With record players making a comeback, a new generation of music listeners are becoming familiar with the technology and in particular, the stylus or needle that is required to transfer sound from the record to your ears.
You may also hear a record player referred to as a turntable and vinyl records referred to as wax, so there are a few words you’ll run into when discussing the technology.
Record player stylus manufacturers generally suggest replacing the stylus cartridge after 1,000 hours of listening but a better gauge is to look for noticeable damage, a shape change of the needle or a difference in sound quality.
Since people generally don’t measure listening hours of their record player, figure out how many hours per day you listen on average to determine the lifespan in time to use as a guide.
For the average person, a record player stylus may only need to be replaced every 3 – 5 years if your listening is sporadic and perhaps once per year if you’re an avid music listener.
How long do record player needles last before replacement?
Record player needles need to be replaced as they wear out with use. Their expected lifespan is measured in the number of hours of use you can expect to get from it. The lifespan is provided by the manufacturer but your care for the needle and related equipment is paramount to ensuring you can meet and possibly exceed this figure.
Here are some popular record player needs (stylus) brands and models and their expected lifespan in hours of listening.
| Stylus model | Details | Lifespan (hours) |
| Ortofon 2M Red | Entry-level. A reasonably priced option for most record player owners. | 1,000 |
| Ortofon 2M Blue | Entry-level. The next level up from the 2M Red, it’s easy to install and is also an entry level model. | 1,000 |
| Ortofon 2M Bronze | Entry-level. It’s more expensive than both the Red and Blue but is still part of the entry level 2M range. | 1,000 |
| Ortofon 2M Black | Higher-end. Very expensive for those who desire the best. Still part of the 2M range but the highest priced model. | 1,000 |
| Goldring E3 | Mid-level. Usable on many turntable brands. | 1,000 |
| Goldring 1042 | High-end. More expensive than the E3, it can be a bit difficult to install but is worth the money. | 1,000 |
| Nagaoka MP110 | Mid-level. Easy to install, it’s worth a look if you’re on a budget and want a good brand. | 1,000 |
| Audio Technica AT-F7 | Mid-level. Good quality although fitting it may be a bit difficult. | 1,000 |
So you can see that the generally accepted time frame to replace a stylus is around 1,000 hours of use. The difference between each model and price point tends to be the sound produced by the cartridge so you need to decide on your budget and what aspects of sound production are most important to you.
Anyone who has ever owned a record player however knows that a big part of the lifespan of a cartridge and stylus isn’t just the amount of time you spend playing music but how careful you are when using the device.
They are delicate objects and can damage or break through misuse i.e. dropping the needle onto the record from a height, scratching the needle across a record, etc.
How do you know when your stylus needs replacing?
Not many people are going to measure the amount of time they have spent listening to their record player since the last time they replaced the stylus cartridge. The 1,000 hour lifespan does give you an indication of how much money you will spend per listening hour for budgetary purposes.
What clues should you look for when deciding when it’s time to replace your turntable cartridge?
- Look for visible damage to the stylus head. Pay attention to the shape of the stylus when new and if you notice that is has changed shape, replace it immediately to avoid damaging your records.
- Look for jagged edges, a bend or other damage to the stylus.
- Listen for audible signs that the stylus is no longer performing as before.
- Does the stylus bounce, jump or skip? It could be a particular record or it could be the stylus letting you know it has reached its end of life.
The stylus is small and thin so consider inspecting it with a magnifying glass to view changes over time.
The 1,000 hours lifespan is merely a guide. While some people will find a need to replace their stylus around that time, others may be happy continuing to use it longer. It depends not only on the model and brand (i.e. quality level) you choose but on your use of the record player and the care you exhibit.
Definitions and parts descriptions for the record player needle
Back in the day, a record player needle was simply called …a needle.
It was quite simple and just referred to the sharp, tiny part of the record player that actually touches the records to produce the sound and play the songs.
These days you will see a number of different phrases used to define what we used to call the needle and the rest of the record player. Here they are:
Record player – The record player. Turntable. Phonograph. All expressions of the same thing. It’s the actual device itself that you use to listen to vinyl records.
Tonearm -The tonearm is the part of the record player that you either manually lift and gently place onto the record to begin playing a song or is placed automatically if your turntable has an auto start feature. You attach the cartridge to the end of the tonearm.
Cartridge – The cartridge is the device that holds the stylus and is attached to the end of the record player’s tonearm. When you replace the stylus, it’s actually cartridge you’re replacing.
Stylus – AKA, the needle. The stylus is the sharp pointy part that physically touches the records as you play them.
So you attach the cartridge to the tonearm. The cartridge contains the stylus. The stylus (needle) is the part of the cartridge that touches the record to transfer the sound through the amplifier or speakers.
When you are referring to replacing the stylus or needle, you’re actually replacing the entire cartridge.
What to look for in a record player stylus
Not all stylus type fits every record player so it’s important to choose the correct one based on what is compatible with your turntable brand and model. Check the owner’s manual to confirm.
There are two kinds of cartridges to choose from:
Ceramic cartridge – The stylus for this type of cartridge is attached to a germanium crystal or ceramic rod, hence the name. The stylus moves due to the grooves in the record. They tend to produce a louder output and are less expensive than magnetic ones.
Moving magnet cartridge – Like the ceramic cartridge, the grooves in the record cause the vibration of the stylus. They produce a lower level output than ceramic cartridges, are more expensive but are often preferred by audiophiles for producing a higher quality sound.
Vinyl record and turntable comeback facts
The vinyl record comeback began in 2006 when a small number of manufacturers began producing physical albums again to a large degree. By 2020, the number of records sold in the US alone hit 27.5 million units. Given that the growth in vinyl album sales since 2006 has increased so dramatically, it’s difficult to imagine that the popularity will wane anytime soon.
This is especially true when you consider that CD sales have dropped as have digital downloads as vinyl continues its upward climb.
While CD players and digitally downloaded music have their own method(s) to consume the music, so do record players. They require a stylus that will eventually need to be replaced whereas a CD player, laptop or tablet for example have no such parts.
The coolness factor of vinyl records and turntables
The comeback of the vinyl record and thus record players can be explained for a few reasons:
- Superior sound: Some audiophiles (sound and music aficionados) swear by the superior sound of a vinyl record over CDs and other technology.
- Retro factor: The retro factor of a turntable is appealing to older people (who had them when they were young) and younger people (who wish they had them when they were younger). It’s a technology from a bygone era.
- Touch factor: The fact that the vinyl record is a physical object you can hold and touch is interesting, by today’s standards. If you’ve only ever consumed digital downloads, it’s a huge difference.
- Cool factor: A cool factor exists with vinyl given how thin and sleek and shiny vinyl records are.
Summary
When it’s time to replace your record player stylus, find one that suits your budget and need. You’re only going to replace it once every 1,000 hours or so, so you want to get one that works well. If you listen to your record player 1 hour per day, you’d talking about something that could potentially last for several years.
Even if you have a cheaper costing turntable, you can get a decent stylus cartridge to produce nice quality sound.
When searching for a replacement for your stylus, avoid searching for generic phrases like “cartridge” or “stylus.” Printers also use cartridges as do pens and a stylus is also something used by pens and other products so you need to be a bit more specific.
Search for turntable stylus, record player stylus, turntable cartridge or turntable stylus instead.