Have you ever broken the needle?

'just battle scars Bozo. At last count I have snapped 4 cantilevers in 25 years of audiodom. Not bad really, less than one every 5 years. Welcome to Analog. Don't get me started on tubes glowing cherry red and electrostatic speakers arking. I had always heard that Rappaport, one of the seminal companies at the dawn of the High End went out of business because their class A power amp ran so hot that several people were severely burned from simply coming into physical contact with it and sued. And yes, it sounded great. No pain, no gain.

Loved your thread as I just had my Van den hul Grasshopper returned to me after four month visit to Neatherlands for new cantilever and stylus. I can't believe how long it took. MY maids while dusting dusted it right off. It was all I could do to not blow my top when I went to play a record and low and behold, no cantilever and stylus.

My dog got frisky one night and decided to run in circles around the room. On one lap, her leg snagged the power cord to my turntable and pulled it off the shelf causing considerable damage to the table, arm, cartridge, and ruined the record.

The album and table have been replaced, may my late dog rest in peace.

Oh come on, I'm just kidding. She did wreck my table but all is forgiven and she still reclines on a comfy pillow between the speakers.