33rpm vs 45rpm - which is better

Never dived into the 45 vs 33 question - but I always found 78's were the best compared to a 33 of the same song. I assumed this was because faster speed = longer groove = the ability for more information to be captured in the cut. Applying that logic to your question, 45's ought to have the edge.

@aewarren Agree on the orange disc. Bought a Soft Machine Vol 1 to replace my 30 year old copy - amazing packaging compared to my original - working dial and all. Then, I pull out the record to see colored vinyl. Somebody need to tell them to stop doing this - just stop.

@zazouswing Actually I started a discussion on colored vinyl a couple of weeks ago (check it out) and was amazed at the number of respondents who actually like the colored and clear vinyl records. To each his own, I guess I’m a dinosaur.

All things being equal, 45's sound better. Usually they have a much bigger gap at the end of each side where the sound deteriorates due to the angle change between the stylus and record deviating more and more from 90 degrees. May be less apparent with linear tracking arms.

Also, having more information coming through in the same time improves the depth of the sound. Usually 45's are produced with higher standards and are more expensive since 2 discs have to be used.

Vince Guaraldi - It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: Pumpkin Shaped Vinyl (Vinyl LP) * * * (musicdirect.com)

Vince Guaraldi-Its The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown-140 150 Gram Vinyl Record|Acoustic Sounds