How old is your cartridge?

Current cartridges under my possession:
SPU Gold reference - almost 10 years
SPU Silver meister MK ii - 3 years
Ortofon SPU mono - 4 years
Ortofon SL15e -?? needs to be retipped
Ortofon SL20Q - ?? needs to be retipped
Ortofon MC100 -?? hardly used since it is inferior to others
Ortofon MC20 super - 1 month (retipped newly)
Denon DL103r - 5 years
Denon DL303 - ?? still sounds good
Denon DL102 - 7 years, not used much
Audio Technica AT150mlx -- 2 years (second replacement of stylus)

Three arms in use. One arm (Ortofon RMG 309) needs to be fixed, and need to find out where to send it to get it fixed. One arm coming soon. So will have 5 arms in action some time this year.

There is a difference between the age of a cartridge and the age of the stylus tip. 

A New Old Stock cartridge can be 40 y.o. (unused), and your stylus can be used only for 2000 hrs max (with the best possible stylus profile). 

I've been lucky with my EPC-205C MK3. It has the original stylus, and the suspension, said to be its weakness is still fine.

This particular cartridge in my possession sounds great. It beat the AT440mlb, Shure V15 III HE & IV MR and Hana EL, all of which I used within 2020. It sounds so natural and relaxed compared to the rest. The Hana came second. The Glider SM which is my primary cartridge sounds better, but I'm tempted to say I probably can live with the Technics if I should lose the Benz.

I think it will need a retip in a year. I'll see what the retipper will say about the suspension. 

Dear @audite84 : "  I've been lucky with my EPC-205C MK3. It has the original stylus, and the suspension, said to be its weakness is still fine.

This particular cartridge in my possession sounds great. It beat the AT440mlb, Shure V15 III HE & IV MR and Hana EL, all of which I used within 2020. "

That Technics is very good quality performer and beats several vintage top cartridges as the AT or Stanton, the 205C MK4 is even better I owned.

When you decide to re-tip it try to send it to VdH , Dr. Van Den Hul MM reference cartridge that he still owns is the Technics EPC100C MK4, he fixed mine when no other re-tipper accepted to fix it because they just can´t do it.

R.

@rauliruegas Thank you very much for sharing your experience. I started with the EPC-205C MKII, then moved up the line to the MKIII. I'll keep an eye on the MKIV. And yes, I'll send my stylus to Dr. VDH for retipping.