Generally, it’s recommended to replace the needle on a record player once every 1000 hours of use or once a year, whichever comes first.

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Of course, there are expensive spherical styli that are ultra-polished and very well made that sound fantastic, just as there are micro-ridges that are cheap and sound bad. It is all degrees and nuance when it comes to styli and their level of record wear and sound quality. CDs are just data stored inside a piece of plastic as zeros and ones, read by a laser which then transduces the data into audio. Replace your needle after 500-1000 hours of playing time: To ensure that your records sound their best, it’s important to replace your needle after 500-1000 hours of playing time. This is typically every 3 to 5 years, depending on how often you use your turntable.

Why change the player’s stylus?

The most common cause of record skips is also the easiest one to fix. And that is a dirty record. If that is not the issue, it may also be down to an improperly balanced tonearm. Crosley manufacturers all kinds of record players. Because of this, their turntables run the gamut in terms of sound, durability, and design. For anyone who may be new to records, the lightweight, compact and portable Cruiser tends to be the most budget-friendly model. However, it is not as durable as other similarly sized, but more expensive record players on the market. More expensive Crosley players tend to be heavier, sturdier, and therefore, more reliable for prolonged use. After all, a stationary model is subjected to fewer bumps, dings and vibrations. (These more expensive models also come with universal serial bus (USB) ports, Bluetooth capability and other advanced features not found on the basic Cruiser model.)

3 things you need to know about the needle of your record player

But it also causes more wear over time. The tip of the needle digs into the record a bit more and it makes the groove wider, since the edges of the stylus touch the edges of the groove completely. Eventually, the needle slides across the record. If you are buying records that are not awfully expensive, you are not trying to keep them pristine, and have the budget to buy more if they become played out fast, then you do not need to worry about this at all. Cleaning your record should always be your first task. It is the easiest fix and something you should be doing anyway, so it makes sense to start here. If it doesn’t fix the skipping, move on to other measures, like rebalancing the tonearm.Another thing to consider is the hassle of disposing of damaged records. They are harmful to the environment and should not be thrown in the trash. Vinyl records can’t be recycled either, so your main remaining options are to off load them to artists who repurpose them, or to repurpose them yourself. Hyper-elliptical: more pointed than the elliptical stylus, touches more of the groove’s left and right sides Keep the record player level with the floor as positioning it on a slight angle can damage or morph the disc. It should be perfectly balanced on the table. Dust the record player after every use, or at least twice a week. Wipe the surface with a microfiber anti-static dusting cloth and a bit of rubbing alcohol to prevent dust build-up.