Cartridge new or used ?


How do I know if a cartridge is new or used and number of hours played ? 1- If it is bought from an individual or 2- Could it be that a HiFi store sells used or a "Demo" without anyone knowing it? 3- Is a cartridge that remains on the shelf of the store for 3 or 4 years, retains its same performance or its internal parts, can harden and lose their flexibility of reading? 4- Is it easy with a magnifying glass to see the wear of a cartridge, if so what would be the best magnification to use?
audiosens

Showing 3 responses by stevecham

You need an inverted microscope with at least a 40X or higher power objective in order to see the stylus shape and wear. The diamond should never be "sharp;" that would permanently damage a record. The profile needs to be smooth and polished, otherwise, if it has sharp facets due to damage, it will act as a lathe and will scour and scrape off the undulations in the vinyl.

Personally, I never buy used cartridges. Too much risk. It's not worth it.
I guess one exception could be where the stylus is user replaceable and the price is appropriate for such a contingency. Even then one takes one’s chances which is why I won’t do it again. I bought a used Pickering XSV3000 that came without a stylus. Bought the replacement stylus which was fine, but the cartridge has a noticeable channel imbalance which makes it unusable. So, between cartridge and new stylus, that was $200 down the drain. That put the stopper to future used-cartridge purchases.
Ya pays ya money, ya takes ya chances. Glad to hear others have had good luck with preowned carts.