battling the pops and clicks


I recently put together an vinyl rig (Nottingham Horizon w/Dynavector 10x5 and Whest phono stage) I am really liking the sound, and I see what all the talk is about for sure. This setup really gives my Ayre D1xe digital setup a run for the money, and if it weren't for the pops and clicks I think I would certainly prefer the sound overall. This is saying a lot considering the price gap between my digital and analog setup.

I have the VPI 16.5 and disc doctor brushes and cleaning fluids and have spent some time and effort to fully clean my records in an effort to eliminate all noise. I bought quite a few new 180 gram records so I would have a good idea of what sound vinyl has to offer. I also have plenty of dusty old records from years back, which is the real reason I wanted a turntable to begin with. As much as I work at cleaning the records, it seems no amount of work will eliminate the pops and clicks. The more I focus on trying to get rid of them the more it bugs me. It seems to happen just as much with the new records as the old ones.

What I'm wondering is, do I need a better table and cartridge if I expect to listen to records with total silence? Or what am I doing wrong with my current setup? I've followed the cleaning instructions very closely and even taken it a step further by adding additional rinsing cycles with distilled water. I've used stylus cleaner and of course always used the carbon fibre dry brush before playing, and clean sleeves too.

The cleaning has reduced the noise, pops and clicks greatly, but in my opinion, more is still there than I would consider acceptable. Is this something that you just learn to tune out from or is there a way to fix it completely?

thanks, -Ryan
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I recently bought a XYZ RS20 and am amazed at how little i hear the clicks and pops that drove me nuts with my Clearaudio Arum Beta S,,soooo much quieter now!
Ryan,

I've sent you a private email about record cleaning since I didn't want to start any more controvery in this thread. Cleaning of vinyl is a pretty divisive topic in these threads. I urge you to try several products, label what you used on the outter sleeve and monitor how well they do over a period of time.

Good luck,
Patrick
Ryan:
I also own the 16.5
Maybe you have already tried these suggestions, but here goes:

1. Inspect the vacuum tube for contamination. If the felt is dirty wash with a dishwashing detergent and rinse with distilled water.

2. I discovered that using the vacuum cycle for more than 3-4 rotations causes static charges to build up on the LP which in turn attracts dust partiles
Lugnut...Pop and Click eliminators are no longer marketed for the simple reason that those who are annoyed by surface noise, have switched to digital media. Also, they don't work all that well, except for really bad discs, and I quit using mine long ago.

However, several brands of computer software are marketed to "clean up" vinyl-derived programs before transfer to CD.