180g … It’s All Hype !

I have one album I like so much I have it on three different LP pressings: Born Under A Bad Sign by Albert King (if you like Stevie Ray Vaughan, you NEED this album). An original on Stax Records, the first reissue on Sundazed, and the new reissue on Speakers Corner. If you prefer the original, you need a better hi-fi ;-) . Bad news for 180g LP haters, the Speakers Corner BUABS is just that. Oh well, better to not believe in hype than to enjoy better sound, right?

I also own King’s Elvis Presley tribute album (entitled King, Does The King’s Thing) in two incarnations: an original on Stax, and the reissue by Vinyl Me Please. If you think Stax manufactured their LP’s with the care VMP does, I don’t think there’s anything I can say to change your mind.

And then there is Pet Sounds. I have the album in the following pressings:

- Original "rainbow label" Capitol Records issue, in mono.

- Reissue included as the second disc in the Beach Boys’ 1972 album So Tough.

- EMI (UK) "100 Series" reissue in stereo (with rainbow label).

- Capitol Records "Limited Edition Stereo" (mixed by Brian Wilson) reissue.

- 180g (oh, the horror ;-) reissue on DCC, mastered by Steve Hoffman.

- Analogue Productions reissue in mono.

- Analogue Productions reissue in stereo.

Guess which version sounds the "best"? Hint: It’s a trick question. If you think it’s the original Capitol, you need a better hi-fi.

Which LP is manufactured with the highest level of quality control? If you think it’s the original Capitol, you and I have very different opinions as to what constitutes quality.

Claiming that "all" recordings made on vinyl of a particular thickness/weight is "hype" is ignorant at best.

I'm with you that there are a lot of crap recordings that are hyped because they are on 180g vinyl.  There's also a lot of crap on 150g vinyl.  And different colored vinyl.  And CDs.  And streaming.  

I finally opened up my MFSL of Nilsson Schmilsson and played it last night and holy smokes, was it good!  So dynamic and the soundstage and imaging made my speakers completely disappear.  Everything else I listened to after that was mediocre.  

MFSL has had some duds, no doubt, but their newer releases are often revelatory.  I never really thought of the Pretenders as being "audiophile" material, but what they did with it makes it quite a treat.  Pretty much everything I've listened to from Classic Records and Analogue Productions has been outstanding. 

Speaking of media, almost all of the records I've bought that were made with Quiex vinyl are also very good.

It's already been said (better than I can say it), but there is more to making a record than the media itself and there are some places that put more care and skill into the end result than others. 

Excellent post @big_greg!

I too have no use for or interest in colored vinyl LP's. Seems like something made for girls, or little kids The first ones I had were in the mid-50's---translucent red kiddie records, 10" iirc, or maybe the more common 7" (my memory has been affected by all the LSD I smoked ;-). Vinyl Me Please does a lot of their issues in color, for no good reason I am aware of. At least they have most of their LP's now made at QRP. Black may not be a color, but black is beautiful, baby!

@bdp24  I actually like some of the colored vinyl. It often doesn't sound as good as black, but it is kind of cool and fun to watch on the turntable. Some of the more limited versions like some of the RSD releases can go up in value pretty quickly too. Not for any good reason but I don't mind seeing something I purchased go up in value instead of down, LOL

I'll second or third the posts praising the quality of records coming from Analog Productions and other labels that are pressed at QRP as I have not been disappointed at all. I am in a number of cases partial to the SQ on some of my original pressings from the 60's and 70's but I have also many times found recent reissues or remasters to be equally enjoying. 

I recently replaced my original Byrds Columbia Mono copies of Tamborine Man and 5th Dimension that sounded great but had seen better days. I found near mint Sundazed  2013 reissues on Discogs at a reasonable price and am happy so say they sounded great and as it turns out they were pressed at QRP. 

I've also had good luck with Friday Music and Columbia Legacy.