Symptoms of a worn out stylus Benz Glider


I noticed recently that the noise floor (ie the noise level between tracks) had increased substantially, and actually sounds like a grinding noise.

My question is - is this what a worn stylus sounds like? Or, is it more likely to be a symptom of incorrect loading or shift in setup?

Background - this is with a Benz Glider cartridge that came with a used table I bought a couple of years ago. I had assumed this cartridge was a throw away since the seller (a dealer who took it in trade) had no idea how much use it had. To my pleasant surprise, on first play it sounded wonderful. I have put a few hundred hours on it since.

To verify it was the cartridge I swapped the Glider for a Grado Reference Sonata. Quiet again, but of course there's a different loading, gain, and setup. I'm using a Jolida JD9a phono pre which has selectable gain, resistive loading, and capacitive loading. The difference in the noise is noticeable, but the Glider wasn't awful (yet), just enough to notice.

thanks in advance
bdgregory
The first thing I'd check is for grunge build-up on the stylus. Get yourself an inexpensive jeweler's loupe (magnifier) so you can get really good look at the diamond. Sometimes the build-up can surprise you and it may take a couple of cleaning passes to remove. (Read up first on how to clean a stylus to avoid damaging the cantilever.)

If there is wear to the extent it is causing distortion, you'll probably be able to see it after the stylus is clean.
thanks, I do have a scope and the stylus is clean and appears to be in good condition. I played around with the table and the Grado, and am not entirely sure the issue isn't the table itself (actually the motor)and compounded by my phono stage connection.

I'll continue to fiddle and diagnose . . .

thanks again.