Assuming you listen one hour a day, every day, that's 5400+ hours over 15 years. Sorry, but my personal experiences tell me that after 2500 hours or so, serious degradation begins to become quite audible. I have yet to find a cartridge that hasn't suffered from some diminished capacity after this time, or even less - a problem compounded (IMHO) by exotic stylus profiles which dig deeper into the groove and which are very sensitive to setup errors. Failure to correct these setup errors lead to premature wear. Please have that Arkiv checked professionally for the sake of your LP collection.
Another vote for the Magic Eraser - the green paper merely polishes the very tip of the stylus leaving accumulated crud along the sides of the diamond and along the area where the stylus bonds to the cantelever. Mr. Eraser removes ALL of this stuff with ease. If you've never tried it, it is well worth your while to part with $3-4 on your next trip to the grocery store. The Magic Eraser renders all other forms of liquids, gels, and brushes completely moot. I know old habits/dogmas are hard to break, but the green paper is an anachronism. Good listening,
-Richard
Another vote for the Magic Eraser - the green paper merely polishes the very tip of the stylus leaving accumulated crud along the sides of the diamond and along the area where the stylus bonds to the cantelever. Mr. Eraser removes ALL of this stuff with ease. If you've never tried it, it is well worth your while to part with $3-4 on your next trip to the grocery store. The Magic Eraser renders all other forms of liquids, gels, and brushes completely moot. I know old habits/dogmas are hard to break, but the green paper is an anachronism. Good listening,
-Richard