Is elliptical the best stylus profile

agrippa

Sure, tracking *might* be a slight factor, but like mijostyn says above it's hard to find a modern cartridge which doesn't track quite well or better.

That depends on what you mean by "doesn't track quite well." If you're stating that most modern cartridges will stay in the LP groove, I'd agree with you. If you mean most modern cartridges can sail through things like all six tracking bands on the Shure V15 Type V Audio Obstacle Course LP, I'd disagree, based on my own experience.

In fact, Shure pressed those LPs specifically to show the tracking limitations of its competition, and some have not improved much - or at all - since.

cleeds it takes more force to move the stylus of a less compliant (stiffer) cartridge than a more compliant (softer) cartridge. That force is supplied by the turntable spinning through the vinyl of the record groove. In other words the vinyl has to transfer more force to the stylus of a less compliant cartridge than the stylus of a more compliant cartridge. More force means more wear. The approach to cartridge design has changed quite drastically since the 70s. We use to have crazy compliant cartridges like the V15, Pickerings, Stantons, Empires tracking at 3/4 gram with elliptical styluses in crazy light tonearms. Remember the Infinity arm? Now we have stiffer cartridges with line contact styli in larger arms tracking at 2 grams. The other big cause of record wear that I forgot to mention is mistracking. You can always tell when a record has been mistracked. The heavy passages get crackly for lack of a better term. The stylus starts jumping up and down in the groove digging in a little each time it lands. Sort of like the difference between walking on thin ice and jumping on it. 
A cartridge mistracking at 3/4 gram VTF will cause a lot more damage than a smooth tracker at 2 grams. 

That depends on what you mean by "doesn't track quite well." If you're stating that most modern cartridges will stay in the LP groove, I'd agree with you. If you mean most modern cartridges can sail through things like all six tracking bands on the Shure V15 Type V Audio Obstacle Course LP, I'd disagree, based on my own experience.

I meant the latter, though not so specifically.  However, I too own the same record and every cartridge I've owned or borrowed over the last 12 to 15 years (which is quite a few...) has passed said tracks no bother.  A suitable arm and proper adjustments was all it required.

The HFN test record presents rather more of a challenge, as only a handful has passed its +18dB track.

The question is what is the highest groove velocity you would see on records and can the cartridge get through it without mistracking. I am not sure what that number would be but I can say that there are a number of cartridges I have never heard mistrack. I do have test records that will make any cartridge mistrack. So what. The heaviest test tracks get beat up so fast they are worthless within just few plays. 

mijostyn

it takes more force to move the stylus of a less compliant (stiffer) cartridge than a more compliant (softer) cartridge.

Intuitively, that seems correct - but you can’t be sure sure that it works that way in practice. You’re not accounting for a pickup arm’s low friction, and that factor must be part of the equation for your assertion to be correct. Stylus profile is another wear factor that your claim overlooks, and you also need to consider the difference between a cartridge’s horizontal compliance and its vertical compliance. There are simply too many variables for your claim to be universally accurate.

The question is what is the highest groove velocity you would see on records and can the cartridge get through it without mistracking.

Not necessarily. Although it's HF that is typically the greatest challenge to accurate tracking, very low frequencies can also be an issue, such as is found on some of the 1812 demo LPs. By definition, low frequencies are low groove velocity.

there are a number of cartridges I have never heard mistrack

It isn’t always easy to detect the HF distortion that is the result of mistracking.