phomchick makes what seems to me a good point. I was happy when CD players hit the market in 1982. I was tired of records developing ticks and pops. I have not bought a record in over 35 years. But that raises a question that I would like to ask all my colleagues here who do spin vinyl...has the noisy record problem of ticks and pops gotten better through the years? What do you think of today's modern turntables, cartridges, and record cleaning devices?