Todays new vinyl LP's better than LP's 40 yrs ago?

To begin with, my experiences and perceptions apply to classical music lps only. I agree with the salient comments of the majority above. I bought several re-issues, but never found any of them superior to the originals. Many original masters used years ago have aged to some degree. Since re-issues have come from those aging masters, something has been lost. Thus, even though many of them have been done using tube equipment, I invariably detect a comparatively artificial quality to their sound. And the ultimate coup de grace to those re-issues is even with these disadvantages, they quite frequently cost more than very fine copies(if and when you find them)of the originals. Despite these acknowledgements/impressions, I do not typically reject them. I still have found some to sound good, just not in the same class as the originals.

Audiofeil wrote: Disagree.... But take a random sample of 100 albums from the 50's, 60's, and 70's and compare them to 100 new releases and you'll find far more problems sound quality, warpage, etc. than you'll see/hear in the old stuff.

I agree with your disagreement. Your experience has been different than mine. I came across an absolutely pristine looking Savoy Brown album from 1971 the other day. The background noise was constant and quite annoying. I was routinely aggravated by the brand new DG's classical releases I bought in the 1970s.

Interestingly, one of the best pressings I've seen the past few months caught me completely off guard. It was the 1965 release of Lightnin' Hopkins on Tradition Everest (2103) - hardly a big name in record labels.

One can argue about the relative ratio between new and old of good pressings to bad but I think my central point is that LP quality has always been and still is the luck of the draw. When an LP is good, they are a wonderful way to listen to music. However, get a bad one with constant gravel, warps or whatever, and listening just isn't much fun.

It depends.I have heard head to head Classic re-issue of Charlie Rouse "Yeah!" verusus original and re-issue was better.But then again were talking Bernie Grundman doing what he can with original tapes,masters and stampers.it is a good point that you had better hard virgin vinyl in 50's or early 60's and since then even with proper "vault" environment control there should be less info on tapes then when fresh.And then we went to thinner LP's often with re-melt vinyl which made LP's abysmal by 70's.But now 180 (some don't like 200gm and prefer 180 gm as being "right").

But if you see good re-issue companies using vintage playback gear with well preserved tapes it depends on the mastering engineer material to work with.Sometimes it's really an issue if you read about film music which uses optical trip for sound on very unstable film.All in all I like the older LP's like my thick Blue Notes which even when hacked sound a grade better than other Lp's (though some companies like Roost made bad LP's at the time when ,Blue Note,Prestige had fine sound and some like Phillips and Epic were exceptional) I would rather a clean copy of the old LP.But $50 for a well made re-issue versus $500 or $2K for some titles hey if 'ya got it spend it.Just nice that some companies like Classic or Acoustic Sounds and others are doing good job.P.S. some companies like Venus took OK Interplay LP's and made them sound better on superior vinyl and their own digital 24 bit tapes pressed into wax are some of the best I have ever heard contrary to the "it's all gotta be analogue if it's pressed into wax" crowd thinks.if you like Jazz pick up some of Archie Shepp's "Blue" series digital to wax LP's (or any Venus LP be it a s re-issue or original recoding like Mike Garzone with Trio De Paz" and others.The Cd's have the extra dynamic range of course but the LP's are so good with that Lp only "tactile" sound that you want both!Older isn't always better.Just thank goodness we are stuck with crap that existed from late 60's to mid 90's.
Chazz

I have yet to of bought or heard a re-issue LP that sonicly beats the original pressing. A lot of the albums pressed in the 60's were very well done. Not so much in the later 70's. I wondered that in a previous thread about the quality of vynil used today and a previous poster has answered that. With the cost of a well cared for (rarer ones and higher demand) original getting quite expensive the re-issues for many are still a great way to enjoy vynil and I can see why some would conscider it a no brainer to buy the re-issue. Myself I would rather pay say a 100 bucks for a clean original copy of one album I want(if lucky to find!) than a 100 bucks for 2 different re-issues that I wasn,t completely pleased with. I,m fortunate to have a good collection of well cared for originals I owned from new or used and alot of Japanese pressings and mofi's (2500+)as it gives me the luxury of patience to add to my collection. Anyone that is now trying to build up a descent collection with the cost,s of quality used and the re-issue hit and miss I can certainly see why many seem to be questioning getting into vynil.I have purchased and been somewhat pleased with some re-issues but it does seem to be more miss than hit with them in my experience. I have had better luck albeit and admittedly at a premium price for well cared for originals but have also obtained many very clean originals for 10 bucks.Some very good points are made previously and not just the cost for used or re-issue. The condition of used can be very subjective from the seller to the buyer. The re-issues I think (for the most part )have a lesser quality vynil used, and as Audiofeil points out more warpage problems , and alot of times less sonicly pleasing than the original. The quality and condition of the mastering tapes used and with some done from digital. The one that can even ruin a quality pressed dead quiet re-issue is the sonic footprint some engineers put on it themselves. Realistically though unless vynil sales skyrocket and stay that way for sometime (fad versus dedicated vynil users) ,this is probably what we vynil users will have to deal with. I can see how for some entering or re-entering into vynil could be frustrated and even fed up to going away from it. Recently I bought 2 James Cottons re-issues recorded in 67 and 68 that I have yet to see an original of worth buying. I was surprised at how well they were done for re-issues. They were both pressed in Russia surprisingly. Cheers

>>03-03-10: Mlsstl
but I think my central point is that LP quality has always been and still is the luck of the draw.<<

That is the flaw in your argument.

There was more consistency and higher quality years ago.

One example, your Savoy Brown album, is an isolated case and does not support your position well. Everybody has at least one or two clunkers from the old days. The chance of buying junk today is far greater. I've been doing this far too long to believe otherwise.

Thank you