The stylus lifespan differs, it mostly depends on how well it has been properly maintained. There are some other factors that determine the wearing out of the stylus, these include the stylus shape, the tracking force, the condition of the vinyl, stylus alignment, and of course the maintenance habit.
Ortofon 2m red are known to last longer than others in their category, and function better in other aspects. The factors that reduce its lifespan include dirty records or records in bad shape, high tracking force, not aligning cartridge properly, or leaving the stylus uncleaned for long periods. All of these are very detrimental to the stylus.
Needless to say, a worn stylus no matter how small will begin to exhibit distortions in the playback. To detect these spots/ wears in the early stage, you should check the inner grooves in highly modulated passages. As the playing time accumulates, the wear gradually becomes obvious.
However, if the LP material is relatively soft and has a diamond stylus, it takes up to some hundred to thousand hours before it starts to wear. This also depends on the conditions explained earlier.
Moreso, Ortofon 2m red being of higher quality may last more than the less expensive ones. Emphatically, proper care contributes a ton to the lifespan of the stylus. Importantly, Ortofon 2m red lasts up to 2000 hours. There are several ways to properly care for your Ortofon 2m red. These include:
- Careful cleaning of the stylus with an antistatic brush.
- Regular cleaning of records with carbon fiber brush always.
- Tracking force, anti-skating, and azimuth should always be properly adjusted.
- Rather than abandoning the turntable, ensure to always keep it in use.
Majorly, a clean record is always twice important in the maintenance process. Dirt and dust literally act as sandpaper which automatically wears the stylus. There is also a vacuum record cleaning machine that can be used to ensure your vinyl is clean and safe to be played. A dirty stylus also means poor sonic reproduction, distortions, accelerated wear, and mistracking. So, the cleaning of the stylus is also as much, twice important.
Cleaning Ortofon 2m red
It has been noted that this process is quite important. There is a two-step process to clean your stylus. You can start by getting a dry brush to remove loose material in a back-to-front motion and not in any other motion. You can then apply a solvent to the tip of the stylus to loosen unwanted debris and then, another light dry brushing in the same motion. It is worthy to note again that Ortofon 2m red can last up to 5 – 8 years.
