How we check our data

A replacement needle that almost fits is no use. So every fact on Rhythmly has to come from a source we can show you, and this page explains how that works.

Official sources only

Part numbers, compatibility and specifications come from the maker’s own pages: product pages, specification sheets, user manuals, official needle charts and official parts lists. For a record player, that is the record player’s maker. For a needle or cartridge, it is the maker of that needle or cartridge.

We do not take part numbers from marketplace listings, shop descriptions, reviews or forums. Those are often useful for spotting a question worth checking, but they are never the answer on our pages.

What “verified” means

A page only gives a firm answer, such as “The AT-LP60X takes the ATN3600LC”, when that answer is verified. That means one of these:

• the maker of the record player or the needle confirms the replacement needle on an official page, or
• the maker confirms the cartridge, and confirms that no separate replacement needle is sold for it. In that case we say so plainly and show the cartridges that fit instead.

If we could not confirm something with the maker, we either leave it out or label it clearly, for example: “We could not confirm this with the maker. Check the code on your record player.”

Every page shows its source

Each answer links to the maker’s own page for the part (“See it on audio-technica.com”). We check our details carefully, but makers change parts and part numbers, and we may miss an update, so check the part on the maker’s official website before you buy. If you spot an error, please let us know.

Gaps stay empty

Makers do not publish everything. Some never state a platter size, a tracking force or whether a record player has a built-in preamp. When a value is missing, we show it as missing. We do not estimate it from similar models, and we do not fill it in from a shop listing.

This matters most for our matching features. We only say a stand fits your record player when both sizes are published. We only say a storage unit fits 12 inch records when its inside height is stated, or when the maker states how many LPs it holds. Otherwise we show the sizes and tell you what to check.

Traps we look out for

Some of the easiest mistakes to make when buying a needle are:

• Two versions with one name. Some record players were sold in versions that look alike but take different needles. Where that happens, the page asks which version you have.
• Model codes. Crosley and Victrola often sell one design under several model codes. We list the codes from the maker’s own needle chart, so you can match the code on the label underneath your record player.
• Needles that cannot be replaced. Some cartridges, including many moving coil cartridges, have no separate replacement needle. We say so and show the cartridges that fit instead.
• Upgrades that need a different setup. Where an upgrade needle needs a different tracking force from the original, we point it out.

How we check

Before a part number goes on a page, we find the maker’s own words for it. For every link between a record player, a cartridge and a needle, we keep a note of the maker’s page and the exact wording on it, such as “replacement stylus for the AT3600L cartridge”. If we cannot find those words on the maker’s own pages, we leave the link out. We do not fill the gap with a guess, a shop listing or a forum post.

Sometimes the answer takes two steps: the record player maker names the cartridge, and the cartridge maker names the needle for it. We only join the two when both makers’ pages say so in their own words. Where a maker has taken an older page down, we may read a saved copy of that same official page, but the links on our pages always go to the maker’s live website.

Some makers say that every needle in a range fits every cartridge in that range. We treat that as a weaker kind of answer. It can tell you what else fits, so we show it under “Also fits”, but it is never the main answer on a page.

Where a maker has more than one official page, we check them against each other. If two official sources disagree, we do not pick one. We show both and explain what to check on your record player.

Keeping up to date, and reporting errors

Makers change, rename and replace products, and they update their pages without notice. We work hard to keep our pages right, but we may miss an update, and some details will go out of date over time. For the latest details, always check the maker’s official website, which we link on every page.

If you find an error, please tell us through our contact page. We will check it against the maker’s own page and correct our page if needed.

What money does not change

Rhythmly earns nothing from its links today. If that ever changes, it will not change our data, which products we list, or the order we show them in. Read more in our affiliate disclosure.