Interesting Article

I'm sorry but I dislike playing my vinyl records (with a few exceptions). I have a descent rig (VPI Classic 2 w/Sumiko Blackbird) and almost every record I play has clicks, pops, groove noise, etc.. It just bothers me to distraction -I almost never play vinyl.
Note: I recently played Hendrix's "Are you Experienced" for maybe the second time (super-duper premium 2 record set) and hit a total-blockage point that threw the stylus out of the groove (totally not groovy!). Frustrating? Chee-wa-wa!

I wet-wash before each play (Nitty Gritty vacuum), use a Zerostat ion gun, do all the things your supposed to do but if it's in the vinyl already, it aint commin' out.

I admit that a clean pressing sounds awesome (Dark Side of the Moon comes to mind). But these are one-in-ten if your lucky. I guess I should keep buying the same record over-and-over until I find one I like?

I hope Meridian's new encoding scheme (MQA) will finally tip the sonic scales to digital's advantage.

Dweller... you don't need a new digital encoding scheme you just need a better DAC... or a more musical, analog-like one.

If you want to hear every detail on the recording, I highly recommend the PS Audio DirectStream DAC with the Pike's Peak firmware. It will provide plenty of fine detail and articulation (bass is amazing) and it will still sound natural, musical, and non-fatiguing.

If you need a tube DAC, I can recommend the Jolida Glass FX Tube DAC III with the cap upgrade and Bybee Music Rail mods. There is not as much detail and articulation as the DirectStream but the Jolida has a super musical and very satisfying presentation without losing too much detail.

Records still sound quite good to me but like you, I don't like hearing the ticks and pops, etc.

I'm NOT audiophile, but most of my vinyls DON'T have clicks and pops. They do have surface noise, but that's the most I've been listening to for the past 40 years and probably will for another rest of them.
Those who think that vinyl rig must be expensive to get the idea how good it can sound are in deep delusion of real facts. Basic vintage turntable such as Sony 5520($60 average price), Pioneer SX435 receiver($30...75) and Klipsch pro-media 2.1 speaker set($100) is actually good enough to challenge digital playback. The groove noise or ambiance is clear sign of live music, while in digital playback ambiance not achievable with any type of resolution period.
Digital playback of any resolution is clinical noiseless and certainly lifeless and it will always be.

Czarivey: If you don't hear clicks and pops on EVERY vinyl record have your hearing checked, seriously...

Dweller,

Yes a few ticks and pops are on almost every LP playback, however a properly setup analog rig is IMO vastly superior in communicating the essence of music to any digital rig. When listening to my analog setup the few ticks and pops that inadvertently are there simply don't register with me. Everyone focuses on different things so if your focus is waiting for the next tick or pop to appear then of course it will break your connection to the music.

The best way to eliminate almost every tick and pop on the record surface is a ultra sonic cleaner like the KL Audio cleaner for an example.

Good listening

Peter