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Newbie to Vinyl Seeks Tips

With some trepidation, and quite a bit of skepticism, I have decided to take the leap into vinyl.  The bulk of my listening to date has been streaming Qobuz over Roon to an Ares II DAC and a variety of amplifiers and the Tekton Moabs.  I have been very happy with that system.  Since I just want to tip my toe into the water, I am buying the Fluance RT85 turntable and Schiit Mani preamp.  I know nothing about vinyl and am not looking for tips on equipment at this point but do want input on some fundamentals like:

What is the best, and most cost effective way to clean records, both before each play and more like a deep cleaning?

Why are prices of records on Amazon so different?  Are they cheapest when first released and then fall in price or vice versa?

I know different pressings are supposed to have different qualities.  How do I figure out what to buy without becoming obsessed with that?  And if you don't buy from Amazon where do you buy records?

How bad an idea is it to pick through thrift stores looking for records?

In general, is there any cost effective way to build a collection of records?  I'm not somebody that listens to the same thing 20-30x so the  idea of paying $30-40 for a LP is irritating.

And finally, is this just a fools errand?  I have no intention of spending tons of money on turntables, tonearms, cartridges, phone pre's etc. etc..  I've built what I think is an amazing system out of carefully selected but affordable components.  Is such a thing even possible with vinyl?

What other pragmatic things should I know?

Thanks

Paul


pinwa
bslon's avatar
bslon
2,209 posts
 

Paul, if you want to find out your turntable’s potential I suggest buying a couple reissue LP’s from Music Direct, Elusive Disc or Acoustic Sounds. Look for quality audiophile labels like Mobile Fidelity or Analogue Productions and details like Mastered From Original Master Tapes & Pressed at RTI.

You should be able to find something to please your musical taste. They’ll cost you $35-$50 but will be virtually free of surface noise or warps. A couple swipes with a record brush is all that’s needed. If there’s an issue, these vendors have great customer service.


arcticdeth's avatar
arcticdeth
1,572 posts
 
Label protector, lukewarm water, painters corner paint rectangle pad,
I Roy soap, or a very small bit of Dawn dish soap.

 When rinsing, slowly turn water on, so only water comes out in a non aerated stream. If aerated, the water won’t get in to rinse the grooves. 
 I hooked up my shop vac attachment with felt pads from a hardware store, slowly go round, sucking up everything.

 Works a dandy for me. 
 Spend the cash if you want, on a cleaning machine.

 Patience, level TT, anti skate, weight of headshell on LP, 
trial and error.
have fun, enjoy the tunes. 
arcticdeth's avatar
arcticdeth
1,572 posts
 
Years ago, I would hit the used record shop 3-4 X a week, ash time walking out with at least 8-10 records.
 Their prices have massively increased to the point they are overpricing sales, the price of an Allmand Bros 2 LP loose gatefold was 29.00$ used, with the jacket in not too good condition, found same lp on discogs (I love there most weekends) for 8$ ok,ok, 11$ with shipping.  Better than their over priced stuff.

  I’m all for supporting local shops, but some of those prices were just outrageously overpriced…

zeppelin, who, Beatles, were all over 15-20$ for rough looking records and jackets.

 Thanks for the ear to rant 
pinwa OP
291 posts
 
Did you mean Ivory soap?  I find it hard to imagine that is good for records but I have never tried it.  I have tried scrubbing records with those paint pads making sure to follow the grooves but records were still noisy.  
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,905 posts
 
Apart from ensuring the record is clean, the only other way to reduce vinyl noise is to improve the mechanics of the reproduction system. A good turntable will decrease the noise floor and increase the dynamics to the point where the music is far louder than the vinyl noise. So much so, that it becomes barely an inconvenience. Lower end tables can't do that and can be frustrating.
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