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New Re-Issue Vinyl: Surface Noise, Ticks, Pops....

It seems that paying an average of 30.00 to get new 180-200 gram pressings is a lot of money. And I don't mind paying it for a good clean pressing. But is seems as though I usually end up with surface noise , crackling, pops etc.. It is so frustrating to wait for records to come and when I play them I hear a record that sounds like I bought it in a used record store. Has anyone ever mentally kept track of what interent distributor seems to have the noisiest or cleanest vinyl? Or perhaps the pressing company/label? Do you clean them before you play to clean the releasing agent or play them right out of the jacket? I love the sound of the grooves and I believe the sound is better but, I just would like to have a good clean copy. Am I wrong to expect a tick and pop free copy?
Back in the early days I usually didn't get the surface noise till I played them a few times. That was cheaper vinyl and about 4-5 bucks.
128x128theo
vinyladdict
164 posts
 
... if they could make standard $7 records without pops, clicks, scratches, etc. 25-30 years ago there's no reason we shouldn't DEMAND at least the same quality from these "premium audiophile" pressings of today at $30+ each.

It's a damn shame that I can buy a used piece of vinyl, clean it up, and have it wipe the floor with a new audiophile pressing in terms of quietness.

I'm not asking for dead silent wax, but I am asking for playable vinyl which means no loud pops, crackles, etc. The ONLY ones who seem able to do this are the Japanese, the current MOFI stuff, and some European labels like Pure Pleasure (whos wax is dead dead dead silent...)
chadnliz
3,736 posts
 
Back in the day albums were very automated vs today and were produced at higher speeds so I guess they didnt have as much time and labor to get dirty before landing in the sleeve?
dkzzzz's avatar
dkzzzz
124 posts
 
I bought Thriller anniversary reissue double LP that was 180g and warped so badly my cart would not track.
I send it back and they send me less-warped record:)
Modern reissues are often garbage in quality. That is why i sore not to pay more than $15.00 for them.
elinor's avatar
elinor
275 posts
 
I was in the retail record biz 30 years ago in what was one of the largest and most successful record/audio chains of the era. Trust me when I say that a large percentage of records were defective. Anyone who remembers otherwise is not remembering correctly. The never ending stream of returned records to the distributors and record companies along with uncontrollable pricing in the oil industry in the 1970s eventually led us to the digital age. By the way, those $7.00 records in the mid-70s were viewed as expensive and the same remarks regarding price/quality were voiced then as well.

If you are not cleaning your records before your initial first play, the ticks and pops cannot be improved upon. You must clean them.
thomasheisig
568 posts
 
After buying loads of records/reissues the last years, I nearly stopped it. It's too frustrating to spend so much money and getting such results.
EVERY 2. hand record with 80gr before Y2K is light years ahead from surface noise.
Reissues aren't bad in general, but those times, where you could get superior quality from CR (their first LSC with 180gr) or others are gone. CR was the best in general (mastering and sound), others have probably better vinyl, but their Mastering is nothing special (SC)... it is not easy to get the real stuff.
Probably "they" want to push the output, probably the good vinyl is no longer available ... good as analog is, that's not the way to go.
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