I assume you mean an MC cartridge MMs don't need much "burn-in". And since the main object is to "exercise" the rubber suspension (rather than aligning the metal crystals in the coils as you do when you send current through cables) most people use the term break-in rather than burn-in.
I've concluded from my own and other's experience that most MC cartridges need 100 hrs +/_ to "limber up" the suspension. I also recommend that during this time, you set the VTF at least .20 gms over the maximum recommended tracking force. You won't hurt the cartridge and doing this insures the suspension has a linear K (or "springiness") throughout its normal operating VTF.
You can break-in a cartridge by just playing records for 100 hours (it's good to keep a casual log ;--) or if you're in a hurry, the Cardas test record has some tracks with locked grooves (they don't spiral) which you can run for 100 hours. The record is made using a specially hard vinyl for this purpose.
I don't recommend your idea of using the run-out spiral to do this because it doesn't subject the suspension to enough lateral modulation.
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I've concluded from my own and other's experience that most MC cartridges need 100 hrs +/_ to "limber up" the suspension. I also recommend that during this time, you set the VTF at least .20 gms over the maximum recommended tracking force. You won't hurt the cartridge and doing this insures the suspension has a linear K (or "springiness") throughout its normal operating VTF.
You can break-in a cartridge by just playing records for 100 hours (it's good to keep a casual log ;--) or if you're in a hurry, the Cardas test record has some tracks with locked grooves (they don't spiral) which you can run for 100 hours. The record is made using a specially hard vinyl for this purpose.
I don't recommend your idea of using the run-out spiral to do this because it doesn't subject the suspension to enough lateral modulation.
.