How to replace a stylus

Firstly lock the turntable tone arm, unscrew the cartridge, gently remove the stylus from the cartridge and insert a new stylus. A stylus is changed usually by pulling straight out and in the opposite direction of the turntable's arm. If the stylus doesn't come with directions, try these: with one hand, hold the cartridge to steady it. With the other hand, using a pair of tweezers, grasp the stylus from both sides and pull. Install the new stylus: holding the stylus from the top, press it gently into the space at the tip of the cartridge where the old stylus had been. Don't force it.

Proper care comprises the following:

Cleaning of record by means of carbon fibre brush before and after every use. Cleaning of record by using record cleaning machine once in a while.

Cleaning of stylus by means of a fine antistatic brush. Please remember to remove dust from the diamond tip before and after playback of each record. Use the brush in the forward direction from the rear of the cartridge towards the stylus tip and never from stylus tip to the rear of the cartridge and never from side to side.

Proper adjustment of antiskating, azimuth and tracking force.

Spherical vs Ellpitical

The physical difference between a spherical and elliptical stylus is the shape of the diamond.

An elliptical diamond allows for more detailed sound quality, as it fits better within the groove and therefore has more contact area with the groove itself. Elliptical diamonds penetrate the groove walls further, extracting more intricate detail, especially in the high end, than is possible with a spherical diamond. It is commonly misrepresented that elliptical styli cause more wear than spherical styli.

In fact, spherical styli, since they have a smaller contact area and more pressure, cause more immediate wear than elliptical styli, but in a smaller area of the groove itself. Elliptical styli, since they have more weight distribution amongst a larger contact area, will wear the groove slower, but will wear more of the groove over repeated backcueing.