Need your help! I have a pair of T.120C turntables and a pair of Trackmaster II SK cartridges. The other day one of my turntables began to produce a very loud popping (clicking) noise. It sounds the same every time it occurs and it is closer to static popping (a spark?) then to a sound of a dirty record.
First I thought it was a broken stylus, so I swapped it for a spare but the popping sound remained. Then I checked the record but it wasn't the record for sure (I've backcued to and fro in the place of the supposed record pop but it wasn't there). The popping sound occurs randomly on any record, even on a brand new one. Then I swapped the entire cartridges (cart 1 to turntable 2 and vise versa) - the popping sound disappeared. As I understand, the problem is probably somewhere in the cartridge itself (not the record, not the connections, not the stylus, not the tonearm contacts). What could it be and would can be done in this situation?? Thank you in advance!!

And another two smaller questions. Please be so kind to answer them as well.

Q1: Can I mount a Trackmaster II RS elliptical stylus onto a Trackmaster II SK cartridge?

Q2: How are the sonic characteristics of the elliptical stylus compared to the spherical stylus? Is the difference significant?

Thank you!! : joe:

the clicks have somehow disappeared...hurray