I have a 1975 vintage Audio Technica AT 15/20ss which I purchased new. I have several NOS AT 20ss stylus' in stock and one AT 15ss stylus. I recently swapped out a not too old stylus for a new AT 20ss stylus and I cannot say that I have heard any differences in performance between any of them other than they all sound far better than the original OEM one I still have. But that original one has a lot of abusive hours on it, especially since it went through college with me. What I cannot believe is the condition of all my original records which have been played hundreds or thousands of times through who knows how many wild parties! I pulled out some old records I have had since the 60's/70's and 80s and they are still pristine :)
To what level do phono cartridges age?
I’ve seen a few threads on this subject but I’ve not seen anything definitive. I’ve heard that the internal components of phono cartridges deteriorate over time regardless of their use. Am I “on a clock” with regards to my cartridge? Is it a case of “use it or lose it”. Or, should a high end cartridge last as long as the stylus is in good condition and not overly worn? Btw...I currently have a Linn Kandid installed on a Linn LP12.