Stylus/cantilever stiff and noisy--WARNING!

My Take

I head this sound coming from some of LP but NOT all, or maybe I don't hear it as loud. also, as another poster above said, it seemed to dampen when i have my clamp on. 

so, it seems it comes from the record itself as not all LP does it for me. 

that is my observation

@joeycastillo 

True.  The stylus causes vibrations in the vinyl, which if not damped pass back into the stylus, introducing distortions which may sound good or bad, but are not part of the recording.

An excellent way to damp vinyl vibrations is to use the Funk Firm's Achromat platter mat.  Also made of vinyl, it couples well to the record and absorbs vibrations in microscopic bubbles throughout the mat.

Here's a simple analogy. What happens to stereo microgrooves if that record is played back on a vintage mono (microgroove) stylus/cartridge?

Now, probably most folks will have noticed a sharp dip in output and sonics as the suspension stiffens. Or maybe the opposite happens, if the suspension softens .

With my ADC from OP, the XLM stylus became very stiff (almost rock hard). I applied some wd40. It was okay for few days of on and off play. But a few weeks later (nonuse), the same XLM was stiff again. 

I do have an Empire 108 (early 60s ??) that is stiff but sonics are fine. 

I think DJ carts are stiff, too. 

BOTTOM LINE for me is I don't want an out-of-spec stiff stylus to damage my grooves, even though I use LAST, Stylast and sometimes GruvGlide. 

Is not an alternative explanation for the addition of WD40, is that it is another material in the assembly and when present has the potential to impact on how an End Sound is perceived.

Subjective evaluation seems to be the foundation of what is discussed, there is no evidence to suggest the WD40 has changed the Damper properties, and only one individual reporting on a perception a End Sound change is experienced post applying WD40.