pushbacktosquare Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 I've been wondering this for quite some time. I bought a used table and I'm still using the original stylus that the table came with. The person whom I bought the table from assured me that it was rarely used, but sometimes when I'm spinning a record, one of the speakers seems to cut off for a second, and then come back. If I had to describe it, it almost sounds like the sound is a bit flat. Just to make sure it wasn't my speakers, I would listen to the radio for some time, and the sound was consistent. It doesn't happen with EVERY single record I spin, but it'll happen on occasion. But this thread is just to give input and maybe share some personal experiences of when you knew it was time to replace your stylus / cartridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearchuck Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 I can't really speak to how worn the stylus is without seeing it (with magnification), but I think that unless you're 100% sure that it has low hours on it, I replacement isn't a terrible idea. Having said that, a channel dropping out / no sound really isn't a symptom of a worn stylus anyway. If you're positive it's not the speakers, I would say that your problem is more likely a bad connection somewhere in the headshell wires that connect to the cartridge. Either that or the RCA cables from your turntable to the amp. Or I guess it could be the wiring in the tonearm as well. First thing you should do is check those headshell wires / leads. Make sure everything is connected securely and make sure there's no oxidation / rust on the terminals as well. Let us know how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearchuck Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 Or you could have a wonky channel in your amp / receiver's phono stage. Posts like these are tough because the problem could be in a number of places. You just have to do your best to isolate it first ... then you can think about a solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pushbacktosquare Posted October 8, 2012 Author Share Posted October 8, 2012 It's not something that really bugs me. Like I said, it only happens on occasion and for a couple of second (5-10) at most. But after investing so much time / money into this set up, I'd like to get to the bottom of it. I'm thinking it might not be a bad idea to take the cartridge to a hi-fi shop in the area and have them examine it. I have absolutely no experience with examining the wires in the head shell wires. I hear guitar center also sell turntables, so maybe there is a specialist that I can maybe approach there as well. I will definitely keep this thread updated when I find out what's wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbrh2001 Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 How old is your receiver? If its old, youre probably looking at a connection issue due to oxidation. Google the word Deoxit and follow steps on how to clean your connections. Ive got a vintage Marantz receiver that I will be performing cleaning on tomorrow night actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillhole Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I'd be leery about using a used table with the claimed original stylus. Could have 100 hours on it, could have 15000 hours played at way too much counterweight. Your problem doesn't sound like a direct connection to a worn stylus, but like said above a connection issue somewhere along the line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pushbacktosquare Posted April 14, 2013 Author Share Posted April 14, 2013 Just a follow up: I haven't replaced anything at all in my set up. Same as when I was having these problems. But as of recent, I haven't had any problems at all. I cleaned my stylus a while back with a magic eraser but even before that, everything seemed fine. My conclusion is that maybe the speakers still needed time to be broken into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 I cleaned my stylus a while back with a magic eraser but even before that, everything seemed fine. Is this safe to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David The Gnome Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Is this safe to do? I neither recommend or advise against this. I just know where he got the idea from and am supplying it to anyone who wants to see it. http://analogueadventures.com/2011/04/22/helpful-tips-magic-eraser/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somethingvinyl Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 The first time I had a TT with a counterweight, I set that thing to like 3 grams. After a month, the cart was a CM from the record. Ha. The stylus broke off. Lesson learned. Make sure you tracked the record right from the beginning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 My conclusion is that maybe the speakers still needed time to be broken into. Wrong. Speakers don't "cut off" or suddenly sound flat during the break-in period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillhole Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 I'd swap out the stylus regardless since you have no factual history on it other than the guy said it was rarely used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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