LP Vinyl: Quality, Pressing, Label, Weight, Where to Buy ???


Getting back into LP vinyl...its been a long time = mid 70s?  Searching for an educational review on the forum for buying decent quality vinyl LPs...an overview of quality, weight, pressing, label, and best source/location to purchasing (prefer to stay away from ebay as it seems to be hit/miss on what you get). Does anyone have suggestions for an educational review on the subject? 

As a discussion point...I was looking at buying an older LP (vinyl only); I did an internet search = "Faces" - The First Step Album. Online search produces numerous results with prices from $18 to $120...older, used, remakes/repressed, various quality ratings (is there a uniform rating scale), unopened...list goes on. 

Greatly appreciate the forums experience and insight!

jmrrobbie1

@lowrider57 

 

I agree that some audiophile pressings are real stinkers. I started buying them a few decades ago I would get three or four good ones… and the a really bad one. I remember getting Who’s Next… probably my favorite album from my youth… and there was no treble and the bass was flat… no dynamics… simply terrible. If I had read reviews I could probably have avoided.

No, there is no universal rating system. The key is only buy from dealers that will take returns.

A useful tool for any music purchase is to know what you are looking for when it comes to who released it, where it was made and when it was released.

This site allows you to target certain albums or CDs to get the ones with the greatest dynamic range.

https://dr.loudness-war.info/