Advice needed on Stylus's/Cartridges/Needles

Ok so the stylus I have on now is wearing a bit thin so Im going to replace it.
Question is....should I replace it with an identical stylus or should I buy a new cartridge all together.

The stats:
A new Sony xl 15 stylus costs £17.61

Whereas a Ortofon Pro S cartridge costs £20

If there are any other cartridges you would recommend I would be delighted to hear about them. Looking at the above figures it seems to be a no-brainer but I dont understand all these numbers to do with output etc etc.

Thanks

Aleksi

what is it for? just listening or djing?

mainly listening

what turntable, amp and speakers?

probably would not go for the ortofon if just listening, but if you wish to dj as well then they are ok.

Hi-Fi cartridges tend to have a lower output but higher quality sound.

afraid i may come across as a patronising bastard but there are forums for hi fi - would consider asking on one of them for advice (please report back as to how they treat newbie questions)

there is a website called needles and spins(sp?) they sell decent vinyl kit.
a cheap MM (moving magnet) cartridge from denon, grado, sumiko, audio-technica, goldring or ortofon would be a good upgrade from the sony.

Its an old sony ps 4300 deck, sony ta 3650 amp and a pair of monitor audio speakers all made in japan, 80's gear.

No I think 1 forum is enough for me the kindof shit I will get from hififorum.co.uk will be:

Tracking angle does change (as per the "Laws of Physics" to which you refer). The amount of change in tracking angle can be calculated as follows:

Assume Arm Lenth = 12"
Assume LP Groove Span = 4"
Angle shift is ARCSIN 4/12 (in degrees) = 19.5 degrees

(Now you've gone and made me think back 40 years to "A"-Level Maths...

The latest stylus shapes are designed to cope with this angle shift and should NOT produce distortion.

As far as velocities are concerned:

a. Angular Velocity (AV) for Vinyl is a CONSTANT (33.3 rpm)
b. Linear Tracking Velocity (LTV) is higher at perimeter than centre**

** LTV = AV x circumference (inches/min)

• circumference = diameter x "pi" (3.14)
  
  

At perimeter (diameter = 12) LTV = 33.3 x 12 x 3.14 = ~1200
At last track (diameter = 6) LTV = 33.3 x 6 x 3.14 = ~600

At the time of cutting the master, this is taken into account.

My LP12 DOES NOT display the problems you describe (neither do any of 4,999,999 other vinyl addicts have the same problem)

So, only conclusion is that, somewhere in your vinyl "chain", lies a problem.

From some 10,000 km aways (as the crow flies), there is not much more I can do to help.

So, back to first suggestion: get someone qualified to do the set-up/diagnostics... Otherwise CD awaits...

Just need some general advice, know a lot of people on here have vast vinyl collections, thought someone might be able to help.

can't go wrong with ortofons. i like. i also like stantons as well.

any in particular?

sorry, yeah. i have a mismatched pair of ortofons (1concord dj and 1 night club) on my technics 1200s. i've also got a pair of stanton 520 v3s. which i use sometimes.

ortofons have low record burn (or whatever the technical term is). plus they look good, hold the groove and have good sound. to my fucked ears.

I used Ortofon OM3e's before I moved on to MP3's.

Ortofon will certainly sound better than Sony.
Sony used to do good tuners but never had much of a reputation for record decks.

ortofon for me too

Ortofon Scratch FTW! Like shit to a blanket

get yourself a Denon DL110 - great budget hifi cart (about 60-70quid iirc) - should make a huge difference over the real cheap carts. Worth bearing in mind that they take are a little harsh out of the box but are well settled in after a few decent playing sessions.

Id be a bit careful going for dj specific stylus' as they're built to be used heavily and can damage older vinyl. Hifi specific needles may not last as long but can be a bit more forgiving.

orotfons cause the least damage of the dj specific carts. i read it somewhere. evidence to back up my statement is missing from my memory.

Ok thanks guys. danb do you know any cheaper variants? jacklamusica, anything in specific?

I reckon Ortofon are def one of market leaders, but I'm coming from a dj point of view - not that I've mixed vinyl for a few years! I'm sure you've checked out here http://www.ortofon.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=190&Itemid=57 the three types create different depths and warmths of sound as the moving parts work in a different way, bit like a microphone. I'm getting a bit geeky here now so I'll shut up....

Stanton 500.

If you want Hi-Fi as opposed to DJ, and you are prepared to spend the extra, go for an elliptical diamond, rather than spherical.

linn K9

sweeeet

they don't make the K9 anymore and there are better carts out there for the money IMHO
the new 'dance' and 'rondo' range from ortofon, the sumiko blue point and denon MC's would be my choice.

RIP K9

maybe make a comeback on the new Dr Who ?

Sumiko blue point special if you can afford it! In my experience, ortofons eat vinyl. I prefer Shure M447 but then that's mainly for DJing.

i have a sumiko BPS. it's very fragile though and not to used with shakey hands or while pissed.