Is it possible to have vinyl nearly noise free?

@millercarbon,

 "Still, one has to admit, the way the phono stage knows to make the tick happen every time the record comes around, is pretty impressive."

Cruel, but funny. I guess you just couldn't resist popping that particular balloon.

Joking aside, this can be a big issue for some audiophiles.

There's no question that certain turntable/arm/cartridge combinations can handle vinyl imperfections in a far less intrusive way than others, eg the new Technics decks are said to be good in this regard.

If this is a side effect of tracking it should be expected that better decks will perform better in this regard. Lower rumble and noise should help too by improving the music to noise ratio.

There's also the question of siting as I've found that  certain platforms such as glass seem to enhance those pesky clicks and pops instead of reducing them.

Finally, its worrying that with such high prices for 180 gram vinyl here in the UK hardly a single LP is blemish free. We were surprised to find, during one vinyl playing session, that 1970s records seemed to be quieter and less click infested than most brand new records.

Not encouraging. I know its a pain but I would urge anyone affected to demand a swap or their money back. Probably the only way consumers can get the manufacturers to tighten up quality control.

@atmasphere great write up! 

I guess since mainstream music ( I just cant bring myself to call it Pop) is still the biggest seller digital compression will remain a serious factor.

At least until the mainstream listener invests in wide bandwidth audio equipment and starts driving quieter cars. Far too difficult to ask them to employ the loudness/ EQ button let alone adjust Bass and Treble controls - that's if there are any. 

@g_nakamoto, I found that with optimum cartridge set up and tracking there was no increase in surface noise or clicks and pops after numerous plays. I think its very hard to damage a record with just wear and tear if your  turntable/arm and cartridge are set up as intended.

With used records I would be surprised with the amount of fluff that the cartridge was sometimes picking up on the first or second playing. In fact playback got quieter after the first or second play.

My main gripe with vinyl was the poor pressing quality sometimes found here in the UK. EMI (Beatles) didn't seem to be too careful with quality control. By the 1990s some records were almost like flexi-discs. 

As there is much more awareness of consumer rights nowadays then there should be less reason to put up with poor pressings now. Record companies will always put up with a percentage of returns but after that they will be forced to improve their product. 

With the price of vinyl today, and I daresay for its continuing success, first rate pressings are a must.

@fleschler yes that sublime point when vinyl is almost as quiet as a CD.

That's what I think most fans of vinyl want. At that point, at least for me, its the music not the medium that counts.

@mrdecibel 

"What was frightening, we saw little pieces of the record vinyl being torn away from the record, as the stylus passed over. Like rubber off a tire, but reversed ( the record was the road )."

Yes, the velocities and forces in action are huge. Therefore it's safe to say tracking ability is what counts most. Of course its a complicated business but isn't everything in audio? Or even life?  

The following article on tracking may be of interest but 5 minutes or so of meditation beforehand may be needed due to the complexity involved.

http://www.phaedrus-audio.com/further_tracking.htm