I bought an old Pioneer turntable to get started playing records.
Now I wonder, what type of cartridge is this? And can I upgrade it? Or do I just get a new cartridge?
How can I tell if the stylus is in good shape or not?
I appreciate any answers.
To be clear; I just want to learn and understand more and also understand my options going forward :)
Good questions.
The headshell seems to be JP 503. The Shure cartridge isn’t very good, so replacing it with a new one might be wise. But if you want to use the old one, you have to get a pen microscope or some other magnifying device to be able to visually inspect the needle.
The link below shows you different needle types in perfect condition, if yours is clearly worn on any side it should be replaced. But if you go with a new cartridge, you can skip this issue. Audio Technica AT 95E is a good and cheap choice for a modern new cartridge.
https://www.kbaudio.co.uk/blogs/record-players/the-5-main-types-of-record-player-stylus
After installing a new cartridge and setting the needleweight and antiskate it should also be aligned correctly using an alignment protactor, which can be found here:
https://alignmentprotractor.com/
All these steps may seem overwhelmingly technical at first (at least for me they did), but they’re actually pretty simple once you read the instructions carefully.
What model is your turntable? And what type of amplifier do you have?