Having used lesser TT's in my college days, and even then I used the old
"Dishwasher" velvet log before every play. Only the worst scratches were bothersome in those days.
But, hey when you move up to better gear, Guess What?, noisy LP's can be a big problem. It can be due to many, many factors. I know, I had them all plus more. Your electronics can add to your misery as well, especially if your gear is on the resolving or treble side of things. Buy only good used vinyl, get a decent RCM. Never play unclean LP's!! Your stylus choice can make a big difference as well. Room acoustics (reflections) can highlight those tics/pops as well. Also, make sure all of the noise you are hearing is from the LP and not from RF/EM being channeled by your analog gear to sound like surface noise. To this day I have to use a tubed phono preamp because they are the only ones that can defeat the RF coming into my system from the high tension power lines that run nearly over my room where my system resides. Turn on your TT, park your tonearm on it's rest and turn up the volume and listen for a while for anything that sound like pops/tics. If you don't hear any than it's surface noise your dwelling with.
It can be a bit overwhelming till you get it sorted out. My friend's system was much quieter than mine (it drove me insane) even when he played my "noisier LP's. So, it can be a real challenge at first. Even newer LP's these days seem noisier than many of my 70's LP's that I played hundreds of times in college. I still have all my 70's LP's and when I clean them and play them I'm amazed at how quiet many of them are vs. new LP's I buy. The problem back then was more in the recordings and production EQ....but pretty quiet vinyl formulas.
"Dishwasher" velvet log before every play. Only the worst scratches were bothersome in those days.
But, hey when you move up to better gear, Guess What?, noisy LP's can be a big problem. It can be due to many, many factors. I know, I had them all plus more. Your electronics can add to your misery as well, especially if your gear is on the resolving or treble side of things. Buy only good used vinyl, get a decent RCM. Never play unclean LP's!! Your stylus choice can make a big difference as well. Room acoustics (reflections) can highlight those tics/pops as well. Also, make sure all of the noise you are hearing is from the LP and not from RF/EM being channeled by your analog gear to sound like surface noise. To this day I have to use a tubed phono preamp because they are the only ones that can defeat the RF coming into my system from the high tension power lines that run nearly over my room where my system resides. Turn on your TT, park your tonearm on it's rest and turn up the volume and listen for a while for anything that sound like pops/tics. If you don't hear any than it's surface noise your dwelling with.
It can be a bit overwhelming till you get it sorted out. My friend's system was much quieter than mine (it drove me insane) even when he played my "noisier LP's. So, it can be a real challenge at first. Even newer LP's these days seem noisier than many of my 70's LP's that I played hundreds of times in college. I still have all my 70's LP's and when I clean them and play them I'm amazed at how quiet many of them are vs. new LP's I buy. The problem back then was more in the recordings and production EQ....but pretty quiet vinyl formulas.