- Thread Author
- #1
http://www.economist.com/news/busin...scs-used-mastering-hunger-vinyl-means-chronic
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Vinyl gets its groove back
- Thread starter Mike
- Start date
jdandy
New member
Mike.......I am happy for the resurgence of vinyl LP's. As someone who is well past the middle-aged sentimentalist stage I chuckled at the young hipster and middle-aged sentimentalist labels the author conjured up. I go back to a time when LP's were THE source followed by reel to reel and FM radio. Those were our sources. In retrospect, I was foolish to sell off a 3000 LP vinyl collection after CD's came along, but I can't undo that now.
As much as I enjoy LP's there is an elephant in the room no one seems to want to talk about. It is defective pressings. I never liked getting a defective pressing even when LP's cost $3.00 and I could drive back to the store in 10 minutes to return it for a fresh copy. A 20% return was not out of the ordinary for me, with the issues being warps and pits in the vinyl that were far more than just a slight tick or mild pop. Today's LP's are typically purchased online unless you are fortunate (or unfortunate depending on how you look at it) to live in a metropolitan area with record stores. Add to that scenario the inflated prices of today's LP's plus shipping and a typical LP runs about $36.00 to $40.00 each delivered. When an LP arrives defective, as happened to me on more than one occasion, it adds another $6.00 and a trip to the post office to return it, and a 10 to 12 day wait for a fresh copy to arrive. My most recent purchasing issues happened with a Houston Person pressing and a Shelby Lynn pressing. The Houston Person's pressing was plagued with a half dozen nasty pops on side A and side B. The Shelby Lynn pressing had a full 10 seconds of gritty noise on the first track on sides A and B. Two washings in the KLAudio record cleaning machine did nothing to make the noise disappear. These two LP's were purchased at different times and returned individually at my expense. The second copy of Shelby Lynn - Just A Little Lovin' arrived clean. The second copy of Houston Person - Blue Velvet was in the same condition as the first. Some of the defects in the pressing were visible to the naked eye, literally distorted dips in the vinyl surface that could be seen under light without magnification. The third copy was better but still not pristine. I kept that copy out of sheer frustration, not because I was satisfied with it. It is this kind of experience that takes the fun out of purchasing LP's online. This doesn't happen all the time. Many LP's are perfect, but at the inflated prices we pay plus shipping there should be a higher level of quality control than appears to be in place.
A quick check of my memory doesn't recall a single defective CD or SACD purchased in over 25 years, nor have I ever had any issues with high-res downloads. It would be wonderful if we could expect and receive that kind of manufacturing quality from vinyl pressings. As the article made clear, the current vinyl pressing plants are unable to keep up with record company demands. The pressure of the work load for the plating and pressing plants to churn out millions of LP's has to take its toll somewhere along the production path and errors are made and not caught. The retailer is no more at fault than the consumer but we are the ones who bare the burden of manufacturing defects. When LP's arrive in perfect condition I am happy. When I have to spend more money to return defective LP's, waiting and hoping the replacements will be good, it sort of takes the joy out of the buying experience and tends to slow down or even stop my LP purchasing.
As much as I enjoy LP's there is an elephant in the room no one seems to want to talk about. It is defective pressings. I never liked getting a defective pressing even when LP's cost $3.00 and I could drive back to the store in 10 minutes to return it for a fresh copy. A 20% return was not out of the ordinary for me, with the issues being warps and pits in the vinyl that were far more than just a slight tick or mild pop. Today's LP's are typically purchased online unless you are fortunate (or unfortunate depending on how you look at it) to live in a metropolitan area with record stores. Add to that scenario the inflated prices of today's LP's plus shipping and a typical LP runs about $36.00 to $40.00 each delivered. When an LP arrives defective, as happened to me on more than one occasion, it adds another $6.00 and a trip to the post office to return it, and a 10 to 12 day wait for a fresh copy to arrive. My most recent purchasing issues happened with a Houston Person pressing and a Shelby Lynn pressing. The Houston Person's pressing was plagued with a half dozen nasty pops on side A and side B. The Shelby Lynn pressing had a full 10 seconds of gritty noise on the first track on sides A and B. Two washings in the KLAudio record cleaning machine did nothing to make the noise disappear. These two LP's were purchased at different times and returned individually at my expense. The second copy of Shelby Lynn - Just A Little Lovin' arrived clean. The second copy of Houston Person - Blue Velvet was in the same condition as the first. Some of the defects in the pressing were visible to the naked eye, literally distorted dips in the vinyl surface that could be seen under light without magnification. The third copy was better but still not pristine. I kept that copy out of sheer frustration, not because I was satisfied with it. It is this kind of experience that takes the fun out of purchasing LP's online. This doesn't happen all the time. Many LP's are perfect, but at the inflated prices we pay plus shipping there should be a higher level of quality control than appears to be in place.
A quick check of my memory doesn't recall a single defective CD or SACD purchased in over 25 years, nor have I ever had any issues with high-res downloads. It would be wonderful if we could expect and receive that kind of manufacturing quality from vinyl pressings. As the article made clear, the current vinyl pressing plants are unable to keep up with record company demands. The pressure of the work load for the plating and pressing plants to churn out millions of LP's has to take its toll somewhere along the production path and errors are made and not caught. The retailer is no more at fault than the consumer but we are the ones who bare the burden of manufacturing defects. When LP's arrive in perfect condition I am happy. When I have to spend more money to return defective LP's, waiting and hoping the replacements will be good, it sort of takes the joy out of the buying experience and tends to slow down or even stop my LP purchasing.
Hi Dan
unfortunately bad pressings is much more from US pressing plants than Europe counterparts. It is getting better, however many US pressing plants are giving vinyl a bad name - add that the " coloured vinyl " fad, which are inherently much noiser than black vinyl.
Europe pressing plants overall are a lot better. I was just in London and bought 23 new LP's - one had a pressing defect.
If I am not buying locally, I generally only order from amazon UK, US, FR or It due to the fact that Amazon will ship out a replacement for nothing and pay for any returns - they generally ask you to dispose of the album. yes, its a pain, but nothing like Acoustic Sounds who refuse to pay for the return of faulty pressings.
Personally, I try to avoid US pressings and frankly, I could care less if they all went out of business and all we had was Euro pressing plants. that said, RTI and Chad's pressing -plants can do great pressings.
cheers
unfortunately bad pressings is much more from US pressing plants than Europe counterparts. It is getting better, however many US pressing plants are giving vinyl a bad name - add that the " coloured vinyl " fad, which are inherently much noiser than black vinyl.
Europe pressing plants overall are a lot better. I was just in London and bought 23 new LP's - one had a pressing defect.
If I am not buying locally, I generally only order from amazon UK, US, FR or It due to the fact that Amazon will ship out a replacement for nothing and pay for any returns - they generally ask you to dispose of the album. yes, its a pain, but nothing like Acoustic Sounds who refuse to pay for the return of faulty pressings.
Personally, I try to avoid US pressings and frankly, I could care less if they all went out of business and all we had was Euro pressing plants. that said, RTI and Chad's pressing -plants can do great pressings.
cheers
Jerome W
Active member
That's cool to learn that in areas others than food and luxury bags we can do better than our american friends ! Thanks !
I buy my new LPs in France and the bad pressings are really rare.
That's cool to learn that in areas others than food and luxury bags we can do better than our american friends ! Thanks !
I buy my new LPs in France and the bad pressings are really rare.
Hi Jerome.
MPO in France is one of the best pressing plants in the world
France have 3 or 4 pressing plants I believe.Also where ever iK7 get their record pressed in France is world class as well - I think its Record Manufacture in Saint Villier de Thiey?
- Thread Author
- #7
I've found, with rare exception, if I buy from Acoustic Sounds, I have much better luck with pressing quality.
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MtnHam
Member
Last week I purchased a 500 LP collection for $150 from the daughter of the 95 year old (now in a nursing home) who started collecting in his teens. Mostly opera and classical in mint condition, well chosen performances from DG, Decca/London, RCA, Harmonia Mundi (France), Phillips, and other quality labels. He owned a RCM; the surfaces are mostly pristine and free of noise. I am slowing working my way through them, but have barely scratched the surface! I'm in heaven.
With used vinyl being very available and cheap, I rarely purchase new LP's.
With used vinyl being very available and cheap, I rarely purchase new LP's.
CPP
Active member
I never felt it lost its "groove".
jdandy
New member
Mike.......Thanks, I'll give Acoustic Sounds a try. I have only been purchasing LP's online from Music Direct. I should probably give Amazon a try as well.
CPP
Active member
Heck I've had awesome luck with Music Direct, Acoustic Sounds, and yes even Amazon.