I still think that LP noise and wear are over-hyped, because even when I listen at home with high-resolution speakers that are much clearer than what most people have, record wear and noises are minimal. As always, I'd love to hear feedback from readers: what's your experience with record wear? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read.
Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. Do vinyl LPs wear out? The Audiophiliac takes on that myth Don't be scared off by the old bugaboo about record wear, says the Audiophiliac.
Steve Guttenberg. Never spritz water or wet play a vinyl record in an attempt to quiet the crackle and pops. Doing so only causes the stylus to spread the abrasive sludge deeper into the grooves possibly doing irreversible damage.
This makes the record sound even worse as the crud dries and embeds itself throughout the record. Read more on why you shouldn't wet play records. If you want to reduce static pops when playing a record then get an anti-static gun [4]. Never touch the record's playing surface with your bare hands or fingers as your body oil will transfer onto the record attracting even more dust thereby affecting sound quality.
Always hold a record by its outer edges only. If you accidentally touch a record, it is best to immediately clean it with a liquid record cleaner [5] before putting it back in its sleeve. Resist the temptation to wipe your vinyl record with your shirt or dry cloth no matter how soft it may feel. This will scratch and scuff the record and only move the dirt around. For dry cleaning or light touch up, use an anti-static record brush [6] as it actually discharges static and lifts dirt without damaging the vinyl record.
View step-by-step directions on how to clean records. These fluids will NOT lubricate or clean vinyl records.
In fact, their use may cause a devastating chemical reaction that can permanently damage a record. Use only products labelled as a vinyl record cleaner such as the basic and inexpensive DiscWasher [7] cleaner, or use a professional strength record cleaning solution [8] for deep cleaning.
As to helping reduce friction while playing records, the Last Record Preservative [9] is an effective and longtime favorite of record collectors.
If it's not specifically labelled for use on vinyl records then please do NOT use it. Never place or pick up a vinyl record as the turntable platter is spinning. This will quickly scratch the underside of a record. Always wait for the platter to come to a complete stop before doing anything with the record.
If your turntable platter uses a rubber or felt mat then make sure it is clean before placing a record on top of it first. Is your record mat missing, torn or worn out? Then you should replace or upgrade your mat [10]. Refrain from using Scotch tape or packaging tape to fix a record cover that is splitting or tearing.
It will completely destroy the cover. Post by catmandoo » 17 May Is it really that much of an issue? I hear it brought up often. Is this really enough friction to cause wear?
Any thoughts? Re: Is record wear something to worry about? Post by hoolio » 17 May Fear not. Providing you keep your records clean, handle them correctly and have a stylus in good condition they will see you out.
Post by davidsss » 17 May Durable? When we play records we drag a diamond through the groove, we all know diamonds are pretty much the hardest substance going.
So, it stands to reason that records are made from a very tough and durable material. Vinyl fits this requirement. I have records which are over 50 years old and they still play fine. I have records I have played for decades and they are still fine.
Records are very durable, if you play a record enough times to wear it out you must be listening to the same record every day for decades. You clearly need to get more records! Not an issue. Post by cafe latte » 17 May I have a copy of war of the worlds that I got when it came out. As a kid I played it on a horrible TT thousands of times, it got played again and again.
I still love it today and it is one of my go to test records and it still sounds amazing. Like others have said keep your records clean and handle them correcly, with a decent stylus set up correctly your records will last you forever.
Post by tubewade » 17 May I will just add to what these gentlemen have already said. Just like Chris "cafe latte", I have lots of records from my youth which were played on record players no one would consider today. One of my first was a Webcor Holiday "Stereo" with a massive tonearm tracking at very heavy forces and the records that were played hundreds of times on it still play wonderfully today.
What defects do exist in those old records are scratches and scuffs from my careless mishandling. As stated already, cleanliness and care in handling are the important factors in keeping records in order.
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