This no longer manufactured cartridge is a highly developed piece, delivering a truly refined tone response for your set-up. I am not a professional DJ, nor self-proclaimed audiophile, but am a lifelong obsessive of music. It looked criminally incorrect on a late 70s Pioneer PL-518, but sounded so great that it was given a full pardon. However, when moving this last year, the PL-518 was moved with the tone arm not locked and without an over the top style of grace, so the needle was toast after the move. The manufacturers case is also mysteriously gone from this move, so the bare cartridge is being held and sold in the box of an Ortofon SH-4 headshell case and it's snug and secure. Regardless of the stylus being sadly put down, notice in the photos that there is almost no noticeable wear to the cartridge. I'm sure every seller presents a variation of this, but I baby the hell out of all of my audio gear and numerous instruments. When running a NWHLB diamond needle on it, which is made in Japan and designed to precisely replicate the original Shure needle, it sounded incredible. Or, you could just go ahead and put a $15 knock-off on it, because it's your life, but...... Yammering aside, this cartridge is a pretty handy piece for most record player tonearms and don't let the lower used cost(comparative of it's actual current used value) of this respectfully used gear give you any wave of suspicion. I take care of my stuff and I've got your back, y'all.