As this world turns

Although I have had a new turntable for over a year now, I must admit that most of my listening to music has been in digital format or on the radio (preferably, when it is commercial free).  When I first bought the turntable to replace one which was on its very last legs, it was with only after much research (a habit of mine) and with a great deal of delight. Unfortunately, with the much higher quality of the new system, it was also much more likely to reproduce sounds which were hidden within the grooves- dust, static and the like.

Now, as someone who listens mostly to classical music nowadays, hearing any sorts of clicks and pops (unless I am listening to some pre-1950 recordings, which have that faraway quality by default), I cannot stand it.  Gone are the days of scratchy vinyl of jazz and blues which have just that character.  Classical music is an altogether different matter.  

So, fazed by these realizations, I did not bother to play any records on my still brand new turntable for over a year- that is, until last week, for some reason.  In the usual clean up clean out manner, I decided that I did indeed want to play the records but I may have to get a new turntable.  So, going around to the few existing stores which still stocked turntable equipment, I voiced my concern.  One fellow at a high end emporium suggested I buy a five hundred to a thousand dollar machine to clean my records, which looked quite space age and interesting, but I held off on that.  At the second place, the much younger fellow suggested I simply clean my records with a proven liquid and cleaning pads formula which was fortunately at a much lower price point (40 dollars), so I thought I would give that a go. 

Although I have not mustered up the energy to do so yet (as I have over 300, maybe 400 records), I did clean one album which I did not even know I had (one of many, actually, and this one was a Rostropovich rendition of a Haydn cello concerto) and it played almost sparkling new, with no clicks and pops whatsoever.  I am wondering whether the turntable is reading my thoughts- that if it doesn't meet up to my new standard, it is out the door.  Let's hope so.  

the top is jazz, blues, reggae, hip hop, etc/ the bottom almost all classical