It's funny I came across this tread. I argue ( in fun ) with a friend about turntables all the time. Me having a Yamaha p-550 and him having some high end what ya call it that cost 5000 or so. Then we argue about albums and CD's. Our biggest argument is that he can hear more sounds then I can on the same audio source. Everyones hearing starts to degrad at 40. Audio Geeks, which I call them say they can hear everything better then us poor smucks that will never have or even if I did have the money a 40,000 dollar system just to listen to vinyl.

I'm sorry, but really think if you put a well kept album on my system it will sound pretty darn close to what the artist meant it to sound like. Pops are albums that were not kept very well. Our of the 300 albums I have I would have to say 250 of them are pop free and they are mostly all from the 70,s and 80's.

I have to say I have always been anal about my albums in keeping them clean and stored,

Just my 2 cents.

jjp