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New vs vintage/original vinyl

Hello all...

I hope I am in the right area subject-wise...

I wanted to share a basic observation about vinyl and get some feedback.

In the late 90’s, like a dope, I gave away my vinyl collection.

A couple years back I was tired of the sterile, empty (albeit clean and clear) sound of CDs...so I went back to vinyl. I bought what i used to have...a Dual 1219 and proceeded to rebuild my vinyl collection with what i used to have.

I thought today’s new, fresh. intelligent, informed technology would serve me...that is, I thought the "new" vinyl with the heavy materials would sound better and do service to the older analog format. I was very disappointed. The "new" heavy 180 gram versions sound awful. Sounding like what they are...processed, muffled, softer...limp...sounding "rounded off". No punch. I’ll admit...they are clear and clean...but sounding sterile...ironically, like the CD’s. Am I nuts?

Sadly, I then realized what I originally had with my old collection. Original first and second pressings on the original type of vinyl. That is why...(duh) today...there is such an industry for the original vinyl I bought when I was a kid...right when the vinyl was released and somewhat after. iIam even thinking that some of the origianl pressings i has were mixed through analog equipment...whereas today’s "new" vinyl is "processed" and...the marketing tool word "remastered"...all done through computers digitally.

There are so many of us Boomers out there that gave away or sold our vinyl...thinking we were making way for the future. A life’s regret.

The biggest irony of all...I went into the CD world kicking and screaming...I didn’t buy a CD player and start buying the little silver discs until years into the 90’s. I hated the sound then...and I hate it now. But, cost prohibits the all analog tube system I want...

Ok, I am done...

Thanks for reading...

Vinylspin...
vinylspin
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
I went through a very similar experience, except there was a selection of ones I kept. But I did at least realize my CD mistake early enough into the 90's to be able to scavenge up and replace pretty much everything, and even add a lot at little cost.  

In terms of sound quality its true the originals are virtually always superior to reissues. They are not however all created equal. Quality from copy to copy was never the same back then either. Its just it was a lot harder to tell back then. Now with a good table and phono stage its pretty easy to compare copies and hear one is better than another. Strange but true.  

This may be why some people think reissues are pretty good. A good reissue compared to a bad copy of an original might indeed sound better. But the really good sounding originals? I have yet to find one doesn't trounce a reissue.
jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
reissues usually sh*t
vinylspin OP
24 posts
 
Thank you all for the audiophile insight and hobbist's sympathy.  Interesting details about the idiosyncratic nature of the "old" vinyl industry; I had no idea how wobbly and unstable the quality could be.   Now, I do not feel quite as bad  and remorseful about my stupid decision all those years ago....while breathing a tolerant life into the "new" reissues.  Again...much appreciated.

Sincerely,
vinylspin
snackeyp's avatar
snackeyp
455 posts
 
I have heard others say what you are saying, but in my experience I find the high end reissues beat the originals most of the time.  I'm referring to companies like Mofi and Analogue Productions as examples of companies who do it right.  
As far as other generic reissues I agree that many of them are not well done.  It's really hit or miss on those, so in recent years I have generally avoided them.  
I've purchased quite a few original pressings from the 70's and 80's especially that I find sound thin and lifeless.  The Dire Straits records are good examples of this.  It's probably because they were so over pressed that the stampers wore out long before they stopped pressing copies.  You might find a hot stamper but most of the copies are not very good.  
By comparison, the Mofi reissues of the Dire Straits releases are fantastic.  
My point is that there is no simple answer to this.  I look carefully to find original pressing of the recordings I love the most, and sometimes they are better than even the best reissues, but not often.  That's just my experience.  I know our ears are not all the same.
vinylspin OP
24 posts
 
Thanks to all who decided to wrangle their way through a tricky, winding path of opinions and many multi-faceted factors.  Yeah...there is not easy way to navigate through the different ways to "replace" a stupidly given-away album collection. I see some great points here.  The many vinyl stores know of all of the factors that make up a good copy without even placing it on a turntable.  The etchings on the inner groove, the label...etc, etc.  I guess just like everything else in this hobby...to use a worn-out adage..."knowledge is power". And...the good news is that the good stuff has been separated from the rest.  It is just up to me to see if I want to search it out and pay the well-deserved price.

Thank you all for the detailed and kind insight.  It isn't all black and white.
vinylspin
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