the process of playing a vinyl record with a stylus is by its very nature to some degree a destructive process. wear to either the stylus or the vinyl results in diminished sound quality. record wear can be reduced to virtual insignificance, however, by the use of a high-quality, correctly adjusted turntable and tonearm, a high-compliance magnetic cartridge with a high-end stylus in good condition, and careful record handling, with non-abrasive removal of dust before playing and other cleaning if necessary.