your setup, but clean the stylus thoroughly first. Shine a light through the stylus and look at it with a magnifier. If the diamond is anything but brilliantly clear, it needs cleaning.

Exlibris,

Glad you're enjoying the benefits of effective stylus cleaning after all these years! I've lost count of how many "worn out" umpti-thousand dollar cartridges I've saved for people using this ridiculously easy and inexpensive method.

That said, I've never used or recommended the soap-infused version of the ME for stylus cleaning. The idea is to eliminate residues of ANY kind, both from our styli and from our record grooves. Soap residues may quiet the groove for a while, but eventually they'll become a magnet for dust and other gunk. Remember Gruv-Glide? Same effect, same problem.