Brand New Vinyl Static and Pops

Once the real (for some) issue of static has been successfully addressed, all we are left with here is another cleaning fetishists fest.

@dmk_calgary  Better get all that gunk at the bottom of your US cleaner analysed to check it's not vinyl.

@oldaudiophile 

Sorry, but you're showing your age.  Most turntables these days don't have a dustcover, particularly at the high end.  I exited my last table with a dust cover, a Linn, in the mid-80s.  For a while I used to put a sheet of newspaper over the turntable when not in use but pretty soon I didn't bother.  I have no problem with static or with dust.

It occurs to me it is possible that cleaning fetishists create static on LPs with all the cleaning.  I only clean a record if I hear noise - Nitty Gritty, not US.  I then put it in a fresh Nagaoka inner so I know it's been cleaned.  I almost never have to clean it again.  I have c.3000 LPs and have only bought a few 100 Nagaoka sleeves, so I haven't had to clean many.  Most of my collection is second-hand but I am VERY careful to buy only records that look pristine and little played.

@oldaudiophile     Thanks for the reply.

Well I'm not far behind you.  From 1962 I was using my father's mono rig, a Goldring turntable, big old pre-war valve amp and Goodmans speakers, starting with the Beatles of course.

In 1965 I got my own stuff Garrard transcription, Rogers amps and two speakers I borrowed from my father, a Wharfdale and another Goodmans (OK they're not the same!).

I'm on LPs too but I have most of the early Beatles and mid 60s Dylan 7 inchers.  I don't play them now but it's something to look at 'She Loves You' and 'Like a Rolling Stone'.  I bought quite a few rock 12 inch singles from the 80s.  With more space for generous cutting, most sound better than LPs with loads more dynamic range.  Played loud they're around the best sound you can get.

And I agree with you about sound quality of old LPs.  I have handled them carefully and no way do they need cleaning all the time.

@jpan 

Noting your coinage 'table', Simon Yorke likes to refer to a 'record player'.  He has described it as a machine for playing records.