How many plays can you get out of a good record?


I haven't seen this question posed in the Audiogon forums, but I have seen many answers on generic audio sites, that say a record can be expected to last for "hundreds" of plays before any sonic degradation is noted, if well cared for. 

I'm wondering if they might last even longer with modern audiophile styli / styluses, which track at around 1.8 grams.  Does anyone have any real experience or knowledge about the longevity of records in such a scenario?  (If records only last 100-200 plays before some degradation, then this means that playing a record once a week could be at least partially deteriorated in two to four years, which is a real shame.)  

drbond

I have a record which has been played extensively - hundreds of times on a low fi system, and many hundreds on a high end setup. It has been ultrasonically cleaned.

I also have a sealed copy of the same record, played only a few times. There is little difference - similar enough that you cannot differentiate them unless cuts are played alternately.

I also have an audiophile record which has lost its lustre over some hundreds of playings on a high end system. So I guess the answer is, "depends". 

 

I’d say if your using good equipment and listening to the same disc enough to mater, you need to get more records.