NOS cartridges

Rayr2 et al, you're misinformed re using old NOS cartridges. I wrote Ortofon in Danish in Denmark and asked them this very question re using a NOS M20FL, and received the following answer from an engineer:

"There's nothing that ages if the pickup isn't used, we have examples of 20 and 30 year old pickups that work. The parts that wear are the diamond and suspension system when used, and dust is another factor that ruins pickups, but again mostly during use. You can comfortably use your M20, the only thing to be aware of is the .5 mm free height between the pickup and the record."

Rayr2, Ortofon is probably the most accomplished pickup/vinyl transducer maker in the world today, having been around the longest with the most success.

*Critically*, don't forget the extreme self bias inherent in pickup makers' supposed recommendations (that I've never heard) that one should replace cartridges every 18 months. If Ortofon says it isn't so, it isn't so.

While I ceased being a dealer for some years I am now one again and I certainly do not consider myself lost in todays audio. I have been a dealer for Supex, Ortofon, Grace, Shure , Sumiko and others in the past and now am a Dynavector and Van den Hul dealer as well as a VPI dealer. I admit that I have lost interest in the parts of the market that feature components costing over $20,000 each. If you want to think that cartridges are good for only 18 months that is your privilege. If anyone out there has an 18 month old Koetsu Rosewood and is ready to throw it away I'll give you $200 for it.

I will provide the information that I have. But a good starting point is Good Sound...by Laura Dearborn. This book is not biased, like calling a company like Ortofon. This book uses experts in the fields opinions. Creators of Table, Tonearms, etc... and they give the take on cartridge replacement. I would say they are more informed than I am. And whoever you spoke with at Ortofon, I did the same here at their USA plant, and got faulty information regarding a MC3Turbo Cartridge. So, you never know what kind of nimrod is on the other end of the phone. But as a start, it would help you, and many others here, to look for the Book called Good Sound, By Laura Dearborn. Best, Ray

Stan,
These words are not mine. I am repeating things, statements I have read in audio books, and magazines that afre informative. Some are designers. In fact, one is named Les Watts, a cartridge designer for Shure for many years, and he was cautioning many members of the Forums, such as Audio Karma, Audio Asylum, Vinyl Circle, and others, about how these parts deteriorate over time, even in NOS Stylii. This was a direct conversation that I had with Les Watts, again, a cartridge designer for Shure, not some Salesman, or the like. And he is from the days of Vinyl from 1970's and 1980's. And also a Audio Consultant besides a designer. I am not talking with some of these young kids, or guys that are hired today, that in conversations you can tell, that they know no more than I do, by their responses, and the need to look things up in books because they have no clue of what Im asking. Not everything has to be a moving part to age, and become brittle, its human nature, like Science. I dont care whether you want to accept it ot not, thats on you. But my sources are very reliable, and the cartridge designing was their specialty. Not sales. Les Watts is well known, and worked with the Berrylium cantilevers, the best cartridges that were ever available. I still have his email for contact. So Stan, this may not be advertised on a box, but is in nearly all informative books and magazines about audio, and cartridges/stylii. Ray