2. analog
  3. 128442-18279

Ahhhh...breaking in a cartridge.

While I'm pretty sure most loudspeakers and components do have some break in period, I KNOW cartridges do break in because I've heard the diminishment of surface noise (and other stuff, which may be more subjective) over time. 

I'm breaking in a new Audio Technica ART9 cartridge.  I'm 5 hours in and my ear is either getting used to it or it's sounding better. :)  This is not much time, I know.  I am trying to listen to the same records (about 5 albums) over and over, of which I'm well familiar to see how things go.  If I had to sum up the break in thusfar in one statement I'd say things don't sound as tight and reserved. 

By the way, this cartridge is going to be killer.  It's tonal balance is superb.  Not one region of the spectrum is emphasized. 
128x128jbhiller
jperry
2,454 posts
 
"alpha_gt129 posts02-20-2017 2:31amIt would be nice to have a counter on our 'tables so it could keep track of hours for us"
I use one of these. A click per record side. About 20 minutes. Not perfect, but close enough for me. Also useful for tracking when to change fluid in record cleaning machines. Great cheap audio accessory.

https://www.amazon.com/GOGO-Counter-Carnival-Manual-Mechanical/dp/B001KX1VW2


ninetynine's avatar
ninetynine
135 posts
 
I have the same. If i sell a cartridge, i can honest say how many LP´s are played with it.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@nandric 

 ''Wein,Weiber und Gesang'' ( wine, women and music).


That's a proper warm up! 
pops
2,275 posts
 
alpha_gt I will bet your cartridge does not have near the hours you think it does.  Jperry has a great idea, I do something similar - I just mark down everytime I put an album on and count it as 20 minutes - not scientific but close.  It took me about 2 years to get 200 hours on my current cartridge - basically about 600 album sides.  

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