Living with popping and crackling

Surface noise is a fact of life for vinyl. In the last decade before consumer digital media became available many kinds of hardware were developed to address the issue: dynamic noise filters (Carver Autocorrellator) pop and click eliminators (actually digital devices), and DBX noise reduction (similar to Dolby processing for tape recorders, and the only really successful approach). Distortion, dynamic range, and most other deficiencies were overcome by the best equipment, but surface noise just became more and more objectionable as other faults were corrected.

Some audiophiles can "listen through" the noise. Some say spending $30,000 or more on phono playback equipment will solve the problem. (After spending such money, who would admit a mistake!) Others simply deny surface noise exists. Unless you are one of these folk, concentrate on a good digital system.

Oy, revisited.

Todd, take no offense. The idea of needing to clean a new LP is just something that is OFTEN overlooked, even by those who are not newbies! Welcome to the club, I didn't realize this until having an experience similar to Doug, either.

It would seem to me that the more expensive/high end equip. would be more sensitive and thus cause more surface noise if the lp is not perfect.
It would also seem to me that noise filters along with pop and click filters would filter out the musical frequencies that correspond to the pops and cracks. But of course I could be wrong in both cases.

I agree, PT, I have never found the need for filters, but would avoid them at all costs, in any case.