Looking at 10+ year MC (or MM) cartridge that has been seating on a shelf, do I have to care about the suspension loosing its compliance (or other mechanical properties)? The internet says that this is the case, but that’s found mostly on audiophile forums with not enough rational to back it up. I can see it is possible, but would like to see some data or even more scientific speculations backing this up.
Has anyone read about or measured this?
Has anyone read about or measured this?
I've had cartridges that have become low-riders where the body rides on the record surface because the suspension is no longer resilient enough to support the tracking weight and others that bounce and skip because the suspension has hardened and no longer has sufficient flex to allow free cantilever movement. I've also at least temporarily rejuvenated stiff suspensions by applying Rubber Renue to the hardened rubber suspension bushing. I'm currently using some NOS stylii that are at least fifty years old and are perfectly functional.
Any test one can perform before it goes to those extreme cases, but already start degrading the sound quality?
Some original packaging (for cartridges or styli) is sealed in air tight plastic film.
That way, you know it's unused. And it's protected from degradation due to exposure to the air.
That way, you know it's unused. And it's protected from degradation due to exposure to the air.
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Rubber materials tend to degrade with time.
Have you ever looked at power cords from the 90s? The ones they used to put on Audio Research were "rubbery".... by now, if you haven't replaced them, you got a gooey mess on your hands.
OTOH, stuff like plastic seems to age better, but it's not "soft"...
Butyl speaker surrounds fare better...
Speaking with people with experience about such things... the more "High End" a cartridge. the more likely the suspension wears out... because they tend to use "fancy" materials...
In my experience buying cartridges around 800 to 1200 bucks, they last 10+ years on the turntable.
Have you ever looked at power cords from the 90s? The ones they used to put on Audio Research were "rubbery".... by now, if you haven't replaced them, you got a gooey mess on your hands.
OTOH, stuff like plastic seems to age better, but it's not "soft"...
Butyl speaker surrounds fare better...
Speaking with people with experience about such things... the more "High End" a cartridge. the more likely the suspension wears out... because they tend to use "fancy" materials...
In my experience buying cartridges around 800 to 1200 bucks, they last 10+ years on the turntable.
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With such a delicate instrument as a cartridge, changes that may not be so noticeable to the eye, may still have an effect on the performance of the cartridge. Just as importantly, the air quality in the room that the cartridge is being used would ultimately matter. I only bring this up because years ago, when I would go to a certain town in our area to troubleshoot phone lines, it wasn't that uncommon to find that the local atmosphere had severely corroded the copper wire and even the insulation of the wires outside. It was due to the oil processing in that area. I wonder if that would be comparable to those living near the ocean?
Probably the best that you can do is listen and if you like what you hear that may well be the best test that there is. There are so many rubber/synthetic compounds these days, it would be difficult to know without at least that information.
Probably the best that you can do is listen and if you like what you hear that may well be the best test that there is. There are so many rubber/synthetic compounds these days, it would be difficult to know without at least that information.
As usual, buyer beware.
Get oil proof O-Ring cord, use that to form rings, or a more complex shape.
3D printing may be possible in Thermo Plastic Elastomer (TPE) material, it is used in car parts, so inside a building, it should be suitable.
Read up about hardness and so on.
As above, rubber does age, and there are many compounds and additives, it will be difficult to assess a $10 part without $500 worth of part testing...!
Here we had a factory making 'Lotto' brand shoes, just down the street from me.
To cut costs, they found a cheaper supplier, and that guy added reclaimed rubber (basically cured rubber powder), and talcum powder to the rubber compound, made soles, and sent them in for assembly.
The soles were slightly stiff, accepted, but came apart within a year, the factory lost customers, closed for ever now.
No ties to them, just saying that rubber is varied in composition, even the material used in car tires is different in the treads (hard wearing), and sidewalls (flexible for better ride)...
Use your judgement, if O rings work, well, go ahead, or get them 3D printed, save the files for future use.
Get oil proof O-Ring cord, use that to form rings, or a more complex shape.
3D printing may be possible in Thermo Plastic Elastomer (TPE) material, it is used in car parts, so inside a building, it should be suitable.
Read up about hardness and so on.
As above, rubber does age, and there are many compounds and additives, it will be difficult to assess a $10 part without $500 worth of part testing...!
Here we had a factory making 'Lotto' brand shoes, just down the street from me.
To cut costs, they found a cheaper supplier, and that guy added reclaimed rubber (basically cured rubber powder), and talcum powder to the rubber compound, made soles, and sent them in for assembly.
The soles were slightly stiff, accepted, but came apart within a year, the factory lost customers, closed for ever now.
No ties to them, just saying that rubber is varied in composition, even the material used in car tires is different in the treads (hard wearing), and sidewalls (flexible for better ride)...
Use your judgement, if O rings work, well, go ahead, or get them 3D printed, save the files for future use.
10 years on a shelf would usually not worry me. Some suspensions will last 50 years or more, like most Audio Technica, others may deteriorate and become unusable. This is a gradual process. "Sag" is symptom often seen, both due to wear and due to material degradation . Early 1980s Technics TTDD (TechnicsTemperatureDefenseDamper) is one example which will "rot", sag and collapse, AKG MovingIron suspension will harden and distort terribly, to mention some well known cases. But if it sounds good, and doesn't sag visibly, I would not worry 🙂.
Standard and many synthetic rubbers are polyturpenes and won't last 50 years as they have unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds(*) and will oxidize inexorably in air once the anti-oxidants added to the rubber have been used up. To last well less reactive materials like silicone rubbers have to be used.
(*) oxidation of unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds is the same reaction that makes fats go rancid on exposure to air/oxygen.
(*) oxidation of unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds is the same reaction that makes fats go rancid on exposure to air/oxygen.
Rubbers degrade. Not the same rubber, but tires are an excellent example. Good tire shops will not patch tires older than 8 years. And highly recommended to replace tires more than 8 years. There is a reason they stamp date codes on them.
The cartridge is fixed to the tone arm using a dampening material, of a rubbery material.
Tires are a common item, and they are not as simple as they look, a lot of effort goes into making them.
So it was a comparison.
And if it is working properly, leave it alone.
And yes 3D printing allows you do make your own, experiment and so on, so you are not tied down looking for obsolete parts at a high price with some seller on a far off place....and let us face it, vinyl records got sent off the market by compact cassette around 1980, so you are going to find a lot of parts that have been in storage (in unknown temperature conditions) for a long time...
Tires are a common item, and they are not as simple as they look, a lot of effort goes into making them.
So it was a comparison.
And if it is working properly, leave it alone.
And yes 3D printing allows you do make your own, experiment and so on, so you are not tied down looking for obsolete parts at a high price with some seller on a far off place....and let us face it, vinyl records got sent off the market by compact cassette around 1980, so you are going to find a lot of parts that have been in storage (in unknown temperature conditions) for a long time...
New Allnic Puritas $5k went south on the shelf in less than 5 years. I have 50 years old ortofon who went for a check out at cart repair place and they said it measures better than new carts. I guess it's like Ferraris ,Maseratis and other single digit products. Turn to s...t in no time
No doubt, in each (car tires or cartridge cantilever suspension) specialty there is a lot of research, effort, and cost. To compare one to another outside the effort is a comparison of apples to oranges.
This reminds me of comparing two lubricants, one for a car and the other for a jet.
This reminds me of comparing two lubricants, one for a car and the other for a jet.
To be fair to Allnic. Mr. PARKS who makes those cartridges is an honorable man. I acquired that cart used. It was riding low. I sent it to Korea for inspection and to my surprise a month later I received back a new cart in the box as a replacement. Very generous and unexpected. I didn't want to to spoil it in inferior setup so it sat years on the shelf and when the bad times came I sold it. The buyer was concerned that the cart was running low so he sent it to Korea and he too received a new cart. We're talking $5 k retail here ( being aware how much material value there is in those things) Fact is maybe there is a compromise to be made with a choice of suspension. You trade longevity for performance.
