Mather
Unknown Member
I've got the 2019 Plaid Room, it's got crackle. Not sure where it was pressed.
Vinyl Me Please Classics
- Thread starter TCell
- Start date
NathanRicaud
Well-Known Member
This is going to sound like a really weird question, but is a bit of crackle/surface noise OK for you? Like I don't mind it much because the music always overpowers it, so you don't really hear it. For more acoustic, stripped back, jazz kinda albums, I guess it matters more. But I don't mind some crackle/surface noise actually. Just as long as it isn't too much of course!
What does everyone else think? I hate how most new releases do kinda have a bit of crackle or surface noise though. And then when you put on a MoFi, Acoustic Sounds, Analogue Productions, Speakers Corner or just Tone Poet, Blue Note80, VMP Classics, there's like very little to no surface noise/crackle!
Mather
Unknown Member
Honestly, it bothers me. Especially with the price of vinyl in Canada. I understand that vinyl is always going to have a pop here or there, even the best pressed vinyl will. But repetitive crackle, or whooshing or what have you really annoys me more than anything. It's so prevalent and seemingly unavoidable now and it just drives me nuts. Take that Feist album VMP did for instance, beautifully mastered, sounds gorgeous... But I went through four copies and all of them had crackle and distortion across multiple tracks, I finally gave up... I tried to spin it today and it drove me nuts, my best copy is still awful. it just ruins the experience when you're hearing repetitive distortion and crackle constantly when you're trying to enjoy the music.
But now also keep in mind I'm running a pretty audiophile setup and I'm sitting here listening in the dark with nothing else going on. If I was throwing it on while I'm working around the house, no... it wouldn't bother me as much. But I treat these records like an experience, like going to movies or a concert. And to have the experience interrupted repeatedly by crackle and distortion is aggravating to me.
NathanRicaud
Well-Known Member
Mmmmmm I totally get where you’re coming from! Especially if you’re treating those records like an experience! I would be aggravated too! I’m going to spin that Feist record soon as see if it’s bad on my copy! Haven’t spun Let it Die in ages!
And yes, vinyl is also not the cheapest too, so the QC should be better! If I’m spending AUD$50 for a record, I don’t expect it to be amazing, but I also don’t expect it to have constant crackle/pops and a whooshing sound appearing every now and then! I expect it to have little to no surface noise, and just a bit of crackle!
A friend of mine has a ton of old vinyl and I have a fair amount of new vinyl. When he comes to my house and we listen to records he often double checks with me that we are actually listening to a record, and not a cd or streaming. When I’m at his house, listening to his old records I have no doubt that we are listing to vinyl because there tends to be a ton of surface noise. He thinks that’s what vinyl sounds like! I do not. A bit of crackle, or a few pops are unavoidable, but to me that takes away from the experience, while for others that IS the experience, or a significant part of it anyway. Just ask Madlib, or a bunch of other hip hop producers that add it to their tracks.
MikeH
Well-Known Member
I think you tend to have the most issues out of anybody I know with a vinyl setup. It would drive me crazy if the majority of records I bought had noise issues on my setup, especially if I was paying those Canadian prices for records. Is it your cart or something that is picking up all of the imperfections in pressings?
Mather
Unknown Member
I have a Ort 2M Black which is notoriously precise to the point of annoyance. It is incredibly unforgiving, but it's also INCREDIBLE when the vinyl is of good quality. I've had almost zero issues with anything AP or Mofi in terms of anything beyond warps, but most labels it's a crap shoot. I've also had very little issues with MOV, but most of their masters are digital so I tend to avoid them for anything particularly audiophile. Honestly, it's also that I'm just very detail oriented, I work as a technical director... I'm trained to notice this kind of thing, it's literally my job.
But yes, I'm also incredibly unlucky. But also, I wouldn't say it's the majority, I just buy a lot of vinyl... In the end I usually get a clean copy one way or another
EDIT: Also also, keep in mind my listening setup is complete silence, in a completely pitch black room, with my eyes closed. So I hear... EVERYTHING...
Is that weird?
It might be weird.
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Bluecloud777
Well-Known Member
I don't like any crackles on my records. I'm with @Mather that I'm mostly doing nothing else while listening to music. It's rarely running in the background. I'm either sitting down to listen to it or dancing/moving around in the room, in both cases I find crackle very disturbing.
That being said, I rarely have that problem on most of my new records. (Pops seem to happen more often.) Maybe it's because I rarely touch my records with my fingers when putting them out of the sleeve onto the turntable etc. I use a record butler vinyl handling device for that.
Also I'm using an Audio Technica VM 95 ML cartridge which seems to do a very good job avoiding crackles and sounds great to my ears.
MikeH
Well-Known Member
See I would rather have a diff cartridge that doesn’t have those issues but maybe that’s just me haha. I had the bronze for awhile and switched over to the Grado Gold3. Wish I could more easily A/B test them because they are quite different and not sure which I prefer now. I didn’t have the issue of whooshing or too much in the way of pops and clicks on most records. Wonder if a zero stat would help you at all? My buddy just got one and swears by it...I have a Ort 2M Black which is notoriously precise to the point of annoyance. It is incredibly unforgiving, but it's also INCREDIBLE when the vinyl is of good quality. I've had almost zero issues with anything AP or Mofi in terms of anything beyond warps, but most labels it's a crap shoot. I've also had very little issues with MOV, but most of their masters are digital so I tend to avoid them for anything particularly audiophile. Honestly, it's also that I'm just very detail oriented, I work as a technical director... I'm trained to notice this kind of thing, it's literally my job.
But yes, I'm also incredibly unlucky. But also, I wouldn't say it's the majority, I just buy a lot of vinyl... In the end I usually get a clean copy one way or another
EDIT: Also also, keep in mind my listening setup is complete silence, in a complete pitch black room, with my eyes closed. So I hear... EVERYTHING...
Is that weird?
It might be weird.
I would love a separate listening room at some point but we live in an apt with awful electric wiring (really old building where everything is pretty much on one circuit) which has affected sound. One day when we get a house it’s my hope that we can have a listening room or somewhere I can better set up my TT.
Mather
Unknown Member
I totally understand, and honestly maybe a less precise cart would make sense for me. The issue I have is, I really don't have a lot of experience in the vinyl world, I've only been at this for about 3 years, and I upgraded everything VERY quickly. And quite frankly when I get a good pressing, I honestly can't imagine it sounding better. Like, it's heaven. And that's what I'm used to now. I'll likely get a MC cart next and see what happens.... But my entire career is based on precision, and that's what I'm used to and what I like. I understand the desire for warmth when it comes to a "sound", but more than anything I want it to sound how it was intended to sound, with nothing added. And that's what I've got, but it hides nothing, issues are issues.... they're gunna be noticed in my rig. But I'm cool with it, I know that's partly on me. But it's mostly on them...
oldschoolkirby
Well-Known Member
Not weird - pretty cool you can have that type of listening experience, tbh. Even if my house was empty, ambient noise from outside, neighbors, and cars would probably still be audible.
Rowan
Well-Known Member
One of the reasons I got rid of the bronze. Totally pop magnet. Fuck that shit. Give me a cushy smooth Nag that at least makes an effort at hiding the pressing imperfections everyday of the week.I have a Ort 2M Black which is notoriously precise to the point of annoyance. It is incredibly unforgiving, but it's also INCREDIBLE when the vinyl is of good quality. I've had almost zero issues with anything AP or Mofi in terms of anything beyond warps, but most labels it's a crap shoot. I've also had very little issues with MOV, but most of their masters are digital so I tend to avoid them for anything particularly audiophile. Honestly, it's also that I'm just very detail oriented, I work as a technical director... I'm trained to notice this kind of thing, it's literally my job.
But yes, I'm also incredibly unlucky. But also, I wouldn't say it's the majority, I just buy a lot of vinyl... In the end I usually get a clean copy one way or another
EDIT: Also also, keep in mind my listening setup is complete silence, in a completely pitch black room, with my eyes closed. So I hear... EVERYTHING...
Is that weird?
It might be weird.
VMPKJ
Well-Known Member
When you look at MC carts check out the ART9. I was on my 2M Black mission when I heard an ART-9 and made the move. A bit more resolution, WAY less noise and it has imparted some warmth to the sound besides. It still reveals weaknesses in pressings from an EQ standpoint, but it's just more "musical" without a trade off i(at least in my system anyway).I totally understand, and honestly maybe a less precise cart would make sense for me. The issue I have is, I really don't have a lot of experience in the vinyl world, I've only been at this for about 3 years, and I upgraded everything VERY quickly. And quite frankly when I get a good pressing, I honestly can't imagine it sounding better. Like, it's heaven. And that's what I'm used to now. I'll likely get a MC cart next and see what happens.... But my entire career is based on precision, and that's what I'm used to and what I like. I understand the desire for warmth when it comes to a "sound", but more than anything I want it to sound how it was intended to sound, with nothing added. And that's what I've got, but it hides nothing, issues are issues.... they're gunna be noticed in my rig. But I'm cool with it, I know that's partly on me. But it's mostly on them...
hatfieldpdx
Well-Known Member
NathanRicaud
Well-Known Member
Omg, I hope this is legit because John Lee Hooker’s Serve You Right To Suffer
is the only Classics ROTM I don’t have in my collection!!! 
jfitzy
Well-Known Member
What’s the general consensus on that pressing? That was way before my time with VMP, but I’m interested in picking it up.
NathanRicaud
Well-Known Member
You have to pick it up!!! Do you like the Classics ROTM’s that VMP do? If so, you’ll absolutely love this John Lee Hooker album as it is a spectacular blues album!!!
Definitely one of the best Classics ROTM’s ever in my opinion!
jfitzy
Well-Known Member
I do like their Classics releases. I signed up back in July of last year and have all of them from then until now (except Celia and Johnny). I’ve loved almost every single one.You have to pick it up!!! Do you like the Classics ROTM’s that VMP do? If so, you’ll absolutely love this John Lee Hooker album as it is a spectacular blues album!!!
Definitely one of the best Classics ROTM’s ever in my opinion!
I’ll most likely get this as well. Listening to it on Spotify right now, and it’s pretty good.
JonnyH
Well-Known Member
Its the best.