Are your record surfaces as silent as CDs?

@atmasphere 

Thanks for the explanation.

“I'm very used to playing entire LP sides without any ticks or pops and I don't clean my records other than using a carbon fiber dust brush before each play”

I have the same experience, except that I occasionally use a cleaning machine which improves the SQ.

@tomcy6 You may not have noticed, but digital streaming is now making up about 85% of record company revenues. That may have something to do with the decline of cd sales.

CD sales in the US market actually had an uptick in 22 and 23 compared to several years ago.  Especially considering outside of the U.S. the CD format is still the most popular format for listening to music. In the UK, CDs were the most popular format in 2023.

Strangely enough, digital downloads are on the decline while compared to physical sales of CDs and Vinyl being up in 2023.

For those of us who collect physical music as a hobby, we are clearly a shrinking source of  revenue for the music industry. 

I had noise issues with vinyl back in the 70, 80, 90s. I was using a Linn Sondek, with an SME tonearm and a mid-level moving magnet cartridge along with a Conrad Johnson PV1 pre-amp. Noise was so discouraging, I embraced CD/SACD with an Esoteric P3 D3 combo w/ separate clock. I decided to go back to vinyl around 2005. I purchased Brinkmann LaGrange with a Breuer tonearm. I use a ZYX 4D cartridge and a ASR Basis Exclusive phono pre-amp. I use a Clearaudio double matrix for cleaning. Vinyl is noise free with this hookup and it is wonderful. I would not have believed it if I did not experience it for the last 20 years. Nirvana!

Nope, clicks and pops. Most new pressings, except for boutique labels, are poor. Digital has given me zero tolerance for surface noise..... 

Yes...