Vinyl problem I just can't figure out....

ilikesilver

Active Member
I want to like vinyl. I REALLY want to like vinyl!! I have hundreds of CDs and have been a CD listener exclusively for the last few years, but I really like the idea, the sound, and the process of spinning vinyl. I've probably bought 200 albums in the past year. Some are $33.00 new albums, some are fifty cents thrift store albums! I can't seem to figure out how to get to a level of clicks and pops that I can live with on used vinyl!!

I don't mind a few clicks and pops from time to time. It's part of the experience and they don't bother me at all. My problem is the vast majority of my records have so many, it drives me nuts! My cleaning process is warm water with Dawn and a light paint pad scrubbing, followed by a distilled water bath in a Spin Clean. Dry with micro fiber cloths and New inner and outer sleeves for all records before playing the first time. When they hit the turntable, they get an anti-static brushing and sometimes a Zerostat treatment to make sure there's no static electricity.

My system is a new Creek Evo 50a, Epos Epic 2 speakers, and a Rega RP1 with upgrade package. It's a very detailed system. I'm wondering if that's the cause of me hearing every little flaw in the records. What drives me nuts is I go over to a friends house and he will pick up any old record, maybe brush it, maybe not, throw it on any old vintage turntable, with a vintage amp, and large vintage speakers, and I never hear any clicks and pops. $%*@ Is it the larger vintage speakers that doesn't resolve the surface noise? I'll be in record stores where they're spinning vinyl and never hear surface nose.

Do I have some albums that are completely quiet on my system? Yep, but they're brand new albums. I can't seem to get a used album that isn't just full of clicks and pops. A lot of them look perfect, but sound terrible. Of course, I can always hear them between songs, but unless it's full music like rock, I can hear them during the song and sometimes even on rock. Instrumentals are unlistenable for the most part. What am I missing here?
 
try taking some albums to your friends house ..then maybe your turntable . and maybe borrow some of your friends albums .
 
When i first returned to lps i found the same problem, there was quite a few albums i would put in a sell later box because the pops drove me nuts. After years of getting back into vinyl i have found that cleaning process is in many cases to blame, I now use a spin clean with solution in distilled water , after cleaning the lp i immerse it in a sink with distilled water, then i either vacum off the lps and leave in a rack to dry or dry off with microfibre cloths and leave in rack. I have found even lps that have never been opened sometimes have a lot of static and pieces of leftover material from the cutting process, they too i clean. Using this process i have been able to return over 70% of the lps in the sell box to my daily use..Hope this helps,,ps cleaning the stylus is also very important between albums for me its the magic eraser. pete
 
I want to like vinyl. I REALLY want to like vinyl!! I have hundreds of CDs and have been a CD listener exclusively for the last few years, but I really like the idea, the sound, and the process of spinning vinyl. I've probably bought 200 albums in the past year. Some are $33.00 new albums, some are fifty cents thrift store albums! I can't seem to figure out how to get to a level of clicks and pops that I can live with on used vinyl!!

I don't mind a few clicks and pops from time to time. It's part of the experience and they don't bother me at all. My problem is the vast majority of my records have so many, it drives me nuts! My cleaning process is warm water with Dawn and a light paint pad scrubbing, followed by a distilled water bath in a Spin Clean. Dry with micro fiber cloths and New inner and outer sleeves for all records before playing the first time. When they hit the turntable, they get an anti-static brushing and sometimes a Zerostat treatment to make sure there's no static electricity.

My system is a new Creek Evo 50a, Epos Epic 2 speakers, and a Rega RP1 with upgrade package. It's a very detailed system. I'm wondering if that's the cause of me hearing every little flaw in the records. What drives me nuts is I go over to a friends house and he will pick up any old record, maybe brush it, maybe not, throw it on any old vintage turntable, with a vintage amp, and large vintage speakers, and I never hear any clicks and pops. $%*@ Is it the larger vintage speakers that doesn't resolve the surface noise? I'll be in record stores where they're spinning vinyl and never hear surface nose.

Do I have some albums that are completely quiet on my system? Yep, but they're brand new albums. I can't seem to get a used album that isn't just full of clicks and pops. A lot of them look perfect, but sound terrible. Of course, I can always hear them between songs, but unless it's full music like rock, I can hear them during the song and sometimes even on rock. Instrumentals are unlistenable for the most part. What am I missing here?

You have not posted any information concerning your cartridge.

It may be the stylus on your cartridge. :scratch2:
 
... I can't seem to get a used album that isn't just full of clicks and pops. A lot of them look perfect, but sound terrible. Of course, I can always hear them between songs, but unless it's full music like rock, I can hear them during the song and sometimes even on rock. Instrumentals are unlistenable for the most part. What am I missing here?

Where are you getting the used records ?

Used records are very variable.

As mentioned above I noticed noise on records more than I previously did before going CD for about 15 yrs. Essentially it was cos I never bought used before and that does bring problems. Solved to my best ability by using a vacuum RCM. Still...... used records.... only because I was chasing special pressings.
 
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Maybe stop cleaning them? Personally I find it rare that cleaning doesn't leave some residual crackle/pop sometimes/often worse than before cleaning. Sure the majority advice will be that your cleaning ain't up to it, but I've yet to repeat any consistent noise free result, so I don't clean unless abs necessary these days. Really, as you say looks great sounds bad IME :pawprint:
 
I pretty much mirror your experience exactly. New lps sound great most used ones sound like snap crackle pop, same cleaning regiment as yours. Some even after having been ran through a nitty Gritty RCM? I bought a grounded stainless steel dust brush hoping it would discharge any static but doesn't matter. I was worried that the paint pads were possibly destroying the records at one point, but others love em. I am seriously considering quitting buying anything used.

I want to like vinyl. I REALLY want to like vinyl!! I have hundreds of CDs and have been a CD listener exclusively for the last few years, but I really like the idea, the sound, and the process of spinning vinyl. I've probably bought 200 albums in the past year. Some are $33.00 new albums, some are fifty cents thrift store albums! I can't seem to figure out how to get to a level of clicks and pops that I can live with on used vinyl!!

I don't mind a few clicks and pops from time to time. It's part of the experience and they don't bother me at all. My problem is the vast majority of my records have so many, it drives me nuts! My cleaning process is warm water with Dawn and a light paint pad scrubbing, followed by a distilled water bath in a Spin Clean. Dry with micro fiber cloths and New inner and outer sleeves for all records before playing the first time. When they hit the turntable, they get an anti-static brushing and sometimes a Zerostat treatment to make sure there's no static electricity.

My system is a new Creek Evo 50a, Epos Epic 2 speakers, and a Rega RP1 with upgrade package. It's a very detailed system. I'm wondering if that's the cause of me hearing every little flaw in the records. What drives me nuts is I go over to a friends house and he will pick up any old record, maybe brush it, maybe not, throw it on any old vintage turntable, with a vintage amp, and large vintage speakers, and I never hear any clicks and pops. $%*@ Is it the larger vintage speakers that doesn't resolve the surface noise? I'll be in record stores where they're spinning vinyl and never hear surface nose.

Do I have some albums that are completely quiet on my system? Yep, but they're brand new albums. I can't seem to get a used album that isn't just full of clicks and pops. A lot of them look perfect, but sound terrible. Of course, I can always hear them between songs, but unless it's full music like rock, I can hear them during the song and sometimes even on rock. Instrumentals are unlistenable for the most part. What am I missing here?
 
I pretty much mirror your experience exactly. New lps sound great most used ones sound like snap crackle pop, same cleaning regiment as yours. Some even after having been ran through a nitty Gritty RCM? I bought a grounded stainless steel dust brush hoping it would discharge any static but doesn't matter. I was worried that the paint pads were possibly destroying the records at one point, but others love em. I am seriously considering quitting buying anything used.

Same here. I may just stick to new albums. I hate to pass up on some of the classics however!
 
Maybe stop cleaning them? Personally I find it rare that cleaning doesn't leave some residual crackle/pop sometimes/often worse than before cleaning. Sure the majority advice will be that your cleaning ain't up to it, but I've yet to repeat any consistent noise free result, so I don't clean unless abs necessary these days. Really, as you say looks great sounds bad IME :pawprint:

I may give this a try as well. I've never done it, but it's worth trying. I know my friend never cleans any of his. I still think it has to do with the difference in systems, but I'll try not cleaning a couple and see what happens.
 
A few things to consider:

Cartridge
Cartridge alignment
Stylus cleaning [very important]
Tracking Force [most track too light. I go 1/10th gram over max]
Record mat material

Cleaning is a must. I buy lots of old vinyl and most of them sound pretty good after cleaning. I use the Spin Clean system and a Nitty Gritty vac.

FWIW some new recordings have lots of ticks as well.

I also use a grounded stainless brush. I go over the platter, then the opposite side of the record. Put it on the platter and then keep passing the brush until I no longer hear any ticks from the brush moving off the edge of the platter. I can usually flip and do one pass for the second side. Sounds like a lot of work but it's easy and quick.
 
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My cartridge is the stock Rega Bias 2 that comes with the upgraded Rega RP1

Rega Bias 2:

Output: 6.8 - 7.2mV

Stylus: Elliptical

Coils: High spec parallel wound coils

Tracking Pressure 1.75g

You may want to try a cartridge with a slightly higher compliant cantilever and finer point.

Is it convenient for you to audition a different cartridge on your turn table? :scratch2:
 
Rega Bias 2:

Output: 6.8 - 7.2mV

Stylus: Elliptical

Coils: High spec parallel wound coils

Tracking Pressure 1.75g

You may want to try a cartridge with a slightly higher compliant cantilever and finer point.

Is it convenient for you to audition a different cartridge on your turn table? :scratch2:


While it's not convenient, I'm not opposed to buying another cartridge if I thought it would help with the problem. Any suggestions?
 
I want to like vinyl. I REALLY want to like vinyl!! I have hundreds of CDs and have been a CD listener exclusively for the last few years, but I really like the idea, the sound, and the process of spinning vinyl. I've probably bought 200 albums in the past year. Some are $33.00 new albums, some are fifty cents thrift store albums! I can't seem to figure out how to get to a level of clicks and pops that I can live with on used vinyl!!

I don't mind a few clicks and pops from time to time. It's part of the experience and they don't bother me at all. My problem is the vast majority of my records have so many, it drives me nuts! My cleaning process is warm water with Dawn and a light paint pad scrubbing, followed by a distilled water bath in a Spin Clean. Dry with micro fiber cloths and New inner and outer sleeves for all records before playing the first time. When they hit the turntable, they get an anti-static brushing and sometimes a Zerostat treatment to make sure there's no static electricity.

My system is a new Creek Evo 50a, Epos Epic 2 speakers, and a Rega RP1 with upgrade package. It's a very detailed system. I'm wondering if that's the cause of me hearing every little flaw in the records. What drives me nuts is I go over to a friends house and he will pick up any old record, maybe brush it, maybe not, throw it on any old vintage turntable, with a vintage amp, and large vintage speakers, and I never hear any clicks and pops. $%*@ Is it the larger vintage speakers that doesn't resolve the surface noise? I'll be in record stores where they're spinning vinyl and never hear surface nose.

Do I have some albums that are completely quiet on my system? Yep, but they're brand new albums. I can't seem to get a used album that isn't just full of clicks and pops. A lot of them look perfect, but sound terrible. Of course, I can always hear them between songs, but unless it's full music like rock, I can hear them during the song and sometimes even on rock. Instrumentals are unlistenable for the most part. What am I missing here?

It seems like the trend for a number of years now has been for new equipment, particularly preamps/ amps and speakers to sound ever more detailed so that one can hear the chair squeak way back yonder when the player moves. But when I go to hear live music (particularly acoustic instruments) I never hear the level of detail that a lot of present day equipment shows mercilessly.

The mechanical/ electrical complexities of LP sound reproduction conspire against a system that has a highly detailed presentation unless the source LP is pristine and the chain that follows it is also commensurately "clean".

As has been suggested in prior postings, take your LP's that are highly offensive in your system to your friend with the vintage system and hear what you get. If the music satisfies, then that is a suggestion of the way to go.

Over the years, I have tailored my system so that it makes me very happy when I listen to it. This includes hundreds of inexpensive LP's acquired from all kinds of sources but great music nonetheless. I have one turntable (Rega P3 with a cartridge (AT 440mla) with a detailed presentation and another turntable (Lenco L75) with a Denon DL 103 cartridge with a conical stylus. Some records sound better in one, some in the other

I do have a Nitty Gritty LP cleaner. Basically when I get a a batch of thrift records I first run them on the NG, most clean up just fine - minimal pops and clicks. Those that don't if I like the music then get a steam cleaning and/or a chemical cleaning such as SB. The few after that that are still too noisy are so damaged that nothing is going to help them.

By the way, when I first started in this hobby I tried the cleaning the records over the sink with a bit of Dawn and the letting them dry on a rack. I'm sorry to report it never helped one bit.
 
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A few things to consider:

Cartridge
Cartridge alignment
Stylus cleaning [very important]
Tracking Force [most track too light. I go 1/10th gram over max]
Record mat material

Cleaning is a must. I buy lots of old vinyl and most of them sound pretty good after cleaning. I use the Spin Clean system and a Nitty Gritty vac.

FWIW some new recordings have lots of ticks as well.

I also use a grounded stainless brush. I go over the platter, then the opposite side of the record. Put it on the platter and then keep passing the brush until I no longer hear any ticks from the brush moving off the edge of the platter. I can usually flip and do one pass for the second side. Sounds like a lot of work but it's easy and quick.

I may invest in a Nitty Gritty. I do use a Magic Eraser to clean my stylus between records, or at least after then end of my listening session. I'll check out the grounded stainless brush.
 
It seems like the trend for a number of years now has been for new equipment, particularly preamps/ amps and speakers to sound ever more detailed so that one can hear the chair squeak way back yonder when the player moves. But when I go to hear live music (particularly acoustic instruments) I never hear the level of detail that a lot of present day equipment shows mercilessly.

The mechanical/ electrical complexities of LP sound reproduction conspire against a system that has a highly detailed presentation unless the source LP is pristine and the chain that follows it is also commensurately "clean".

As has been suggested in prior postings, take your LP's that are highly offensive in your system to your friend with the vintage system and hear what you get. If the music satisfies, then that is a suggestion of the way to go.

Over the years, I have tailored my system so that it makes me very happy when I listen to it. This includes hundreds of inexpensive LP's acquired from all kinds of sources but great music nonetheless. I have one turntable (Rega RP3 with a cartridge (AT 440mla) with a detailed presentation and another turntable (Lenco L75) with a Denon DL 103 cartridge with a conical stylus. Some records sound better in one, some in the other

I do have a Nitty Gritty LP cleaner. Basically when I get a a batch of thrift records I first run them on the NG, most clean up just fine - minimal pops and clicks. Those that don't if I like the music then get a steam cleaning and/or a chemical cleaning such as SB. The few after that that are still too noisy are so damaged that nothing is going to help them.

By the way, when I first started in this hobby I tried the cleaning the records over the sink with a bit of Dawn and the letting them dry on a rack. I'm sorry to report it never helped one bit.

I agree about the new equipment. It's funny because I started out with all vintage equipment, but there isn't a decent tech anywhere close to where I live to fix things when they go belly up. And with vintage equipment, it's just a matter of time. So, I've upgraded to all new equipment. It's perfect for CDs, but I really think there's where the majority of my issue lies with vinyl. I will take a record to his house and listen to it to compare. I love the detail I get from my new system, but maybe I need a vintage system for my vinyl! I'm about to give up on my Dawn/paint pad cleaning procedure. I think a Nitty Gritty may be in my future.....
 
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