• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

LP condition obsession, am I the only one who does not care?

Condorsat said:
Bought my first CD player back in 84 ... anyway slowly drifted away from Vinyl and got back in during the dollar bin era in 2000. Still had some legacy Vinyl left that I had not spun since my hiatus. One of my old records had a constant tick all the way through side 2. I then recalled that tick from back in the day .. it never bother me, since I never took the record back for a refund or exchange. That changed after the CD era which really lowered my tolerance for "excessive" surface noise.
Click to expand...
I think you are onto something. Perhaps, having a pop free experience for so many years as you, I too have become intolerant to LP snap, crackle, and pop.
 
Speaking of noise, my wife and I saved our money to buy a new CD player back in the early 90s and got a Denon unit. My neighbor's son had a music/stereo store. So we proudly set it up and started to listen, tick, tick, tick and then sometimes it would spit the CD back out or stop playing. Hmmm, took it back, got another, not as bad but after a month it started ticking. Not with all CD or all the way through, sent it back to Denon repair. Came back, after a few months, tick, tick, tick. it is maddening. Surface noise on a LP I can zone out but the rhythmic subtle ticking, no way, I go nuts. Being an engineer of sorts I designed a very effective device and after much experimentation and complex equations I solved the problem:



The length of the plastic tube and the exact modulus of the elasticity in relation to diameter is finely calibrated and must be adjusted with the variations in gravitational flux, but no more ticking. It has worked fine for 26 years. So far, so good.
 
I've been mostly CD for 30+ years. Some FM radio. And 2 or 3 times a year I'll play a record just to make sure my TT is still working properly.
A friend recently gave me several records.
The clean ones sound great.
The ones with hiss and pops and clicks remind me why I've been mostly listening to CD's and FM radio for decades.
 
I've cleaned (Spin Clean) many of my all time favorite albums.
The recent gifted albums most likely will be one time listening albums.
The type always available at your local GW.
 
audiocrzy said:
Actually life is to short to spend the time looking for perfection. Buying records then returning them or looking for something better does take time and contributes to disappointment.
Click to expand...
Do it right or not at all. That sums up my world.
 
Once had a NM- copy of Styx "Kilroy was Here". Best sounding copy I ever owned (audio quality). Problem was it had a warp that caused the cartridge to dance up & down .. along with a very light "swoosh" sound.

Replaced with another NM- copy that did not have those flaws but it also did not sound as good as the previous copy.
Did not matter to me .. still enjoyed the 2nd copy better .. the flaws of the first album kept me from enjoying the LP.

The warp was a source of constant distraction that took me out of the moment. Point being .. in my case the quality of record is directly proportional to my enjoyment of the listening session (album).
 
Last edited:
mkane said:
It doesn't I suppose. If the vinyl can't be made silent it gets passed on.
Click to expand...

You must have a really small collection ;). Just teasing, nothing wrong with the pursuit of the snipe, jabberwocky, Easter Bunny or teasing aside, the honest pursuit of superior sound as is the case with an audiophile or yourself seeking the best experience. But is it a music experience or a technical experience and where do the two separate or meld, it is not definable I see from this discussion. There is a technical performance aspect to this hobby (not a good word but I am in a hurry at the moment) that cannot be denied.
 
mkane said:
It doesn't I suppose. If the vinyl can't be made silent it gets passed on.
Click to expand...

What about CD's that sound truly awful? Compare the original release on CD of Sticky Fingers with the original LP. If you don't think the LP walks all over the CD you and I must come from different realities. Sugar Ray 14:59 is another example of a truly bad sounding CD. I know it's supposed to sound sort of grungy but.....

When I first bought it I thought there was something wrong with my copy. After the second exchange I realized it is supposed to sound bad. Needless to say I've bought nothing from them since then.

Soul Quality Quartet which I have on a CD single is even worse sounding. They went all out to make it sound like a worn misused LP and it does.
 
I've always thought the intentional addition of clicks and pops to get an antique sonic effect is nutty, no matter what the artist's intent. The exception would be for a few seconds in an otherwise clearly-recorded song, for some literary purpose, I suppose.
 
JoeEsp9, I can't do a CD comparison because we choose not to use CD's.. Our record collection is a modest one, 600lp's give or take. Of course, some have clicks and some have pops. I'll tell ya what though, more that one or two per side is about it.

And being a DIY'er there is the aspect of listening to the gear but I get over it when satisfied.
 
I fall somewhere right between "I don't care" and "ultra picky".

I collect records, but I do so with the intent of listening to them (and not just for the sake of collecting alone). I'd argue most of what I buy used falls into VG+ or VG++/EX territory, with a few NM and VG records scattered in.

IMO, a true NM is pretty rare with used vinyl, and the grade tends to be overused by some sellers/shops. But then again, I'm a fairly hard/conservative grader. My rule with VG records is that they must be "almost VG+"/able to clean up well. I generally avoid anything I consider to be below VG.

I don't expect perfection from records, but as long as it plays well with minimal surface noise after a good cleaning, I'm happy.
 
mkane said:
JoeEsp9, I can't do a CD comparison because we choose not to use CD's.. Our record collection is a modest one, 600lp's give or take. Of course, some have clicks and some have pops. I'll tell ya what though, more that one or two per side is about it.

And being a DIY'er there is the aspect of listening to the gear but I get over it when satisfied.
Click to expand...

I rarely play CD's. All of mine get ripped to FLAC as soon as they're received. They are played through a music server PC and and external DAC. Since I can play both, I have done some comparisons with source material I have in both formats. Sticky Fingers is one of the CD's that sounds truly awful in comparison to the LP.

It's so bad that no comparison is necessary. regardless of how many "rice crispie's" are on the LP. The CD sounds awful without doing any comparing.

For quality of the sound from an LP, any direct to disk LP sounds a lot more "there" than any other media I have access to.
 
JoeESP9 said:
I rarely play CD's. All of mine get ripped to FLAC as soon as they're received. They are played through a music server PC and and external DAC. Since I can play both, I have done some comparisons with source material I have in both formats. Sticky Fingers is one of the CD's that sounds truly awful in comparison to the LP.

It's so bad that no comparison is necessary. regardless of how many "rice crispie's" are on the LP. The CD sounds awful without doing any comparing.

For quality of the sound from an LP, any direct to disk LP sounds a lot more "there" than any other media I have access to.
Click to expand...
I have maybe two dozen Rolling Stones LPs, original issues. I have some of those on CD too and I have CDs of Stones later works after record stores closed in my area. I even have some Stones on SACD. Some of my LPs still sound pretty good considering I played them originally on a Magnavox portable record player back about 56 years ago. Finally, I have some re-mastered Stones LPs and a few very recent Stones works from Apple Music.. In some instances I think the LPs have a more focused tone; but, I sense it's the phono preamp which is giving me that impression, simply higher gain required to get full dynamics, even in a very quiet environment. "Well, you know what kind of eyes she got". BTW, listen to Street Fighting Man from Beggars Banquet and compare it to the Apple Music Stripped Live Stones album. I'd like to know what impression you have.
 
Last edited:
I've been listening to my vinyl for the first time in years. Used to be a fanatic about cleaning and using Sound Guard............yeah it's been that long. Surprising how many of them sound great after so long. They were ignored but not neglected or mistreated so there is that.

Listening to Stones "Still Life" right now.
 
geezin' said:
I've been listening to my vinyl for the first time in years. Used to be a fanatic about cleaning and using Sound Guard............yeah it's been that long. Surprising how many of them sound great after so long. They were ignored but not neglected or mistreated so there is that.

Listening to Stones "Still Life" right now.
Click to expand...
I'm shattered.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom