Vinyl foibles

@audio-b-dog 

Thanks for the Degritter info. I may go down the route one day.

With regard to the Pixall roller, the MKII must be used as the original dried out quickly, and those on sale today on eBay are useless. Because it is a dry roller some people may think it would impart static onto the record surface, but it doesn’t. The roll is slightly tacky and that’s what lifts off contaminates. You simply peel back the used section when a new surface is required. It’s hard to explain how useful a tool it is, and no one can be opinionated on its effectiveness unless they have used one.

Thanks @audio-b-dog  I bought the TT from TMR and no plastic screws with it.  I'll have to hunt some down.  Anything would help. 

I bought my TNT 3 used but VPI was always helpful. You might call them and say that you wanted to buy the plastic screws that go with the VPI Prime Signature. If they ask, say you lost them. I almost lost one of mine. My not very limber fingers dropped it on the carpet as I was trying to mount a cartridge. I was about to call them but I found it. They very likely will send them to you for free, but if not, how much can they possibly cost?

I purchased my Pass Labs XP-30 preamp and my Pass Labs XP-25 amp used, and I'm happy with both of them. The only way I can approach the high end is by buying used. My ear has exceeded my budget. Although, I inherited some money last year and was able to purchase two new Sonus Faber Olympica V speakers. I have a very revealing system now, so I can more than ever hear the difference between vinyl and digital. I can also hear when vinyl comes from a digital source. I have purchased a lot of reissues and almost all of them are from digital sources. So, even when a record has been reissued, if it's from a digital source, I will look for a used one in near mint condition. Ask Chatgbt about a reissue and it will tell you if it's from a digital source. 

Chatgbt makes me smile. I talk about audio issues all the time with it. I asked it if the 1996 issue of Everything But The Girl's "Walking Wounded" sounded better than later reissues. It had already told me that they both come from digital sources. Here is what it had to say:

1996 original vinyl pressing

Pros

• Cut very close to the original digital master

• More immediate, raw, club-era feel

• Slightly leaner but faster transients — drums snap, bass lines feel agile

• Has that mid-90s Virgin/Atlantic house sound: a bit cool, a bit stark, but honest

Cons

• Pressing quality can be inconsistent (some copies are noisy)

• Can sound a touch brittle on revealing systems

• Not especially forgiving on bright cartridges or tweeters

Overall character

Taut, modern, a little edgy — very “1996 London after midnight.”

Later reissues (2010s onward, esp. Virgin / Back to Black era)

Pros

• Quieter vinyl, better consistency

• Slightly warmer and fuller tonal balance

• Bass has more weight; vocals feel a bit rounder

• More forgiving on modern high-resolution systems

Cons

• Often more processed

• Transients are a bit softened

• Loses a little of the original’s nervous energy and bite

Overall character

Smoother, more “audiophile-polished,” but less urgent.

Bottom line (no fence-sitting)

• If you value authenticity, timing, and edge → 1996 original

• If you value quiet surfaces, warmth, and listenability → later reissue

Given your system history (Pass gear, Sonus Faber, sensitivity to treble glare), I’ll be blunt:
👉 The later reissue will probably sound better in your room
👉 The 1996 pressing is more historically correct but less forgiving

In your OP you state the following: "I’d like to make this a space to ask questions about vinyl problems you’re having trouble solving. I have a lot of questions, but I think it’s better if we ask one at a time, or else I think we could have long lists."

The first sentence suggests you have the same aim as that of the Analog Asylum, "ask questions about vinyl problems". That’s what AA is all about.  Then you say, "I have a lot of questions...". That shifts the subject to your own particular issues, which is fine, but then you say, "I think it’s better if we ask one at a time, or else I think we could have long lists."  But again, that is a description of AA in general.  So are you trying to develop a subalternate version of AA or to discuss some of your own particular issues?