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Stylus Gauge advice

ks.234

ks.234

Half way to Infinity
I have a digital stylus gauge, but I'm not sure I trust it's accuracy.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good make of stylus gauge, either digital or mechanical?
 
The Shure is great, but be warned that some old ones out there are made from a ferrous metal so MC carts may commit suicide in their vicinity by attaching themselves limpet-like to the platform. I've had one of each, and obviously kept the non-ferrous one. I've also got a cheap Chinese digital gauge like this one and it seems to correlate nicely with the Shure.

PS When measuring stylus weight always try to do so exactly at record playing height, i.e. remove the turntable mat if necessary.
 
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The Shure one is good for light tracking cartridges (like Shures) but it's not as easy to see the exact balance point if you have to use the x2 scale (anything above 1.5g) since there is very little movement.
The cheapo Ortofon ones work well enough for everything else.
 
I tested my cheapo ebay guage with the free ortofon u get when u buy a cartridge - was a large measure of agreement. I it is very important to zero you gauge then its accurate -
 
The cheap digital one that Tony links to is perfectly good and works well (I've got one in my stylus gauge collection). However, the Ortofon that Mark (Gaius) mentions is also surprisingly effective and works pretty much as well - I used one for many years and the move to a digital one didn't really make any difference.
 
Many thanks everyone. It seems that the cheapo one that I already have, same as Tony L and others, gets the seal of approval. If the 5p = 3.25 g is accurate, then mine overweighs, but it seems to do it consistently, so no problem to work things out in future. Ta
 
Mine came with a 5g weight.

As long as it reads 0.0 to start, there should be no problem. Always check a few times.
 
Mike Reed said:
Same as mine, which is pretty accurate and reliable. They've really come down in price, though, in 3 years or so. Where's the profit margin as it includes postage from Oz?
Click to expand...

The link I gave posts from Hong Kong, though as you say where is the profit margin ?

Buy one, then ask the UK. post office a cost to ship back to Hong Kong...........

I reckon twice the cost of the item plus shipping :eek:.

...The magic of the Chinese economy.
 
misterdog said:
The link I gave posts from Hong Kong, though as you say where is the profit margin ?

Buy one, then ask the UK. post office a cost to ship back to Hong Kong...........

I reckon twice the cost of the item plus shipping :eek:.

...The magic of the Chinese economy.
Click to expand...



Ah, yes; I just looked at the Aussie $ sign. A few weeks ago that equivalent £6.29 would have been well under £6 (the £ has recently plummeted), so even more of a profit mystery ! I thinks it's at least twice that currently in the UK from U.K. online dealers etc. Still very good value with its little 5g weight. I have manual scales, but the smooth and safe dish to safely lower your expensive stylus onto immediately endeared it to me.
 
I have a plastic Ortophon thingy that came with my ARO. Take the mat off, so you are measuring at the record surface (important for the ARO, less so for other arms) and when you have it at the recommended weight (force) than listen for a few abums, then, back it off a bit, listen again, then increase, listen again, and eventually you will fine the best compromise. Use the thingy again, measure where you ended up. If its more than 10% of recommended ask yourself why, perhaps, but after that record the value, and put the thingy away in its box, and forget about it. Listening to Blue Serge tonight, this was recorded two years before I was born, but still blows away anything digital. I don't delight in that - it really annoys me.
 
I found it very accurate.

Order from Hong Kong and marvel at how they can do it for the price. Ive visions of a sales department so eager to please that they are making a loss on each one :D. Either its costing them money or we live in rip off Britain.

The downside is that you will be watching your hair turn grey waiting weeks for it to arrive :)
 
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