What's wrong with classical music on vinyl?

Hi, Michael. Some of what you're experiencing may come from the fact that most pop music has very little dynamic range. All of the non-classical music you list is very limited in dynamic range and as a result can be mastered onto LP at a much higher average level than most classical music.

At the same time, I simply don't experience what you describe with the classical music LPs I've bought used over the years, so I'm having trouble relating to your experience. As you may recall, most of my collection is comprised of classical music LPs. I have been reasonably selective in the quality of the LPs I buy used, but I've definitely not focused on collecting just special pressings. Most of my collection are standard pressings from labels such as: Archiv, Argo, ASV, BIS, CRD, EMI, Erato, Harmonia Mundi, Hungaraton, Hyperion, London, l'Oiseau Lyre, Lyrita, Nonesuch, Philips, RCA, Supraphon, Telefunken.

One's turntable/tonearm/cartridge will make a big difference in the background silence of any LPs, but for many years I used a VPI HW-19 and still didn't experience what you describe to any similar extent. And, I perhaps am more inurred to the extraneous sounds that come from vinyl playback and simply listen through it without paying it any attention. If I listened to CD, I might be more sensitive to the issue you raise.
.

Yes, I remembered you'd had some problems with excess surface noise. I'm somewhat at a loss to understand why you keep having as much difficulty. That's why I suggested that perhaps I'm just more used to it and the level of noise we experience is about the same. Still, everything should be at least listenable (or better). If you're having good success with new vinyl reissues, the only other thing I can think of is that you're ending up with used records that have not been cared for. I buy a lot of used classical records from various used record shops, and I don't run into the problems you're having, so I'm stumped. I am pretty picky about what I buy, however. For example, I won't buy a record that doesn't have an intact inner sleeve: I figure if it's been stored in the jacket without an inner sleeve, it hasn't been cared for and it's very likely in poor shape.

And, as I mentioned above, different turntables/cartridges can produce very different levels of surface noise. Some just seem to exacerbate it, some get ghostly quiet; I don't know how the Project is in this regard.

Hope you're doing well. We've missed seeing you at our local audio group gatherings.
.

G_m_c, he didn't claim it was logical, he said this was what he was experiencing. And, as we've been discussing, there is certainly a reason he may be hearing more surface noise on classical recordings as a result of the greater dynamic range of most classical recordings and due to pop records typically being mastered at a higher average level across the entire record.
.

G_m_c, I admit to being puzzled by Sufentail's experience, too. His experience doesn't match mine, but I'm not inclined to discount it either because I talked with him about this same issue two years ago when he lived in the area and was participating in the local audio group here. As you say, it's not a function of the music per se, but it may reflect the overall lower level at which the many classical LPs are mastered. That lower volume level sometimes puts the music's quiet passages quite close to the noise threshold of the LP. Still, I've got more than a few classical LPs, so I continue to wonder if it's the quality of the used LPs he's found to buy. Particularly since he says he doesn't experience the problem with new reissued classical vinyl.
.

Michael, these are all great comments above. Help us with one thing: you mention buying some "audiophile" reissues on 180/200 gram vinyl, but I only see mention of Alison Krauss. Have you purchased any of the "audiophile" reissues of classical music, and do these LPs play well on your system?

If you have not purchased new vinyl reissues of classical music, but are making assumptions based on the popular music new vinly, you may want to check this out. If the new vinyl of classical music presents similar problems, then mistracking or cartridge/tonearm resonance mismatch may still be a problem in your system even though it doesn't show up on popular music: the greater demands of the classical music may be revealing these issues.

Overall, I really like Larry's (Cello) suggestion of playing some of your classical LPs on another audiophile's system as a benchmark. You're certainly welcome here any time you're back in the Philadelphia area.
.

Eldartford and Psychicanimal, please let us not hijack this thread into a CD versus LP debate; there is no constructive benefit. Sufentanil is enjoying both media. His experience with pop vinyl is very satisfying. His experience with used classical vinyl is not matching up to the experience of some others. If you can contribute something as to why his system may not be playing classical vinyl as well as many others with moderately priced vinyl playback systems, then please chime in.

Psychicanimal, I appreciate your comment that you too find more surface noise in classical music vinyl on your system than you're willing to listen through. That's somewhat consistent with comments Raquel shared, and this may ultimately mark the direction Sufentail needs to pursue to meet his needs. It is not my experience.
.