Starting a Classical Vinyl Music Collection

It is an unreasonable expectation that lps of several decades vintage are going to sound pristinely quiet, regardless of cleaning machine.  Many of these were manufactured with inferior vinyl in the first place, as the energy crisis and other factors led to vinyl recycling.  And when lp was out of favor people stored them in attics, basement, garages, with no climate control.  Auditioning for noise before hand usually isn’t feasible, so it’s a crap shoot.

  New lps?  Ridiculously expensive, imho, and many of them use a digital mastering stage.  They might sound good but if any digital stage is used, then whatever theoretical advantage that vinyl has by maintaining an analog wave form is lost.  Like your virginity, once lost, it can’t be regained.  And if you are going to listen to a digital file, why embed it in a slab of petroleum, and then extract  with a needle slashing its way through the groove which it degrades with each playing?  With even careful maintenance, eventually your new expensive lps will start acquiring surface noise due to groove damage and other factors.  If you are going to play a digital file, use digital equipment.

   If you have a low tolerance for surface noise, analog isn’t for you.  I think you would be happier, OP, with a good digital setup. I reserve vinyl for recordings that can’t be obtained digitally, or that were poorly transferred from analog to digital.It is possible to achieve excellent sound either way.  The music is what counts most; the technology is a means to an end, and not an end it itself.

Mahler123, FWIW (probably not much), I've followed your posts on this thread and must tell you that my reasons for getting out of vinyl pretty much mirror yours, and your advise on LP acquisitions is spot on! Good advice yet you keep your posts positive.  

Thanks guys!

You've all been very helpful.

I'd like some new vinyl recommendations if possible.

👍

OP,

If you got virtually no improvement with the electrostatic cleaning. Then those disks were trashed. But this does not mean you should give up on used.

I recommend going to a used record store. Each time you find an interesting disk. Carefully pull it out of the sleeve (you know how to handle disks? Right?) and carefully examine it. When the light hits at the right angle you will be able to tell if the grooves are shiny and clean or dull. Buy a couple of the best you find. They are likely to sound great. With a little practice you can pick out only perfect disks. The cleaning can remove surface dust and debris, but not embedded or worn grooves. You will learn to separate the two.

I started back up from scratch almost five years ago. The first album I bought was Led Zeppelin II, then I bought Miles Davis Kind of Blue. I'm up to about 145 albums now, all of them VG+ or better and killer pressings. I've upgraded the Zep II to a RL and the KOB to a first press mono.

Pulling an album out of the discography, looking at it, placing it on the table, etc is a huge part of the whole experience for me. 

Don't forget to buy an ultrasonic record cleaning machine, it's a must have.