trvale Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 I just got a turntable for christmas. It is a Stanton STR8-20b(belt driven). I know it is a cheap table, and not audiophile quality but I like it. It came with a Stanton 500b cartridge, which sounds good. My biggest problem however is playing poorer quality records. When I play some records the S's sounds like hissing snakes. There is also a lot of pops in some of my records. I know that this is something I will just have to deal with vinyl, but I want to minimize these problems as much a possible. Would a higher end cartridge make a difference with these worn out records, or is just sound quality that I will gain? I have noticed that the Sure M97XE gets a lot of recommendations. Would that cartridge play these records better? As you can see I am new to vinyl and don't have any clue as to what can do to make my records more playable. Any recommendations are appreciated. I have this TT hooked up to my Eico HF-81 and it sounds incredible! I thought that my Eico sounded good playing CD's, but vinyl seems to be a better match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 Any decent cartridge will operate on the GIGO principle. Rather than attempt to mask the poor quality of your records using an inadequate cartridge I would suggest that you find a way of properly cleaning your LP's. You will be suprised at the difference in sound between a dirty LP and the sound of that same disc when cleaned. There is no need to buy an expensive record cleaning machine BTW. Make a solution of 4 parts water, 1 part 99% Isopropyl Alcohol and a couple of drops of liquid dishwashing detergent. Wipe the LP with a cloth soaked in this solution. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft lint free towel. A record cleaning machine does a more thorough job and results in a "Night and Day" improvement but is out of reach for many of us. The method described above will result in a large improvement in most cases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipsch RF7 Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 Lynm, Thanks for the tip! I too am awaiting my Miracord turn table to come in and im gettin the Shure cartridges to play my 78's and 33's. Now i can safely clean my records with that solution you made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 WARNING WARNING WARNING!!!!! DO NOT USE ANY ALCOHOL ON YOUR SHELLAC RECORDS! THEY WILL BE RUINED FOREVER!!! ALCOHOL DISSOLVES SHELLAC!!!!!! I AM NOT KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 the old timers use some ammonia diluted. c7s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 Allan, I had flash backs from my youth. Lost in Space ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 How does one clean old timers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny dB Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 A sponge on a 5' pole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeritageBob Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 Good lord I haven't laughed that hard in a little while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubinhard Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 Allan is right. As a matter of fact, I would think alcohol in general would be a bad idea for a petroleum based product like vinyl. I use Denatured Alcohol to strip the Shellac off of old speakers. So, let me ask you clowns something. What's the best thing to clean your hands with after working on your car? How about the vinyl of your car's interior. Strip the crap, yet leave some lubricating properties behind? Just a thought. We used to do really stupid stuff. When recording "trashed" albums, we would put some distilled water on the disk and let the stylus track right through it. Cool huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipsch RF7 Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 From The record collectors guild. http://www.recordcollectorsguild.org/record_care2.html 78's(shellac) ...for the most part, the use of tap water, distilled water, or a "water based" cleaning solution, should only be used while cleaning 78's. The use of alcohol or a "alcohol based" cleaning solution can dissolve shellac recordings. Again, as with the vinyl, place the disc on a soft surface, and apply a soft, clean cloth in a circular motion. Lp's and 45's (vinyl) ...the basic approach, or the use a soft, clean cloth and water is generally acceptable. Distilled water is preferred over tap water. Also recommended is a "water based" cleaning solution with up to 20% isopropyl alcohol by volume. This type of solution is especially effective in removing dirt and dissolving oily contaminants from the contact with hands and skin. When cleaning the disc, place it on a soft clean flat cloth. Next, apply the cleaning solution or water, and with a soft clean cloth, work the disc in a circular motion and in the direction of the grooves. When at all possible, avoid a static build up on your discs. This will not only create crackles during playback, but also attract dust particles during playing and handling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipsch RF7 Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted January 4, 2004 Share Posted January 4, 2004 YIKE !! Allan thanks for the warning about not using Alcohol containing preparations on 78's. I ordinarily put a warning in my record cleaning posts but had forgotten on this occasion. Please everyone forgive my Homer Moment ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted January 4, 2004 Share Posted January 4, 2004 No alchol on 78s! For lps I do not belive a small amount of very pure Isopropyl alchohol(IPA) is bad. Of course letting the PLs sit in a bucket of it would be a bit extreme. Many have commented it is the impurities in the IPA ,rather then the IPA itself that is a concern. Hospital grade is best. It may be AARTO that used the Smirnoff 100 proof vodka. I will try that with my next batch I make up. I think AARTO studied vinyl cleaning for a few decades now; where most of us were using a Discwasher. Audio Quest or Decca dry brush is a must! THey also groud static from the LP through your hand when you use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bey Posted January 5, 2004 Share Posted January 5, 2004 a good cleaning helps a lot. a good cartridge with a micro-linear stylus helps too. I used to think that these stylii were only on the +$1000 cartridges but I find my Garrott P77 ($200) has one and seems to find a section of the groove below where other carts have damaged it. Runs a lot quieter. Not perfect, but good and quiet for the most part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 If you want to minimize the 'worn aspects' of old LP's & 78's, etc, I'd suggest trying a conical or spherical type of stylus. I'm not sure how many of these types of stylus are still available. It will run somewhere else in the groove as Randy mentioned. I believe the old Decca (spherical stylus) 'Maroon' or 'Plum' models, as it was known, is being manufactuered again. http://www.warrengregoire.com/hifi-stereo-phonocartridges.htm#LONDON%20DECCA AND YES.....SMIRNOFF SILVER (or equivalent) is great for cleaning records...just hte right amount of triple distilled spirits. Very pure. But you will need to treat the records with a lubricant after the vinyl is dry. I use GrooveGlide. 'Last' cleaner & lubricant on the stylus (but not on the record). I think GrooveGlide works better. It needs to be applied properly. A little bit goes a long way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJH Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 If you live in the SF bay area, The Analog Room is a good place to visit for 2-Channel Audio. Good luck finding it, if you blink you'll miss it. I think it's an old house. email: hifi@theanalogroom.com Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyKubicki Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 AND YES.....SMIRNOFF SILVER (or equivalent) is great for cleaning records...just hte right amount of triple distilled spirits. Very pure. But you will need to treat the records with a lubricant after the vinyl is dry And don't forget to leave a little for yourself, for if the cleaning process does not work, a little bit of this caster oil medicine will make listening better, though handling could be impaired if you are not careful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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