New Cartridge or New Stylus

ok seems like a good point.  so you think it would be more of an upgrade to get this high level ViVid Line Stylus, than to move to a Sumiko Rainer or Sumiko Olympia?

 

What parts of the sound produced determined by the cartridge versus the stylus?

@yogiboy said another way, my hesitation on the new stylus comes from doing the same previously with the Audio Technica SS445E/U and upgrading the original nude stylus to a LP Gear Shibata style stylus.  I didn't like this presentation - it was too bright and fatiguing.  Should i be concerned that sound signature came from the finer tipped stylus?  Or was that more a characteristic of the AT cart?

I can’t say because I never owned a AT cartridge. Give it a try and return it if you don't like it! LP gear takes returns!

For those who like to post AI generated responses, you should talk to Siri - she can be whoever you want her to be, and she's free, no therapist expenses to worry about.

I prefer to read about real experiences from real people - warts and all.

I have LPs I bought in the 60’s, never properly cleaned until I joined the forum in 2019

Your LPs, especially previously played LPs must be thoroughly clean, all the way down to the bottom of the groove,

I manually scrub the bejesus out of my old lps, and even I was shocked at how quiet they became and how much better they sounded. I have had to scrub some new purchases that arrived with noises.

 

Advanced Stylus Shapes are closer to the shape of the cutter blade that made the groove. They do not/should not touch the bottom, but they:

go lower in the groove

contact more side wall surface, some not previously contacted by prior conical or elliptical stylus, where no prior wear has occurred because the smaller contact surface occurred higher in the groove.

Prior to cleaning, an advanced stylus can dig gunk out of dirty grooves, need cleaning very quickly. gunk that was always there, but the elliptical stylus did not get low enough to dig it out.

The tremendous forces involved during play are more evenly distributed when you use a stylus shape with more sidewall contact, thus in addition to improved sound, you get less wear on the stylus itself, and less wear on the sidewalls of the vinyl.

I also prefer a cartridge that tracks at a lighter vertical tracking force, as the wear is further reduced, i.e. 1.25g is 60% less vertical force than 2.0g.

I/m opinionated, persistent, but not as much as this man whom I just met at the NY Audio Show, 

It’s a long slow video, but give yourself an hour, he’s pretty convincing

https://kirmussaudio.com/

I might use his mix and my manual scrub

2. KA-A-S-1: Spray Anti-static, anti-fungal 60 mL ( 2 OZ.) Spray/Surfactant with optician’s lint free cloth

I did buy one of his brushes which he says, unlike most, is small enough to get in the grooves

5. KA-B1: Combination 1.5 M carbon fiber/ parastatic felt brush

this is similar to the special ’show’ package and matches the price Charles was offering at the show

https://upscaleaudio.com/products/kirmuss-audio-in-the-groove-ultrasonic-record-cleaner-upscale-audio-edition?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=14484403147&gbraid=0AAAAADOxtyd39PeTVB-bFLYnD4tKDeQSe&gclid=Cj0KCQiAq7HIBhDoARIsAOATDxBHi8FOdM1M2FuwsOogVoND6FRLcAtUbrCbYBBVCz1HinuwSEy8XNUaAkybEALw_wcB