Stylus shape

Stylus shape refers to the physical profile ground into the tip of the diamond that actually sits in the record groove. The three shapes most listeners encounter are conical, elliptical, and line-contact or similar advanced profiles, each tracing the groove's walls a little differently.

A conical stylus has a simple, rounded tip that is durable and forgiving of minor misalignment, making it common on budget and entry level cartridges. Elliptical and line-contact shapes have a narrower, more precisely cut profile that follows the fine details cut into the groove walls more closely, generally retrieving more high frequency detail and tracking complex passages more accurately, at the cost of being somewhat less tolerant of poor alignment or a worn record.

When choosing or upgrading, match stylus shape expectations to the condition of your record collection and how carefully your tonearm is aligned, since a sharper shape on a poorly aligned arm can actually cause more groove wear than a simple conical tip. Replacement styli are sold by shape and cartridge model, so confirm exact compatibility before buying. A common mistake is assuming a more expensive elliptical or line-contact stylus is automatically the right upgrade without checking whether the rest of the setup is aligned well enough to take advantage of it.