2. analog
  3. 1212163129

New Re-Issue Vinyl: Surface Noise, Ticks, Pops....

It seems that paying an average of 30.00 to get new 180-200 gram pressings is a lot of money. And I don't mind paying it for a good clean pressing. But is seems as though I usually end up with surface noise , crackling, pops etc.. It is so frustrating to wait for records to come and when I play them I hear a record that sounds like I bought it in a used record store. Has anyone ever mentally kept track of what interent distributor seems to have the noisiest or cleanest vinyl? Or perhaps the pressing company/label? Do you clean them before you play to clean the releasing agent or play them right out of the jacket? I love the sound of the grooves and I believe the sound is better but, I just would like to have a good clean copy. Am I wrong to expect a tick and pop free copy?
Back in the early days I usually didn't get the surface noise till I played them a few times. That was cheaper vinyl and about 4-5 bucks.
128x128theo
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
>>I guess i was just phenomenally lucky in the 1970's / 80's<<

I have a hard time with Elinor's claim. I bought well in excess of 4,000 albums during the 70's/80's and can't recall returning even a couple due to excessive noise and/or warpage.

That's not luck folks.
theo's avatar
theo OP
2,681 posts
 
My experience as well in a lesser volume I really only remember returning one or two with the exception of I went through about 4 copies of Wish Your Were Here that all had bad lead-in grooves. But these 180-200gram pressings all seem to have problems. I am gald to hear it isn't just me. Hopefully someone from Classic, Rhino etc is reading this thread.
pbb
1,140 posts
 
Vinyl is and as always been a crap shoot. Of the three brand new LPs I bought yesterday the one with the best music has lousy surfaces (Cleanhead Vinson on Muse), the one I had the most hope for is a lousy recording and the pressing dismal, the hole is undersize and the surfaces are atrocious (Otis Rush on Delmark)and the one I paid $7.99 for, for which I had the lowest expectations, turns out to be quite good musically, the recording is all right and the pressing quality good (Lucky Peterson on Alligator).

So one out of three ain't good.

Unfortunately it's par for the course.

And if you think that expensive heavy vinyl means all that much better, think again.

Just happy the most expensive album of the three only cost me $14.99 + taxes
james1969's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
james1969
347 posts
 
It was mentioned to me over the phone speaking with Kevin at KAB, that vinyl pre 80s and before was the best in terms of quality at the pressing level. Back then he said, the pressing machines were run 24 hours a day - allowing for more consistent production runs resulting in much higher quality pressings. These days pressings are an 'event' and every time they start from scratch.

When demand for records deteriorated from CD sales, demand went down, volume of productions went down, thus quality went down.

I remember when I started buying records in 1978, my own rather than my father's collection. Records were around 7 dollars, as a kid with a part time job, I always managed to save for a weekly addition to my collection. Getting a warped record was very rare, and the record store would always take it back with out question and give me a new one. But that was rare.
eweedhome
227 posts
 
I think it must depend somewhat on what one buys. I mostly buy classical, and have had very good luck with the European pressings from Speakers Corner. Out of about 30, I sent two back. My luck was not as good with Classic Records--out of about 20 I sent about 4 back. On the jazz side, with both Speakers Corner, Classic Records, and Cisco, I've bought fewer, but I've sent none back.

On the 2nd hand side, I've gotten to where I just expect some minor surface noise and a short scratch here or there. Given that we're dealing with vinyl discs made mostly 25 or more years ago, to expect more is unrealistic, it seems to me.

I clean almost all of my records before play, with VPI and MoFi fluids.
More to discover