Zany measurements and theories

The empirical evidence is that no one has reported any ill effects attributable to repeated playing using better quality equipment properly setup.

As a precaution I never play my records because there's no telling what damage dragging a rock on a stick thru a jellified oil compound can inflict. Be afraid, very afraid.

Empirical evidence(empirical data, sense experience, empirical knowledge or the, "a posteriori") is a source of knowledge acquired by means of observation or experimentation. ie: The second 50% of my last post(my personal experience/observations). Of course; accepting those conclusions would depend on one's confidence in my aural acuity, experience with sound/music and powers of observation. Happy listening!

Seikosha,

The thing is the highest temperature would be at teh point of contact between the stylus and the record due to friction there and dust tend to accumulate towards the front of teh stylus as it moves through the groove, not down there.

Its an interesting question what the temperature due to friction of a stylus moving through a record grove is but its mostly an academic one I think and not of much consequence, though I have no doubt if there were a way to keep it cooler without other negative effects, that could only be a + from a record wear perspective.

Good point Mapman,

At the minimum, I'd think that we'd be seeing sparks from random specs of dust in the record if there were any heat of significance being generated at the stylus in the groove.

I think if one had a thermal camera, they could view a record while it's being played and see if any real heat is being generated.

Yeh...I'm with Rodman on this....
The man has shown over many years that he 'knows his onions'....😎🎼