Audiophile vinyl defects: When do you complain?

It's sad, though. I chose to buy the CD version of Moby Grape because I have no faith in Sundazed's ability to provide me with a noise-free LP.

 

My Sundazed "Forever Changes" sounds fantastic.

 

Mine sounds okay. No static, at least. I usually play the CD, though.

 

Understand and a couple of ticks are acceptible but noisy vinyl is not when you are paying $25 to $50 for an album.

I agree I picked up the Sundazed reissue of Van Morrison's Blowin Your Mind and although the mastering was great the vinyl noise was terrible.

 

i pretty regularly spend that on albums, yes.

i recently paid $300 for a record. it's got a bit of surface noise here and there -- but i guess that's more of a "collecting" sort of thing. it's an early numbered copy of the smashing pumpkins "mellon collie and the infinite sadness." i can't send it back to factory five times.

 

I must've been lucky so far!

Sundazed - bought the first two Stooges LP's from them and they are excellent with quiet surfaces

RHCP Stadium Arcadium - ditto.

Being in the UK, I would be well out of pocket if I was having to return defective pressings across the pond. Will keep my fingers crossed for future purchases.....

An honourable mention has to go to Simply Vinyl. I bought a copy of "Grace" which I didn't open for a couple of months. When played, one side sounded bad. Spoke to one of the directors at SV and they offered to replace without me needing to send the defective copy back. Some of their releases may have questionable sonics but fair people (and pressings are usually perfectly flat and very quiet).

 

I agree in that respect in collecting records - you will encounter any type of condition and quality of sound. But has Tommy has indicated - with new vinyl - at $50 a pop for the Fantasy 45 - I expect someone listening and ensuring that we do not recieve audible issues from RTI - which is not happening. .

It sounds like everyone on this forum has accepted to this fact.

Understand - I am big advocate on this format - since I have been collecting since the late 70's and also signed up for entire Blue Note 45 series - in fact my cd player is almost a paperweight - except for CD's that I have from NAIM and Audioquest (which are a handful).

Enough said.

 

Whoa! So Things Are Getting Better and Caravan have defects that affect every copy pressed? Those are all on my 'to buy' list, along with Poll Winners. What is the warble piano defect and is it throughout?

I just needledropped both of my copies of the AP45rpm of Do You Know What I Mean? this evening - I plan to sell one soon and didn't want any potential buyers to be suspect of the pressing, plus I'll have a needledrop CD for them too. In any case, I had one moderate pop and one quiet pop out of 8 sides. Quiet otherwise - not bad at all. My Way Out West was fine too. I hope that bodes well for the other 15 or so AP45rpms that I did not yet open and play but plan to in the very near future....

I also bit the bullet and re-purchased most of the Classic Led Zeps yesterday since the prices are getting kooky on those. I had the 180g versions for many of them and sold them off 4-5 years ago. I'll crack those open right away in case there any issues.

 

Adderley "Things are getting better" 45rpm - tape flutter?

 

well thats a bit dissapointing to hear about the last titles in the Fantasy 45 series.*sigh*. I would think they would give some sort of partial credit for a defective record that cant be repressed. I have even cracked open the Cannonball. I guess I should just send it back.Oh well at least its not one of the better titles.But Caravan..? that sucks.

I guess I have had good luck though. I have a bunch of these and have only one that I have to replace. Yes , there are a few minor pops here and there but no big noise issues.

Is there anyway to test for pitch being effected by minor warpage?

Or does pitch variation happen with minor warpage?

A few of mine have warpage( not bad) but I cant really say that I can hear any pitch variation.

 

"Things are getting better" LP - the audible issue starts, only on the piano solo on Side 3 - I believe. I have spoken with Acoustic Sounds and they have indicated to me that they have acknowledge it and missed it on the Test pressing and will not repress it / fix it. So I have returned it for store credit.

"Caravan" has noisy vinyl towards the end of the song (30 seconds) and proceeds to the Label. Again - Acoustic sounds said they missed it on the Test Pressing and will not repress it / fix it. I have this problem with "Traneing In" as well. Both I have return for store credit.

Groovy - side 3/4 - has a bad defect - again warble affect - AS is planning to repress these. Time frame - a couple of months.

Classic records - with their 200 gr can be worse - you need to check them.

Know what I mean and Way out West - no issues with these, since I have signed up for the series awhile back - both beautifully sounding. Pops and clicks are normal - but I have return several of the other 45 rpm from the different sets due to:

- Audible defects (warble issues)
- Noisy vinyl
- severe warpage
- severe off center
- severe scratches

which all affect the sound of the LP.

AS has sent me a new copy of Poll Winner yesterday - I will let you know if there is a problem with it - should get it by next week.....

 

OFF CENTER LABEL QUESTION:

How does an off center label effect sound? or are you talking about the hole? If its the hole how do you see the problem ? Does the record diameter not match the platter diameter flush? What does it sound like ?

 

Thanks vgregory,

I have just cancelled my order for the "Groovy" set, until the repressing becomes available.

I can confirm the problems on the Cannonball, Blakey and Trane pressings, but as those will not be repressed, I decided to keep them, because these are the best sounding versions of these albums.

But at that price such manufacturing/quality control problems are very disappointing.

 

i played my Dylan Live at Royal Albert Hall for the first time yeterday and man is it terrible. every kind of noise that vinyl can make is there. sounds like sandpaper in places.

 

who put it out?

 

Man, after reading this thread, I don't know how anyone could buy a piece of new vinyl. I hope some manufacturers are reading this, and we aren't all just crying to ourselves.

 

The problems mainly exist at one US manufacturer. I've bought a few dozen Speaker's Corner pressings (made by Pallas, Germany), all of which were perfect.

 

Classic, they're usually very good.

 

I opened a vinyl LP of Bruce Springsteen 'Magic', and it is the worst warping of a new LP (reissue), I have ever seen. Total piece of crap.

I'm taking it back to Amoeba, and hoping I just got a really bad stray.

 

I returned this warped LP to Amoeba today, and the guy at the return counter was concerned about me getting another warped copy, so he asked me if I minded him opening my replacement, so he could be assured I was getting an acceptable replacement. I said sure, no problem.

I'm glad he offered to do this, because he had to open 7 copies of 'Magic' before we found one that wasn't full of fingerprints, as well as scuffs, and having visible warpage worse than the one I was returning!

A word of caution to anyone that's bought the vinyl LP of 'Magic', you better open that sucker and check it out. Otherwise, be prepared to be very pissed off whenever you do decide to open it.

 

Just recieved the Poll Winners set - and recording/performance is perfect but there is an indentation on the vinyl which is audible in the recording. I will be sending it off to be replaced. This is unusual....

I would still buy it - but check it though....

 

Regarding these botched test pressings, is there a particular reason why Steve doesn't listen to these test pressings himself to make sure they came out the way he intended?