Replace Stylus or both Cart. & Stylus??


I ressurrected my old technics SL-Q2 turntable recently after 20 years of storage, sounds ok but seems to change sound quality with different LPs. I'm thinking maybe the stylus is in need of replacement (SHURE N95HE in it's original Shure M95E PHONO CARTRIDGE). Do need to replace both or would the styus replacement be sufficent? I have a line on this stylus new believe it or not.... Opinions??
pmt1209

Showing 1 response by sugarbrie

Shure says their cartridge shells should last 50 years or a lot longer if cared for. They are after all sealed and have no moving parts. So you should not worry too much about the cartridge.

The only aging issue is the rubber that is part of the stylus assembly. I tends to harden with age if not stored well. If it sounds good to you, maybe it is OK.

The only problem is there are no genuine Shure stylus available anymore from Shure. Most dealers no longer have it. I believe I saw some from LPgear.com that were original (not generic). Also check Needle Doctor. They show them on their website. I have no idea how good the generic replacement stylus are. Some are from Japan, others from Switzerland. The generic replacements probably are just eliptical "E", not HE. But so may be the Shure ones at LPgear and NDoctor assuming they still have them.