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Does size really matter? :-

I've seen stylus size discussed in regards to 78s and mono records, but never as it pertains to our good old stereo LPs. I was recently looking at cartridge specs, and was astonished by the difference in the size of the styli. Let's take, for example, 3 cartridges I'm considering:

Sumiko Blackbird Elliptical 0.3 x 0.7 mm

Dynavector 17D2MKll Karat Square .06 x .06 mm

Zyx Bloom Line Contact 6 x 35 um

Converting the first two to um from mm, we get this:

Sumiko 300 x 700

Dynavector 60 x 60

Zyx 6 x 35

This indicates the Sumiko is 50x wider and 20x longer than the Zyx! The Dynavector is between them. Even allowing for the different stylus profiles, this seems like an enormous difference in stylus size. Am I missing something?

I've read in other threads that the Zyx owners talk about the Zyx getting deeper into the groove, retrieving more info and, more importantly, contacting a section of the groove that, in the case of used records, previous styli haven't touched. Considering the above figures, these statements now make much more sense.

My big question is, why don't more manufacturers use the smaller styli? Are there advantages to larger styli that I'm missing? It doesn't seem like cost should be a factor, as the Zyx above is a US$490 cartridge. Do the smaller styli wear quicker? Easier to break? Harder to align?

Just wanting to get A'goner's thoughts. If there's a previous thread, please point me to it - I did a search, but didn't come up with anything relevant. Thanks.

David
armstrod
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rauliruegas
13,050 posts
 
Dear David: +++++ " attributable more to the different profiles of the styli rather than their absolute size? " +++++

Absolutely.

Btw, of course that the stylus size is important but it is only one of the characteristicis that any cartridge builder take into account and certainly not the most important. The cartridge performance depends on the whole design: coil wire, magnets, suspensión, cantilever size/material, stylus profile, body material, internal impedance, stylus angle, etc, etc.
The cartridge issue is a very complex one and nobody can take a cartridge choice " because the stylus size ", this characteristic " per se " means nothing about the cartridge performance.

Many years ago the " stylus size " was used into the marketing cartridge campaigns because in those times does not exist the miniature technology about but today the stylus size is not anymore a " marketing signature " because almost any cartridge share the same technology.

David, don't worry about. You have to choose your cartridge in front of your quality sound reproduction priorities and the tonearm that match better with that cartridge.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Armstrod wrote:
Maybe I lack imagination, but I'm having a hard time picturing the shape of the Zyx stylus you describe. Any chance you could upload the pictures your friend took of the Zyx and the others? It would be educational for all of us.

Sorry for the slow response, took me a while to find the photo and a site to host it. Here you go!

http://show.imagehosting.us/show/1191025/0/nouser_1191/T0_-1_1191025.jpg

Even at 200x the ZYX's microridges are nearly impossible to see. But the differences in both size and shape are very clear.

Regards and thanks to Styx for the photos,
Doug
armstrod OP
610 posts
 
Doug,

The pictures certainly dramatize the difference in styli - it's stunning. Are you sure all 4 were done at the same magnification? Based on the revised calculations, I wouldn't expect the visual differences to be so dramatic.

David
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
David,

I only know that all four photos were taken by a professional photographer and that his email said they were at 200x. He sent them to me as a single image specifically so I could appreciate the visual comparison.

The Denon, Shelter and ZYX are definitely at the same magnification. I've owned/used those cartridges and that's exactly how they look.

That Grado does look incredibly huge. FWIW, the photographer owned the Grado, demoed (and photographed) my Shelter 901, then bought the ZYX R100 Fuji on my recommendation. He said it outplayed the Grado by an enormous margin. He's still using it happily today.

Doug

P.S. As interesting as this topic may be, I agree with Raul. Don't buy a cartridge just by stylus size or profile. Compatibility with your phono stage and tonearm are primary, and compatibility with your musical and sonic goals is more important than any technical measurement, even for an accountant!
armstrod OP
610 posts
 
Doug, Raul,

I agree completely that many factors (not just one in isolation) need to be considered when choosing a cartridge, but how is stylus size and profile any more or less a technical measurement than cartridge mass, compliance, or output? All of these factors are fixed by the manufacturer, as opposed to the things we can control, like alignment, VTF, VTA, and loading.

It's pretty well accepted here that mass and compliance are really important to get a good match with your tonearm, and we have formulas to help us get in the right ballpark. Same thing with output and the amount of gain needed in our phono preamps. I just wonder why the effects of stylus size and profile haven't been quantified. Is it because it doesn't matter, or is it because we don't know how to measure it?
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