Upgrade CD player or get into LPs? Suggestions

I used to listen exclusively to LPs back in the 70s- early 80s. When CDs came along I bought in mainly to save wear and tear on my LPs, which I stll considered my reference source for music. CDs replaced cassette tape and the convenience of using them became addictive, supported by the lack of surface noise LPs (and tape) always produce.

Fast forward to today and I have all but forsaken vinyl, but plan on resurrecting it. IMHO 16 bit resolution of standard CDs is just not enough to provide the low level details of vinyl, surface noise notwithstanding. The higher resolution digital 24 bit may be a lot better, I don't know. I do know that 24 bit music selection is meager at best, and there is little to no hope that the hundreds of LPs or CDs I have accumulated over the years will ever be reproduced in high res 24 bit sources.

If you have never listened to a vinyl rig, you owe it to yourself to find one and listen. You may wish to freeze your digital CD based system where it is and start a vinyl setup. After you have made the comparison, then go from there. Vinyl does require a lot more tweaking and attention than playing CDs require, which require more than steaming from a music server. LPs also wear out while digital sources do not.

Surprisingly though, LPs for many artists are still available, with CD sources still being the most common.

Tomcy6: I consider clicks and pops on albums the same way I consider scratches on cds. That is to say, I go buy another copy. People complain about pops and clicks as if they are normal. They are not! They are caused by the owner doing something stupid to the album or a faulty album in the first place. I look for very good to excellent copies of albums and I clean them very well. If I have an album I like that has issues, I go find it in better condition. Wouldn't you do the same for a damaged cd? to me this is a non-issue. It is a problem with the album, then replace it. It is pretty easy to find good to excellent copies of used or re-issued albums, exactly the same as cds. That is all I was really trying to say. Not start an argument on pops and clicks. If it is bad. trash it and get another copy in better condition. I inherited some albums from my Mother and some friends. Yes, they used nails as needles and the albums were trashed. So, systematically, I replaced them (the ones I liked) with re-issues or very good used copies and I am good to go. No noise. Great music.

enjoy

Minorl,

How many copies of an Lp do you buy on average to get one without clicks and pops? What is the highest number of copies of an Lp that you had to buy to get one without noise?

I'm not arguing, just trying to get relevant information. I haven't ever had to buy two copies of a cd to get one that was quiet. If a cd does not play properly the seller will provide a replacement at no charge.

Tomcy6: thanks for the question. No problem. When I purchase albums I look for albums that are in very good to excellent condition and typically I have not had any problems with the albums I purchased. Now garage sales, and huge bins at flea markets are a different issue. I typically don't go there unless I take the time to really look closely at each album. You can tell pretty clearly what the condition they are in by just looking at them. If the seller won't let me see each album, then I don't buy it. Now on-line sales, typically will list condition. Again, I haven't had one problem yet. I just recently purchased a used Quincy Jones (You got it bad girl) album on-line (Quincy Jones in the past used the absolutely best vocalist and this is no exception),It was listed as very good condition. Well, when it arived, I noticed that it had never been played. You can tell by looking at the album and more specifically, the hole. When I played it, well, not one pop or click. I have no patience for pops and clicks and I really take good care of my albums.

enjoy

Thanks for the info, Minorl, and the very civil tone. Enjoy your music!