Clear vinyl vs. regular black vinyl

@cleeds -True that. If you read the papers from RCA back in the day, the carbon black also concealed what was referred to as "plate out" issues, which I took to mean various problems caused by compound under heat of pressing. I’m not sure there was enough carbon black in the records to really reduce static, but I prefer a standard black record for the reason @slaw cited- namely, I can see the record surface better. Yeah, I know the Clarity in theory doesn’t have the sonic compromises attributable to normal vinyl compounds, but having compared them on the same record, the difference, while noticeable, is not that significant to me. FWIW, the fellow who did a lot of work for RCA in the ’70s and whose name is on some the patents, is Khanna. (or the phonetic equivalent).

Some years ago M. Fremer tested a vinyl demagnetizer.  He found some sonic benefits in demagnetizing "regular" (black) LPs, but none with clear records.  His test results are interesting -but how many of us have a spare $2 or 3K to spend on such a device?

For those interested, here's a link:

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/you-can’t-demagnetize-vinyl-you-can-demagnetize-record—-furutec...

Clear vinyl makes it IMPOSSIBLE to see any pressing imperfections in the LP surface, as well as scratches and scuffs, and even dust. The same is true of lighter-colored PVC, just to a lesser extent.

On the other hand, the new(ish) Clarity vinyl---which is a translucent milky white color, not clear---makes possible the quietest LP's ever made. That's not so important with a lot of Rock music---which doesn't have extended periods of quiet passages---but IS with music that does.

The black color of traditional LP's is indeed a result of the carbon being added to the mix. Why not just add black dye to the PVC? Does black dye also contain carbon?

What we really need is JVC super vinyl....