At What Point is the Needle Damaging Records?

Sorry, try Shure link again. http://www.shure@global_managed/documents/webcontent/us_pro_sek-2_ug.pdf

I guess their system doesn't like it.[http://www.shure.com/idc/groups/tech_pubs/@global_managed/documents/webcontent/us_pro_sek-2_ug.pdf] If you want, copy and paste might work if this doesn't.

http://www.shure.com/idc/groups/tech_pubs/@global_managed/documents/webcontent/us_pro_sek-2_ug.pdf

I'm sorry. Google "Shure phono cartridge microscope". The SEK-2 is one of them. C/PEK-3 the other.

Stylus microscopes - while it's always nice to have a specially designed, dedicated professional tool for a job, it's a classic mistake to assume that having nothing is the only option if you can't have the fancy one.

Some magnification is better than none. I've got a little 8X printer's loupe that lets me see all kinds of things I can't with the naked eye and I doubt it cost $15.

Same story with sound level meters. Depending on the specific abilities, calibrated meters start at hundreds of dollars and quickly go much higher. Yet the $50 Radio Shack model can be extremely useful to the home listener.