15/05/2025

LYFE THURSDAY | MAY 15, 2025

23

Ű BY R. BALA

The stylus is considered the most important part of a turntable.

I F you are new to turntables and the hobby of record collecting, one of the most important things in your setup is the stylus – or record needle in common parlance. First things first In layman terms, a record stylus is a tiny diamond tip that converts the grooves on a vinyl record into sound. Attached to a cartridge on a tonearm, the stylus is responsible for the amount of musical information (or data in more modern parlance) picked up and then translated into sweet analogue sound by the rest of your audio system. Like tyres on a car, it is the item that makes contact with the relevant surface – in this case, a vinyl record. It is not an understatement to claim that the stylus is the most essential component on a turntable. MM or MC Styluses are attached to phono cartridges and these generally fall into two categories – moving magnet or moving coil. The former sees a small magnet attached to the stylus cantilever, which moves within a fixed set of coils. As the stylus follows the grooves of a record, the magnet vibrates, inducing a current in the coils and generating an electrical signal. This signal is then amplified to produce audible sound. Moving coil designs use coils attached to the internal end of the

Maximum stylus

week. This will allow a rough calculation as to how often the stylus will need replacing, enabling them to plan ahead budget-wise. Question of balance Balance is key. There is little point pairing a pricey turntable with a budget cartridge. The same logic applies vice versa – cheap turntable with an ultra-expensive stylus. Pick something that matches the turntable. Read reviews to get a better feel for the item. Better yet, ask for a demo if possible. Some audio stockists do have test cartridges to allow customers to compare and contrast. Software vs hardware It is important to figure out how much you want to spend on this hobby. For some, it is all about listening to music and buying vinyl records will be the whole point of the exercise. For others, quality reproduction is hugely important as that may be the reason why they decided to dip

o What to consider as vinyl record collector, audio connoisseur the coils is what generates the electrical signal sent by an MC cartridge. The MM design is simpler to execute in production, thus they tend to be more affordable and have user-replaceable styluses. Stylus lifespan Just like tyres on a car, a record player stylus will wear out. Generally, a stylus has a lifespan of 1,000 hours of playback time. Newbies to the hobby should estimate their listening time per swap stations accessible 24/7, enabling users to replace a depleted battery in just a few seconds. Berlin and Amsterdam will be the first two cities to welcome this new kind of e-bike charging station. The idea is to offer a subscription system to individuals and businesses so that users of compatible e-bikes can benefit from an instant battery change, whenever they like. Instead of recharging their battery at home or at the office, cyclists will be able to drop off their depleted battery and pick up a fully charged one at a dedicated station. The time savings promise to be considerable. To benefit from the service, however, users will need an e-bike that is compatible with this technology. That is why Yamaha is preparing to launch a new range of four models this year (a classic city bike, a sportier model, a longtail bike and a cargo bike). These bikes, which will be available when the service is launched, will incorporate numerous connected functions, such as GPS, an alarm system and remote locking via a dedicated app.

cantilever

that

flutters

correspondingly the stylus/cantilever in the magnetic field of a nearby fixed magnet (or permanent magnet). The motion of with

The cost of a stylus must be balanced against the cost of purchasing records. their toes into this admittedly expensive hobby. Otherwise, they would have just stuck to streaming compressed files via a bluetooth connection – cheap and convenient. So, you should decide what your goal is.

There is little point in pairing a high-end stylus with a budget turntable.

Battery swap stations could be e-bike game changer

ENRYING, a subsidiary of Japanese manufacturer Yamaha, has announced the forthcoming European launch of its

interchangeable battery service for electric bikes. Its objective is to offer urban cyclists virtually unlimited range, thanks to a network of battery

Being able to pick up fully charged batteries could save users substantial time. – ALL PICS FROM PEXELS

This system is inspired by tried-and-tested models already in operation. Although yet to make inroads in Europe, the replacement of removable batteries in dedicated stations is highly popular in Asia, via companies such as Gogoro in Taiwan or Sun Mobility in India. – ETX Studio

The first battery exchange stations will be set up in strategic locations, such as near subway stations, parking lots and shopping malls. In addition to the practicality of this system, Enyring’s action takes a circular approach, with the company committed to recycling end-of-life batteries to produce new ones.

This time-saving service could make e-bikes more appealing to urban riders.