Before ordering a new “needle” for a turntable, identify the cartridge already fitted to its arm. A replacement stylus assembly may be all that the manufacturer intends you to change. With another design, the route may be a cartridge exchange or repair. Read the marking on the cartridge as well as the name on the turntable.
This is a source-based maintenance and buying guide. MP3Raid hasn't inspected your stylus, repaired the equipment in the photograph or compared the sound of replacement parts. The photograph shows a removed stylus and cartridge from a Sanyo music centre; it is context for the distinction between parts, not an example of the Ortofon products discussed below.
The stylus assembly can be a separate part
Ortofon's Moving Magnet explanation describes a small magnet on the cantilever moving near fixed coils as the stylus follows the groove. The resulting electrical signal goes to a phono stage. The part following the groove and the complete cartridge are therefore different things to identify in a parts listing.
The same page identifies a replaceable stylus as an advantage of its moving-magnet designs. If the documented replacement for your cartridge is a stylus assembly, you aren't necessarily buying another complete cartridge. Start with the current cartridge's exact model and the replacement named for it. Use the manufacturer's model reference when comparing listings.
Don't turn that into a universal instruction to pull on any cartridge. Use the maker's removal and fitting directions for the specific part. The fact that an assembly can be replaced tells you what is serviceable; it doesn't give the correct movement for every design.
Three different routes in one manufacturer's range
Ortofon's Exchange Service page draws boundaries that are useful to check before shopping.
Moving Magnet: these cartridges aren't included in its exchange programme. The page directs owners toward replacing the stylus instead. That is a different service route from handing over a complete cartridge.
Moving Coil: Ortofon describes the styli in these cartridges as non-replaceable and offers an exchange service through participating authorised HiFi dealers. It covers many current and vintage models, with reservations where components are no longer available. Ask about the particular model before assuming it is eligible.
SPU: the page explicitly excludes SPU cartridges from that exchange programme and directs owners to a special repair service. “Ortofon cartridge” therefore isn't a precise enough description to choose between its published options.
These are Ortofon's stated routes, not a claim that every manufacturer's cartridge can be serviced in the same way. For another brand, make the same model-first check in its own documentation.
Keep a small parts record
Write down the turntable model, the cartridge's full marking, the exact replacement or service identified by the manufacturer, and the link to its fitting instructions. If the cartridge was changed by a previous owner, the part now on the arm is the one to identify. A turntable's original specification may no longer describe it.
If you want to keep the current cartridge, ask for its specified replacement stylus or service. If you want another cartridge, say so and supply the turntable model as well. Keeping both model names in the enquiry makes the distinction clear. Keep any sound comparison separate as well: our album-edition guide explains why the recording or mix itself may differ between releases. A changed record edition isn't evidence that a stylus needs replacement.