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Why is some vinyl noisy?

I'm listening to a copy of "This Is The Moody Blues", a very fine record store find, and I'm amazed at how noisy the vinyl sounds compared to it's physical condition.

The record is nice and flat, looks great in bright light, heavyweight. It's very clean as it's just been through my VPI 16.5 cleaner with two fluid baths. The rig it's playing on is plenty good enough to get the best from this record: VPI Scoutmaster, Sumiko Blackbird, McCormack & Krell downstream.

Yet, this is a noisy, clicky, poppy ride. I don't get it. Is some vinyl just plain noisy, or is some surface damage too hard to detect? By the same token, an ancient, clearly scuffed RCA Living Stereo recording of Van Cliburn just sounds terrific.
forddonald

Showing 1 response by tfkaudio

tfkaudio
591 posts
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but a record played with a damaged stylus will tear up the material inside the grooves, but the record may look perfect to the naked eye. With used records, this is a very real possibility. I just threw out a Phildelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandy LP of The William Tell Overture and other overtures (Columbia Masterworks). It looked totally mint but was completely wrecked.

So I'm out a dollar.

Cheers.
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