You can use a jeweler’s loop or magnifying glass to inspect the stylus for flat spots indicating significant wear. With that in mind, slowly, but surely the surface will wear, causing degradation in sound quality. Diamond being the hardest surface known to man means a typical diamond will last longer than a cheaper sapphire design.ĭespite the durability of your stylus, they travel a remarkable distance (roughly 1,500 feet across each side of the average LP). Check out our full guide on how long a stylus/needle will last for more detail.Ī turntable or record player stylus is usually made from diamond (sometimes sapphire). AdvertisementsĪs a guide, a diamond stylus should be replaced after 800 to 1,000 hours of playing time (that works out at around four albums per day over a year). Clean records are kinder to your stylus, as the dirt, dust, and grime will accelerate wear. You can reduce the amount of stylus cleaning required by keeping your records clean, of course. You’ll need to invest in a stylus cleaning kit and use it regularly. Keeping dust at bay is just part and parcel of the vinyl format. The Result? Your records will sound distorted.ĭust and grime build-up on the stylus is particularly troublesome if you play a lot of older used records, but it will still rear its ugly head on your crisp new records. Slowly but surely, the grime will gather on the stylus tip and hinder its ability to trace the groove accurately. As it travels across the record, it will occasionally pick up dirt and dust from the record surface along the way. The needle (more accurately known as a stylus) is the tiny diamond tip that tracks the record groove.

Perhaps the most common and easily fixed cause of why a record player or turntable might sound distorted is a dirty stylus.

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