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Posted by don_q on Jul-20-2004 20:35:

needle life

Hola ppl

How do guys know its time to change the needle? I have a used cartridge and no idea how old it is. But it sounds good.

Posted by 3xx3r7 on Jul-20-2004 21:15:

Again, I have the same question. lol

Posted by KiNeTiC ENeRgY on Jul-21-2004 01:24:

As long as it has been set up properly from the get-go, you should see around 400 hrs of use. That is an average figure, but when you notice that the high frequencies begin to sound a little distorted and not as clear, that is indication that it is worn and its time to replace.

Posted by dj chex on Jul-21-2004 03:35:

It also depends how you use the stylus as well. If you scratch alot, use alot of tracking weight, don't clean your records, or neglect cleaning your stylus that can shorten the life as well. I personally try to replace mine around once a year (btw, im still have and use a 3yr old 520sk stylus w/o problems)

Posted by stevebutabi on Jul-21-2004 17:28:

hmm i was actually wondering this myself-

my records have been skipping A LOT lately- even brand new ones.

i need to change my needles right?

Posted by 3xx3r7 on Jul-21-2004 19:17:

Posted by stevebutabi on Jul-21-2004 19:20:

would skipping be a result of too much weight or not enough?

Posted by don_q on Jul-21-2004 19:35:

quote:
would skipping be a result of too much weight or not enough?

come on man,
Guess

Posted by tu_face on Jul-22-2004 08:58:

yeah i usually change mine around every 6 months - 1 year (depending on when i have the spare cash usually. styli are infuriatingly expensive). you can generally tell by ear if they need changing, they sound shit.

Posted by Rememberence_ on Jul-22-2004 16:12:

quote:
Originally posted by stevebutabi
hmm i was actually wondering this myself-

my records have been skipping A LOT lately- even brand new ones.

i need to change my needles right?

There are several factors that come into play here... firstly you want to make sure that your needles are setup correctly, that means the correct tracking weight for your particular needle, correct anti-skating setting for how you DJ, and other shit like making sure the tonearm height is set correctly (not as important). Other than having your needles setup properly, it could also be that your records are warped or dirty, that your needle is dirty, or much worse, it's busted and you need a new stylus. Oh and quite obviously a higher tracking weight will do a better job of keeping the needle in the groove, but this doesn't mean you should just set your tracking weight shitloads higher... this causes unneccessary ware on your vinyls and your styli.