I bought my first album in 1967 and like many albums I own from the 60s, 70s and 80s, played the hell out of it. I always took good care of my vinyl. But the grooves on my favorite albums (many of which have been played over 100 times) appear noticeably worn.
Up until the 1990s, I used the likes of a Shure V15Type lll with elliptical stylus at 1 gram in a modest system. Starting in around the year 1995, I started to get into high end audio with much more expensive and revealing gear. I switched to cartridges like the Dynavector XV1-s and the Atlas line. To this day, all of my albums sound as good as new and almost always sound better than reissues off of the master tape. Is it because a line contact stylus hits a different point in the groove and only the top of the groove is actually compromised? Is the top of the groove compromised merely because it looks worn? I don’t know--but in any event, all of my records sound great today and will sound great long after I’m gone.
Up until the 1990s, I used the likes of a Shure V15Type lll with elliptical stylus at 1 gram in a modest system. Starting in around the year 1995, I started to get into high end audio with much more expensive and revealing gear. I switched to cartridges like the Dynavector XV1-s and the Atlas line. To this day, all of my albums sound as good as new and almost always sound better than reissues off of the master tape. Is it because a line contact stylus hits a different point in the groove and only the top of the groove is actually compromised? Is the top of the groove compromised merely because it looks worn? I don’t know--but in any event, all of my records sound great today and will sound great long after I’m gone.