2. analog
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Why is some vinyl noisy?

I'm listening to a copy of "This Is The Moody Blues", a very fine record store find, and I'm amazed at how noisy the vinyl sounds compared to it's physical condition.

The record is nice and flat, looks great in bright light, heavyweight. It's very clean as it's just been through my VPI 16.5 cleaner with two fluid baths. The rig it's playing on is plenty good enough to get the best from this record: VPI Scoutmaster, Sumiko Blackbird, McCormack & Krell downstream.

Yet, this is a noisy, clicky, poppy ride. I don't get it. Is some vinyl just plain noisy, or is some surface damage too hard to detect? By the same token, an ancient, clearly scuffed RCA Living Stereo recording of Van Cliburn just sounds terrific.
forddonald
dgarretson
2,394 posts
 
After using a 16.5 for about ten years, I finally figured out that some records with such problems require a full 1-2 minutes cleaning per side with lots of fluid before they give up their clicks & pops. Perhaps worth a try.
tfkaudio
589 posts
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but a record played with a damaged stylus will tear up the material inside the grooves, but the record may look perfect to the naked eye. With used records, this is a very real possibility. I just threw out a Phildelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandy LP of The William Tell Overture and other overtures (Columbia Masterworks). It looked totally mint but was completely wrecked.

So I'm out a dollar.

Cheers.
bkonig
127 posts
 
Vinyl noise is the nature of the beast. Even with it's faults, I much prefer top class analog to top class digital.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
I recently bought a used three LP collection. The first two sides have most of the recognizable songs. All six sides appear flawless. However, it's obvious that in it's lifetime the collection's first two sides have received 90% of the playing time because they display some groove damage which is audible as distortion.

Sides three through six sound nearly pristine. It makes for an interesting observation of how differently vinyl from the same collection can sound.
dgarretson
2,394 posts
 
In this vein a couple albums in my collection come to mind, such as George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, and several Miles Davis Mosaic box sets with 7-10 disks. With the Harrison, I try to sit long enough to work my way into Apple Jam disk three; I've made it all the way through perhaps once in 30 years. With the Miles boxes, I forget where I left off and just start over.
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