Serious question, does anyone actually get clean cuts with a cheap stylus?

I talked to a guy named Steve at a record fair in Portland last month who swore his $30 ebay stylus made perfect grooves, but when I tried one I got nothing but noise and skipped lines. Is it worth spending the extra cash on a pro stylus, or is my technique just bad?

2 comments

2 Comments

benwilliams15d ago

I picked up a $25 no name stylus at a shop in Austin and it sounded like someone dragging a fork across a record. I spent $80 on a used Technics one from Japan and the difference was night and day. Your technique might not be perfect but cheap styli are just awful.

brooke_nguyen6513d ago

Ever notice how the same pattern shows up everywhere, like with tools, clothes, even food? @benwilliams, you're totally right that cheap stuff often costs more in the long run, but the real trick is knowing which cheap things are just fine and which ones will ruin your whole experience. A bad stylus can literally scratch your records, so that's a case where saving a few bucks ends up costing you way more in damaged vinyl. It's like buying a cheap extension cord for a space heater, sure it works for a week, but then you're just asking for trouble.