Help educate Analogue rookie


I have my main system CD based and while I am happy with the system. I woud like to get in to analouge to find out what the fuss is all about. I have audiioned (not recently) analogue sound once or twice and the memory of sound is distinct- Very realistic, immediate and warm sound. I don't remember background noise or clicking/skipping sound/s.

What are the main differences between CD and analogue sound?
Is background noise will always be present?

What are the makes you recommend that would NOT have any background noise? I could spend up to $2000-$2500 for turntable, tone arm and cartridge combo.

These questions may sound silly to you, but I absolutely want to know if background noise/s, clicks sounds are myth or a analogue reality.

TIA
nilthepill

Showing 1 response by hoopster

Buy yourself a modest turntable rig to start. A Pro-ject or Music Hall with a decent cartridge. Get it setup by someone who knows what they are doing. Get two record cleaning brushes, a carbon fiber brush, a zerostat gun, a good stylus cleaner and a starter kit of fluid from Audio Intelligent. Don't get into vinyl without at least a record doctor record cleaning machine. By now you have spent around 800 to $900. Buy some good LPs new, at least half high quality 180g pressings or better. Mix in a few yard sale LPs. Clean all of them well using the AA cleaning ritual. Also, if you don't have phono stage on your pre you will need to spend a couple of hundred on one. IF all this hasn't scared you off, live with this rig a year or so and then decide if you want to plunge deeper. If you start having feelings like Oregon then your hooked on vinyl. Background noise can never be eliminated completely but cleaning records well can take a lot of noise out. Damaged records will always have pops and clicks. As far as the difference between Analogue and Digital-even good digital, well analogue sounds smoother (best term I can come up with). When you are there you will know...