The Ultimate Guide to the 5 Main Stylus Types + Nude vs. Bonded - With Elusive Disc Recommendations

Your turntable stylus is the connection between your favorite records and your speakers. When you have the proper stylus, you're not only improving the fidelity of sound but also extending the lifespan of the records. Here is the description of the five most important stylus profiles, the basics of the difference between nude and bonded construction, and the reasons why Elusive Disc is the best place to obtain the best-quality cartridges and styli.

1. Conical (Spherical) Stylus - For the

Shape & Groove Contact

A rounded, smooth tip touched only the absolute minimum of groove surface, think ballpoint pen writing.

Why Choose It

• Extremely durable and easy to align
• Inexpensive and best for weathered vinyl
• Limited setup complexity

Limit

• Reduced audio detail
• Subject to inner-groove distortion
• Limited treble response

Best For: Casual listening, older record collections, and entry-level turntables.

Tip: Cartridges like the Ortofon 2M Red, the best-selling upgrade via our company, Elusive Disc, possess conical or bonded elliptical tips for inexpensive performance upgrades (elusivedisc.com).

2. Elliptical Stylus - The Affordable Upgrade

Profile

The oval-shaped tip adds the contact area to the groove wall to trap the high-frequency detail.

Advantages

• Better conical tracking and clarity
• Increases stereo separation
• Universally accessible mid-range options

Considerations

• Requires proper installation to avoid record wear
• Slightly higher cost than conical

Best For: Mid-range turntable owners and enthusiasts of pop, jazz, and rock.

On Elusive Disc: Cartridges like Sumiko Rainier/Olympia also use elliptical styli, which are easy to upgrade with modules (elusivedisc.com)

3. Microlinear Stylus - Precision and Depth

Design

An elongated stylus profile mirrors the record-cutting lathe's tip.

Why It Shines

• Excellent high-frequency performance and inner-groove follow-up
• Often exceeds 1,000 hours of lifespan
• Reveals unseen mixing layers and surroundings

Drawbacks

• More costly and less forgiving of setup mistakes

Best For: High-quality cartridges and tonearms, detailed listening.

Best Budget Microline Cartridge: Audio-Technica VM95ML is rated the best budget microline cartridge (elusivedisc.com)

4. Shibata Stylus - Balanced Fidelity

Profile

A long but thin tip was initially made for application on quadraphonic records.

Strength

• Long groove contact minimizes distortion
• Smooth, immersive highs
• Gentle on the vinyl but still revealing detail

Strengths

• Costly and installation-intensive

Best For: Best classic jazz, orchestral, and specialty audiophile pressings.

Available at Elusive Disc: The Ortofon Cadenza Black is outfitted with nude Shibata, and is capable of delivering ultimate reference sound (elusivedisc.com)

5. Line-Contact Stylus - The High

Profile

An ultra-precise stylus closely resembling the original cutting lathe’s shape.

Strength

• Total groove fidelity and minimum distortion
• Exceptional resolution and tonal realism
• Ultra-long lifespan

Drawbacks

• Costly and necessitates specialized locating gear

Best For: Reference-level audiophiles and studio-grade playback configurations.

Featured Models: Soundsmith Paua MKII (contact line nude stylus), praised for clarity and value presented through Elusive Disc (forum.elusivedisc.com)

Stylus Construction Nude vs. Bonded

Bonded Stylus

The diamond is attached to the metal shank and is secured to the cantilever.

Pros

• Durability and affordability
• Used in mid-range cartridges

Cons

• Increasing the tip mass → less responsive
• Slightly higher distortion at high frequencies

Recommended Range: Stock elliptical stylus in Ortofon 2M Red and Sumiko Rainier.

Nude Stylus

A cantilevered diamond is securely fastened to the cantilever without adhesion.

Pros

• Lower mass → improved detail and imaging
• Increasingly realistic dynamics and readability

Cons

• Higher in price and necessitates a superior setup

Reviewed in Elusive Disc: Ortofon 2M Blue (nude elliptical) and higher-end moving-coil offerings like Ortofon Cadenza Black with nude Shibata.

Why Choose Elusive Disc?

• An extensive line of high-end cartridges made by Ortofon, Sumiko, Soundsmith, and Audio-Technica
• Professional setup tools like protractors, force gauges, and stylus guards (elusive
• Record cleaner and stylus maintenance kits/bundles. The Vinyl Introduction Package is particularly in demand.
• Reputation: A family store since 198,9, with excellent packaging, support, and price (ebay.com).

Summary Table

Stylus Type	Fidelity Level	Construction	Best For	Elusive Disc Example
Conical	Basic	Bonded	Beginners, vintage vinyl	Ortofon 2M Red
Elliptical	Mid-range	Bonded	Casual to serious listeners	Sumiko Rainier/Olympia
Microlinear	High detail	Bonded/Nude	Inner-groove clarity seekers	AT VM95ML
Shibata	Audiophile	Nude	High-fidelity playback	Ortofon Cadenza Black
Line-Contact	Reference-grade	Nude	Studio-quality systems	Soundsmith Paua MKII

Final Take

Choosing the ideal stylus profile and construction, conical, elliptical, microlinear, Shibata, or line-contact, nude or bonded, is able to recraft your listening experience on vinyl. For accuracy? Nude. For clarity on the cost-effectiveness? Bonded elliptical is nice. For reference-grade sound, Shibata or line-contact is the best.

When you're ready to take your setup to the next level, Elusive Disc supplies expert-picked cartridges, stylus upgrades, and high-end tools to see you there.

Next Step: Having difficulty finding the appropriate stylus for your tonearm or budget? Contact me if I can recommend specific models or bundle selections by Elusive Disc for your system.