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need help with vinyl

I have an old Pioneer PL-516 with new belt and stylus. It plays great on virgin records but I have bought used records the last 3 years in anticipation of going to an all vinyl lp collection of Jazz mostly.... I can't get static and popping off of these records & can't tell if old records are worthwhile without playing them & I am often suprised by all the background noise. They LOOK ok! I like cd's becuse of their "cleanness" but like the vinyls range and warmness when good. It's like the old "...when she's good she's very, very, good, and when bad very very bad." I can't spend any money on expensive machines. Of 60 LP's only 10 are decent & those are recent, 15 to 20 year old rock & popular albums. Maybe I shouldn't ever buy $5.00 used records & expect them to play but it's so much fun finding old jazz records! I hate to shop or buy records on the internet...no fun! I did notice that I have to clean the record and the needle every time but their still is a surface noise problem with most records. I know it's NOT my set-up or machine because a few play perfectly with NO NOISE....! What are some basic steps & rules for a great vinyl collection & system...? What am I missing here..? I use the felt pad & cleaning liquid religiously- thanks in advance
dla405j
detlof
1,899 posts
 
Heed Albert's advice. It is excellent. Get help to set up yout TT, TA and cartridge combination as prefectly as possible. Clean you records before every play, keep the stylus meticulously clean and you'll be surprised at the results. If you don't want to invest in a record cleaning machine, which you should, if you want to seriously collect vinyl, you should do as Audio Revelation suggests.
seandtaylor99
1,262 posts
 
Not having the money (nor the collection) to warrant a cleaning machine I bought an Allsop orbitrac. It was $40 so I figured "what the heck". I found that it made an astounding difference in reducing surface noise of my oldest albums. Perviously I had only used hunt EDA brush.

I'm sure a VPI is much better, but the Allsop orbitrac delivers tremendous improvement for $40. My wife also couldn't believe such a simple little thing could make such a difference.
natalie
404 posts
 
Buy The Disc Doctor cleaning system .It is the most effective system on the market. Elbow grease is required and if you use it along with a cleaning machine you will get great results. The machine is optional and not required to get supperior sound if you use the Disc Doctor properly.
hififile
236 posts
 
Dear DLA405j

I have had excellent results with a product called GruvGlide on older used records. 1 kit treats over 150 records so the cost is very cheap. Best of all you can hear the difference. Check out their website at www.gruvglide.com

I buy it from Needle Doctor or Elusive Disc.

Hope this helps happy listening.
rocknrobin
7 posts
 
Hi DLA405j
I also agree with a VPI,With one more thing to add to it,Also buy a portible steamer(The ones used for cleaning around the house),Steam the record as it is turning on your VPI record cleaner with the vacuum switch on to pick up any moisture. I think you will be impressed with results.Rock On!
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