Is it possible to have vinyl nearly noise free?

I was at VPI last week and they make a cleaning machine and some other machine that cleans the groves.  They told me that it most cases, the Ps and Cs are eliminated.  Contact VPI in New Jersey and ask for Matt (owner) or Marc the office manager.  Great people.

As a previous poster said, the older LPs sound best, and, I find, have fewer problems with ticks and pops.

This is an interesting thread.

I just played an OP of Bob Seger "Beautiful Loser" I bought off ebay. I have cleaned it. It was eerily quiet. Still I have other lps I notice surface noise. So, I’m a little confused by the remarks by @atmasphere . I clean my records religiously. I think Ralph's "90%" is an overreach.

I exchanged emails with Rush Paul a couple of years ago. He turned me on to the Walker 4 step system. It also had become obvious that I needed a good vacuum cleaner (VPI and several others). I used the Walker system for a couple of months and heard a significant improvement in the overall sound quality, detail and timbre. More so than any other cleaning method I had ever used. But it was time consuming, I could do about four records an hour and I did the work.

Then I found a way to use ultrasonic and not spend a pant load of money doing it. See Rush’s article at: https://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/rushton-paul-diy-approach-ultrasonic-cleaning-lps/ on US cleaning. It gives all the details on how to do it. I must say I heard another order of detail and timbre that had never been there before. The US is faster than using the manual Walker system by replacing the two enzyme and detergent washes with the US bath, 4 in ten minutes. It is still necessary to do a Regents water rinse and conditioner (ethyl alcohol, Regents water and a drop of Jetdry).

Additionally, the Walker Talisman will do wonders for any residual noise (aka static). This thing works phenomenally well at neutralizing static. It’s just some very strong magnets oriented in a way that does the trick. It also has other sound improving uses. You won’t believe your ears. Much of the clicks and pops we hear are static discharge (lightning) between the record and cartridge assembly.

I clean all records when I get them, new or used. Usually when I clean an old record there is some "dark matter" at the bottom of the tank. New records don’t do this. On a rare occasion that the used record was abused or poorly cared for there may be some surface noise that is micro scratches. You can’t fix them. But if you don’t clean the record those micro scratches may be full of the "dark matter" I spoke of and you won’t hear them or the improved detail and timbre. This has been proven time and again in listening tests.


It took me a while but I have become a believer. I used to think the US cleaner people were just wanting to play with something new. That it was another audiophile rabbit hole, but it really works. I will never be convinced that not cleaning is the way to go.


The Sugar Cube is a digital processor. You want analogue or digital?

Rollin

I haven't used a record cleaner in 20 years. No need.

So, I’m a little confused by the remarks by @atmasphere . I clean my records religiously. I think Ralph's "90%" is an overreach.

@slaw You have to hear a stable phono section right beside one that isn't to know what I'm talking about. Scratches- can't do anything about that. I just use a dust brush and that's all that's needed.