Grr, people keep asking the same questions over and over! Before you ask a question like that (i.e. a common one) have a look at previous posts on the forum, and you're likely to find the answer. I think we went over this one a day or two ago.

check the Cker812's thread...

Hey,
as you all know i am a newbie, can some one tell me what exactly a cartridge is? and when a needle goes bust do you have to replace the cartridge? or does the needle only plug into the cartridge? which then goes to the headshell which then goes into the tonearm???

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2 types of cartridge:

1) Headshell mounted.
The cartridge is mounted on to the headshell, which in turn connects to the tonearm. These are generally the cheaper alternative.
Examples: Ortofon OM range, Stanton 500/505 etc.

2) Concorde style.
These cartridges connct directly to the tonearm, no headshell is used. These are more expensive, but generally give better sound quality and tracking and just look too damn cool. Examples: Ortofon Concorde range, Stanton Trackmaster.

Cartridges will last a long time, many years if you treat them right. Styli on the other hand, wear down and need replacing every 6-12 months, depending on usage. Styli can be bought separately to cartridges, however these are not just the needle. The tip end of the cartridge pulls off and you get the needle, but with plastic around it, if you see what I mean. This is the stylus.

Thank you SO much! you don't know how much that helped me....I think i will go for the concorde style, they look cooler i rekon, plus they give better sound quality you say and i have a really good sound system so yea, best is always good to get....Thanx again, so much help

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this is the right way

concordes are a little expansive but the long part is a one-time investissment... once you have used the head, u can just change this part... for example you can mount a nightclub head on a scratch arm. so make a good choice, there's different colors, and the sound between scratch and nighclub/broadcast series isn't very different. the only real difference is that scratch and nightclub-s are spheric and nightclub-e and broadcast-e are elliptic.

Ohh yea, got ya, don't some heads come with a cartridge, so you have to buy a new cartridge, or you can always buy a new head?
Hey have you seen those cartridges and needles that come in a hard metal box, it looks cool

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you can always buy another if you have a concorde arm to support it. i got a scratch arm (pink) and two scratch heads, and also two nightclub heads (yellow). concorde needles cost about the half of the complete concorde cartridge price.

these boxes a pretty expansive there's always one complete cartridges and two new heads.

Yea, so is concorde the most popular way now?? ohh and what is best to get scratch heads or just nightclub heads as you say? what is the difference?

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yes concorde are the most popular cartridges everywhere. well... i dont hear so many difference between these models...

scratch : spheric / 4g charge
nightclub-s : spheric / 3-4g charge
nightclub-e : elliptic / 3-4g charge

Could you plz explain the difference between spheric and elliptic. I know you said you didn't hear much of a difference but I am a newbie. What do the terms mean? Any info would be much appreciated. Thx.