How long will a cartridge last

taters said:

I called my dealer and he said the stylus doesn't wear out. He said the suspenion goes out in 4 to 5 years and then you need to replace it. I have heard other people say you need to replace it at 2500 hours. Does anyone have the right answer for this?

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1-a good read about stylus wear from a guy with no agenda.

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...-stylus-lifetime&p=86400&viewfull=1#post86400

2- your dealer is half right, suspensions can wear out. however; one place where cartridge suspensions have issues is where you have a new cartridge that's 15-20 or more years old....and the rubber parts of the suspension have dried out. or the glue in the suspension has dried out. i've heard about new cartridges that have collapsed suspensions but i suspect that abuse (mostly unknown or unintended) is the general cause. at a certain point suspensions can get soft but as use is so variable it's hard to predict. 2500 hours is maybe in the ball park.....but 4000 hours+ might not surprise me. we are generalizing over a wide variety of build types and use conditions.

3-if your dealer truely does not think a stylus can wear out at all maybe find another dealer.