Yep! I share the same experience with mine!

I definitely understand where you’re coming from Steve. I’m sure you understand as much as the next “music enthusiast” that music is a purely subjective art form. You may enjoy the overly distorted production style of shoegaze whereas I may be seeking the “flawless” and pristine production that most pop music has to offer.

While surface noise is a pretty much unavoidable part of the vinyl experience, our individual opinions will vary from person to person. You might find it overly obtrusive and distracting (as you mentioned) while me or the next person may perceive it to be one of the nostalgic or endearing aspects that separates vinyl from other mediums.

If you’re looking for the cleanest sound technologically possible, you probably wouldn’t want to invest very much time and money into amassing a huge vintage vinyl collection. For someone like me who didn’t grow up listening to vinyl, part of the appeal is not only collecting a physical piece of art, but rediscovering the roots which have ultimately branched out into the various ways most people consume their music today.

Opening up Spotify or Tidal on your phone and having instant access to almost any song you can think of definitely has its place, but there’s a certain sense of satisfaction when you tear the saran wrap off of a brand new record and hear it crackle into existence for the first time. Both the digital and analog experience each have their own pros and cons but it will ultimately boil down to your own personal preference.

I appreciate you sharing your experience and offering a different perspective, after all, there are always two sides to every story! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. 🙂

Hey Elan, thanks for your questions. Using eye glass cleaner is not recommended at all for cleaning records. You can, on the other hand, use your eye glass cleaning cloth to give them a quick wipe down.

You can use certain types of alcohol (such as isopropyl) mixed in with a few other ingredients without damaging your records. You’ll want to take a look at this instructional on How To Clean Vinyl Records By Hand for more detailed information. 

Yes, the pops, clicks, and hisses sound quite a bit different than the sound a CD makes when it skips. (It sounds more like the crackle of a burning camp fire.) 

The stylus on your turntable can make a difference – especially if it’s not regularly cleaned and has tons of dirt and dust collected around the tip. 

The best way to avoid excessive surface noise is to make sure you vinyl and turntable components are regularly cleaned. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and asking some great questions – I’m sure others will also benefit from your curiosity!

Hope to see you here again!