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The Great Vinyl Debate

Vinyl record prices are out of control. Their quality is also lacking: Too many poor pressings and cheap packaging (paper sleeves and cheap card stock outer sleeves) don't justify the price. My question is why is this happening?

I refuse to buy re-issues when used originals can still be had cut from the original analog sources to those that love to search for them (I get that some folks don't care for hunting/waiting) and ultimatly find them.

The trouble I have is with the price of "new vinyl." It varies of course, but both indie and major label vinyl records are grossly over priced IMO. I have no qualms about supported an artist whatsoever, however the average price for LPs both single and double and box sets are outragous.

Labels, distributors et. al. appear to be taking advantage of an inflated/exaggerated supply and demand equilibrium more so these days than ever before. Why is this? Even tho I've been hearing and reading about the vinyl resurgance since 2007 and the plethora of other documents stating that it's on the rise - even that vinyl is killing the compact disc - only 3 people where I work have turntables (that includes me) but I'm the only one that actually listens to, and buys records. In my world, I don't see the resurgance at all. But I do see inflated record prices along the lines of $46 for double LPs and $35 dollars for single LPs! These aren't re-issue inflated prices either - these are new music prices. And most if not all don't include "free MP3 downloads" (who wants MP3's anyway?)

Perhaps the recording industry believes that if they have a customer base that will pay $2000 for one foot of power cord or $10K+ for turntables (sans tonearm and cartridge) - we won't balk at $30 150 gram records or multi-hundred dollar box sets.

I'm a music lover not a sucka. Hey music industry mad men I'm on to you - the revolution is now....
notec
inna
7,174 posts
 
I bought many from Japan too. In 99% their grading was accurate. Not cheap but worth it.
has2be's avatar
has2be
555 posts
 
Its supply and demand. Simple economics of manufacturing. The more you produce the more you can discount by volume. The smaller the production the higher the costs. Boutique is a good way to describe what was once a massive market.
As far as price in the very early seventies wages averaged around a dollar an hour and albums were 4.99 for current releases. So even 55 for a double 45 reissue at todays wages is still less then they were then.
Quality is an inherit problem but even in the heyday those same issues were present.
Have to agree with Macdadtexas on the Japanese pressings. I have been buying them from Japan for over 20 years and have over 250 japenese pressings shipped EMS from Japan and not one dud.
Two reasons for it, they use FAR superior virgin vynil and albums in Japan were ridiculously pricey for the Japanese to buy so they looked after them with greater care than we North Americans did in general.
Cheers
tzh21y
1,654 posts
 
I hear ya. New vinyl is not really analog anyways. It is mostly digitally mastered. So, the question is why would I take a digital source, and try to convert it to analog? Seems silly to me. I like the old tape hiss of old recordings. Record cutting is also an art and very few know how to do it well. I agree with you wholeheartedly. I still listen to records but they are all older originals. They do sound great, but all suffer some from Inner groove distortion. No turntable, I do not care how much one pays for it will track the inner grooves as well as the first three songs or 3/4 of the record. Most of the music I listen to suffers from this because the last 1/4 of the record is where the most demanding passages of the record are. If you have an average quality pressing, the inner grooves will track even worse and sound like mush. It does not matter how good the alignment of the cartridge is, it is an inherent problem of the medium. You can try to get it as good as you can but it will never be perfect. I buy records for the quality of the first 3 tracks because it can be pretty amazing. The last track is almost always disappointing. I have heard some pretty good tables and at first I think it sounds great but then when I get used to it, it is still there. CD player are getting pretty good and I am now listening to more CD's than vinyl and I never though i would say that.
zanth
65 posts
 
"I buy records for the quality of the first 3 tracks because it can be pretty amazing. The last track is almost always disappointing. I have heard some pretty good tables and at first I think it sounds great but then when I get used to it, it is still there."

Good points. I think this is why some reissue labels are 45 rpm only and cut to two slabs so that they can have 1-2 tracks/side and essentially "waste" the vast majority of the inner grooves.
don_c55
1,025 posts
 
@Tzh21y

I agree that most new vinyl is digital sourced and sound poor.

Arm/cartridge setup is critical, and I personally hear "NO" inner groove distortion on any records. You do not know proper arm/cartridge setup!
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