Playing records once a day - fact or fiction?

[AngryVal]

So I had an in-law swear this to me as fact over Christmas and some googling has turned up nothing - so I am asking the REAL experts!

In-law says you should only play your records once per day as it allows the vinyl to recover from a needle being dragged across it. Repeated plays per day will irreperably damage the record and reduce its shelf life.

Is this fact or fiction? True story or myth? Correct or Fake News? (I had to squeeze that in somewhere!)

Over to you brains trust!

 

[pijo]

This, I believe, is both a subtle/discreet diss of your musical tastes by your in-law and a newly acquired justification for those occasions I can't help myself from buying multiple variants of the same album.

 

[displayname]

Friction is friction, plain and simple. It's a fact that each time a record plays, it is undergoing some form of wear. However, under proper set up, and normal conditions, this should not be detectable for any number of plays. Maybe over the course of a lifetime.

I also don't believe vinyl is a substance that has any recovery that could possibly override the already extremely minimal wear occurring during record play.

I have not scientific supporting evidence, or measurements to support these statements. Just logic off of what I understand about vinyl as a material and what I have heard Fremmer respond to similar questions.

 

[HiFi Guy]

Technically I believe this is true. Where there's friction, there's also heat.

The most Important things are having a clean record and stylus and a properly set up turntable.

I wouldn't and don't worry about it.

 

[AngryVal]

Technically I believe this is true. Where there's friction, there's also heat.

The most Important things are having a clean record and stylus and a properly set up turntable.

I wouldn't and don't worry about it.

I didn't give it much attention ... until I played The National's I Am Easy to Find three times in a row today!

However I have a nice setup and and pedantic about cleaning the record every time and the needle being perfect etc. So I don't thing about it much.

@pijo if you saw/heard my in laws musical tastes (or lack thereof) you would have laughed him out of the house...

 

[apholden]

When I was a kid, I used to put my automatic turntable on repeat and let one record go for hours at a time. I couldn't detect any degradation. Then again, this determination was made by a preteen listening to pop rot on the cheapest linear tracker his parents could find and a casseiver with some sort of 4-inch thick speakers inherited from his grandparents, Everything was maintained to the standard one can expect from a child. I'll let you decide the validity of that claim for yourself.

As for heat, The heating from stylus contact should be minimal and dissipate pretty darned fast. I guess one revolution is enough.

 

[pijo]

I didn't give it much attention ... until I played The National's I Am Easy to Find three times in a row today!

However I have a nice setup and and pedantic about cleaning the record every time and the needle being perfect etc. So I don't thing about it much.

@pijo if you saw/heard my in laws musical tastes (or lack thereof) you would have laughed him out of the house...

Case in point - I honestly own three different copies of sleep well beast, and I know I'm going to get the deluxe easy to find as well as my Cherry Tree copy. Can't help myself, but at least now it's because I'm being sensible.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

I also don't think the heat the friction builds up amounts to much of anything and the record would probably have cooled back to normal temperature by the time you play that groove again.

If anything's heating up, it's the stylus. And then you could probably make the claim it doesn't mater if it's the same record, or an other record you play right after.

I wouldn't give it much though either. I don't think you will see any additional wear and tear over waiting 24 hours to spin it again.

 

[TrainFan73]

@HiFi Guy and the dude at my local audio store both say it’s true. Hifi says not to worry about it, the dude at my shop makes me bring things he also has for a-b comparisons...

I have 1300 records, I have no business playing the same record multiple times a day. Those other records need love too.

 

[Enoch]

I don't think it makes much of a difference, @HiFi Guy is right friction causes heat but I am not sure it lasts long enough to cause problems on a second play, there is more surface area to the amount of space the stylus takes and the record is turning which can cause more friction but also has air passing through so