Snap, Crackle, Pop - What is the cause?


First, I love vinyl. I would never say it is superior to digital but it truly sounds different. I am able to make an emotional connection to the music from an LP far more than from a CD.

That being said, I buy a lot of used vinyl at records shows, shops, etc because there really is so much available and for the most part, cheap too. The only thing that always intrigues me is the snap, crackle, pop on some records and not on others. Even they are the same title, label and pressing. Some of it is so bad,, it make an otherwise well recorded album unlistenable especially on soft passages in classical music.

So where does it come from? Is it static? Is it worn, damaged vinyl from being played on cheap and less than desirable cartridges from back in the day or is deeply ground in dust and dirt embedded in the grooves?

I clean all my recently purchased used vinyl with a Spin Clean system first and bag them in anti-static MoFi sleeves. I still get the Rice Crispies on some receords but not all. I buy and enjoy enough of it to consider investing in a better record cleaning machine like a VPI or Okki Nokki, but before I do I really want to know where the Rice Crispies on some records come from. If it is damage from being played on cheap equipment, no expensive machine will help. But if its dust and dirt, then maybe I should get an vacuum cleaning system and will take care of it? Your guidance is greatly appreciated.
128x128paraneer
If it is caused by static, GruvGlide will quiet the noise. Whatever anyone might say about GG's effect on record wear or whatever, it absolutely stops static discharges. If you live in dry conditions where static is a problem, it's an excellent solution. Also, it lasts a long time - you do it once after you clean the record and you're done basically till the next cleaning. Others will tell you it's no good. Your choice.
Thanks everyone.

I have now had three replies and each one is different. One says worn vinyl from being played on crappy equipment. Another says dirts and grease. A thord leans towards static.

I would think this is an issue that matters to all of us who love vinyl so we should all be interested. So please keep the replies ciming - whats the cause of the Snap, Crackle and Pop on some records but not others. Thanks again!
I don't "lean towards static". I said that IF the noise is caused by static, GruvGlide will help. If it's caused by damaged grooves, it probably won't. There is no one cause of noisy records. If it bothers you that much, I would stick to Mint or Near Mint records. When you shop for the very cheap, you may well hit some stuff in excellent condition, but you have to be prepared for a lot of noisy records.
04-28-13: Paraneer
I have now had three replies and each one is different. One says worn vinyl from being played on crappy equipment. Another says dirts and grease. A thord leans towards static.... whats the cause of the Snap, Crackle and Pop on some records but not others.
All of the above, as well as several additional factors, some of which may not actually cause tics and pops, but may have a huge effect on how perceivable/objectionable they are. Additional factors include:

1)The profile of the stylus. And also how the profile of your stylus differs from the profile of the stylus that had been used to play the particular recordings previously.

2)The dynamic range of the music, as you appear to realize. Everything else being equal, tics and pops will be far more noticeable, for instance, during the soft passages of well recorded classical symphonic music, having wide dynamic range, than they will be on rock recordings that are often compressed such that they have very little difference in volume between the loudest and the softest notes.

3)The design of the phono stage.

4)The electrical loading of the cartridge.

5)The mechanical setup of the cartridge.

6)The pressing quality of the recording.

This thread, which touches on several of these factors, will be well worth reading in its entirety, IMO.

Regards,
-- Al