A simple question from the new guy ....

As you get better and better analog equipment, the cleanliness and condition of the record become the big factor in what accounts for and how much distortion there is. Obviously ticks and pops caused by surface impurities are the most obvious, but I have found that with clean, undamaged records, they are almost nonexistent. On the other hand, that old record you found stashed away in some coat closet, that looks like it's been cleaned with coarse grain sandpaper? Well that will sound wretched regardless of what you play it back on.

and useless for many, many playings if they are handled carefully and played on decent equipment that is set up properly. I have records that I have owned for nearly 40 years and played dozens and dozens of times, and they still play with no problems and only a couple of pops or clicks. Those are probably due to something that was attracted to the vinyl from static electricity as it was playing, and not part of the record itself.

It is totally wrong to say that they "lose their virginity quickly and develop pops and clicks". This is nowhere near the truth, unless you are careless and get them dirty.

Depends on whose LP.All those great titles on Riverside and Prestige were bought out by a company called Galaxy and start to degrade (even with a perfect condition set up) within 1-3 plays and those can be bought for $10 and should be avoided like Bird Flue.But a $35 Classic Record of a classic Blue Note by Classic Records or Absolute Analogue will resist this.And though it isn't cheap their is a product called LAST.I have been told from someone that he has had Lp's brought up top him at shows that have been played 200 times but were treated each 50 plays with LAST preservative and they sound like MAYBE they've been spun half a dozen times.Even if it's an inexpensive rig like a Rega P3 for $500 or less you may have fogotten what proper harmonics and beuatiful muisc sound like.I dumped my LP player (a B&O in '83 when I graduated High School and CD's were coming out.But 7 or so years ago tired of seeing ttitles only availible ued on Ebay I took the plunge.Now unless they are trashed (say VG or VG+ on Goldmine rating scheme I don't nmotice noise at all.Like somebody folding candy wrapper ata movie.After just 4 moths of this $350 set up I had I was buyiunbg LP's like an ididoit o Ebay and tag sales and from stores bought a $2500 turntable ($500 more for cartridge) and even got a $500 cleaning machin used for $300.Though I have 3,000 CD's I enjoy my 3,000 Lp's much more.Digital be it Red Book (CD) has goten much beter with second or third editions of CD's using new tech like K2 20 bit processing and some SACD's and CD's can approach Lp's if you listen to jazz the way I do you'd much rather have the original 1957 LP or by a good re-issue of which there has been a real renaissance .Just don't get those crappy $8-$10 OJC (Original Jazz Classic) re-issues.They suck and develope npoise no matter what.Main reason is qaulity of vinyl in the late 60's through the early 80's was not virgin vinyl it was re-melt and mixed together.Yuck.Buy your self a turntable get a 180-200 gram LP from Rhino or Classic and have a balst.Who could it hurt?
Chazzbo

Waaaaay back when, when I had a turntable that worked, I found that Perm-O-Stat by Stanton was excellent for basically ELIMINATING static. This meant that the records got a LOT less dirty. I cannot say whether the application of this stuff decreased the dynamic range and/or resolution of the albums, but from a convenience standpoint, I considered it a HUGE positive. I don't know whether this stuff is still even made.

Talk about can't see the forest for the trees!;)-~ I think enough has been said if you want to count 0's & 1's instead. Or take a leap and find out why every good digital source is still measured against that "analog" source. You just might be smitten, good listening.