I have an older turntable, Philips GE 212 form the 70’s, that I got from a relative. I’ve had to do some modest repairs so far, and I’m still getting more surface noise than I think I should be hearing. Just an occasional pop every once in a while. My most recent project was replacing the needle I came with (AT DR300e) with a newer cartridge (AT VMN95e). I thought that was going to be then end of it. It does sound very good, a lot of depth, but I still get the pops.
I have a little record brush, and I don’t see any apparent dust. The air is pretty dry because it’s cold here and my heat is running.
I’m worried that there might be something wrong with how the cartridge is connected to the head shell, because it has these flimsy connectors that don’t hold tight anymore after 40+ years. The Philips 212 has a distinctive head shell, and I can’t find replacement wires. I wouldn’t be opposed to replacing the head shell next, if it’s necessary.
Have you cleaned the records? That's where you will see the biggest improvement. Beyond that I can recommend a rubber record mat. You can pick one up on Amazon for $10-$20.
I’ve just ordered some nicer anti-static sleeves, hopefully that helps with my newer records.
What do you use to clean records? I keep seeing the spin-clean show up.
I just use a hand held padded velvet brush type thing, with some cleaning spray. You can actually wash them with soapy water and a rag if they're really bad, just make sure to rinse all the soap off. They sell special spinner things that wash with a solution along the bottom, so you don't accidentally get the labels wet, but those are more money than I wanted to spend. For records that I purchased new, I use the padded thing. For old vintage records I get at the thrift store, I rinse them with water and wipe them down along the grooves with a dusting rag, then just use the padded thing. I clean them every time I pull them out, before playing them. Some old records still pop every now and then, which I attribute to record damage, not anything wrong with my system. I kind of dig it, since it adds to the charm.
That sounds pretty easy. Thanks for the tip!