How can I check for turntable stylus wear?

Question

Is there any way to check a stylus for wear without having access to a microscope?

I know that a diamond stylus is usually good for a few hundred hours play, and that eventually a worn stylus will be clearly evident by distorted sound, but as I understand, the stylus can already have been causing damage to records by then.

Are there, for example, any more subtle changes in the sound quality before this stage which can indicate that a stylus is starting to wear?

Answer 1

Don`t worry about not having a microscope ,just take it to your local Hi Fi shop they will check it for you ,but make sure it`s a good Hi Fi shop not one of the usual hight street shops.

Answer 2

A good quality diamond stylus usually has anywhere from 800-1000 hours of play and without a high powered microscope it's very hard to see wear.

Here's a rule of thumb I go by.If you play on average 3 albums every night,replace every year,four albums a night every day ,replace every 8 months. You''ll first notice an increase in distortion than mis tracking,album will start skipping

Answer 3

I don't know if my ears are good enough to hear any subtle changes in sound.

How about an inexpensive jeweler's loupe?

http://www.widgetsupply.com/page/WS/CTGY/jeweler-loupes-10x-economy