Snap crackle and pop

I have a Bob Dylan boot called PASSED OVER AND ROLLING THUNDER. I'm convinced this album is made of Kryponite. It plays quiet and steady after 40 years and has better quality tape sources than the official releases that later included the same stuff. A clean thick and heavy pressing. Whereas my first edition of DESIRE sound like a buzzsaw.

 

The Asperger's in me doesn't tolerate scratches and imperfections very well, hence CDs being my sole medium.

 

Richard did you try my suggestion or a variation of it?

 

Nope. I'm sure your suggestions about washing under the spigot etc. are
good and sincere and work for you but I find them too labor-intensive.
Additionally, I don't own that many records. Very few, in fact. About 67.
Most of them are still sealed until I get the proper speakers. So I don't
have any records to test your suggestion on. I've started gathering spoken
word albums from the 1950s and 1960s; Shakespeare plays and Basil
Rathbone reading Edgar Allan Poe, that sort of thing. I haven't actually
played them yet but I anticipate there'll be some snap crackle and pop
to deal with. But I'm not paying for any album in such bad condition
that it needs to be scrubbed in a pail of distilled water.

 

The vinyl faithful will tell you that records can be as quiet as CDs. They are correct, but that will not be your typical experience unless you're collecting sealed MFSL pressings, old premium label classical or Japanese and German imports. Even then, a little noise here and there is to be expected. If you're into pop and rock, measure your expectations. Labels simply weren't paying for premium pressings on records they figured kids would be playing on plastic suitcase turntables anyway.

 

Agreed. When you buy a new car, you shouldn't have to spend a week in the garage making sure the wheels are aligned etc.

 

That doesn't mean we should lower our expectations. When you pay $20-$25 for something, it should be perfect. If not, you return it for a perfect one. I had to return 50% of my Beatles stereo vinyl. They are now all ''noiseless'' because I refused to accept the ticks and pops that were present. Who wins? Me.

 

When I was collecting records in the 80's the only thing I would buy was MFSL and Japanese imports and I took care of them. They were very quiet. In addition the better your system, the less noticeable the pops and clicks are. I was at AXPONA at the Focal booth. They were playing SRV on a noisy record- an American pressing I think. It sounded fabulous. I made a video with my iphoone and the damn recording sounded good LOL.

 

When you buy a used car (the original post was about collecting vintage vinyl) you might expect to wash it.
Picked up a copy of Robert Cray Strong Persuader for 6 bucks. Looks like an 80's record to me. Thin as a potato chip.
Mint condition other than a lot of paper dust from the sleeve. Tried the carbon brush was better but still a lot of noise. Washed and it now sounds great!

 

This doesn't sound like used records to me. Maybe I'm wrong:

 

Now that I read it again. I think you are clearly right. He was talking new.
Dunno. When I bought American pressings in the 80's and 90's yeah they were noisy. Yeah you are right 20-30 bucks it should sound great.
Frankly I am shocked that vinyl made such a comeback.