Newb - damaged cartridge?


OK - I feel like a complete newb. I was loading my new MC cartrdige (Ortofon X5-MC), and not 5 minutes afterwards, I had taken off the stylus cover and was about to align it, and the tonearm somehow slips from my hand, and the stylus bumps right into my left hand.

How frustrating! The stylus was bent just a little to the right, and feeling very upset/embarrassed/hoping to just rewrite history, I out of desperation pushed the stylus to the left...didn't see anybody around me so, who knows? hehe

Anyhow, realizing the cartridge was likely toast, I again out of desperation figured I would see if it played at all on an old LP. It does play, and reasonbly well. But it does appear to not be completely perpendicular, slanting a little the the left.

Last night I did notice a little distortion in the left channel I had never heard before. So, have I ruined the cartridge? Anything I can do; re-tip or have to replace it?

Thanks for the advice.
rgkd
There is no recovery, however you may try and adjust the stylus such that is in the correct relationship to the vinyl. It may not be possible due to limited tonearm adjustment.

Ooops,

The good news is the cartridge was not all that expensive.

loontoon
This is the kind of thing that makes a user-replaceable stylus attractive. My kids did it to me.