Are 'Tip-on Sleeves' the new '180 gram'?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Halfwit, Jan 22, 2018.

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  1. Halfwit

    Halfwit Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dublin
    I'm sure we're all sick of those '180 gram Audiophile' editions that are badly pressed and about as far as 'audiophile' as it gets, but recently I've noticed a few boutique labels advertising 'classic' Tip-on sleeves. Now correct me if I'm wrong but aren't they a bit rubbish, prone to ringwear and after a few years, end up looking like they've been given a good going over with sandpaper? I got one recently, and apart from the issue of future wear, the cardboard was just too thick to slip the record back in without a struggle. Or are these new 'Tip-on' sleeves better quality than the old variety?
     
  2. lightbulb

    lightbulb Not the Brightest of the Bunch

    Location:
    Smogville CA USA
    Example or photo please?
     
    Sean, George P and john lennonist like this.
  3. Axis_67

    Axis_67 Senior Member

    Location:
    Virginia
    A tip-on sleeve alone isn't an indicator of pressing or mastering quality, but if someone is going to the trouble and expense of a tip-on sleeve it at least shows they have some concern about delivering a better product.
     
    Sean, Myke, black sheriff and 3 others like this.
  4. jmpatrick

    jmpatrick Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit, MI
    Love Tip-On jackets.

    Loathe 180gram vinyl.
     
  5. dance_hall_keeper

    dance_hall_keeper Forum Resident

    As a card-carrying member of "The Great Unwashed"™, I will assume there are others like me who don't know what this is.
    Thank you, Google!
    From record pressing dot com:
    Tip-on Jacket
    An old style record jacket that is hand glued. The term tip-on, refers to the folded seams on the paper. The printing is done on a peice of paper which is then glued to heavy board stock. The effect over standard direct to board jackets, for most record collectors, is similar to the differences between a hardback and paperback book.
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2018
    Sean, wvsteveo, LitHum05 and 3 others like this.
  6. coniferouspine

    coniferouspine Forum Resident

    I would agree that the phrase "Stoughton tip-on jackets" have become a bit of a fetish in the marketing materials, among certain reissue labels. I see it mentioned a lot, especially by labels who sell directly online. But I have far too many more important things to do in life, rather than fuss or complain about it or get hung up about the jackets themselves.
     
    observerstation likes this.
  7. richbdd01

    richbdd01 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    I don’t get it....what’s bad about a thicker cover? I hate the ultra thin ones from labels like Music on Vinyl. These tip on jackets will at least have some durability over a lifetime compared to a thinner jacket.

    I’m with you on the 180g Vinyl. I wish they would put more effort into mastering...
     
    kannibal likes this.
  8. Danby Delight

    Danby Delight Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston
    I'm starting to wonder if there are people whose real hobby isn't music collecting or listening, but complaining. What an odd thing to get upset about.
     
    OldSoul, marcb, DeRosa and 22 others like this.
  9. sonofjim

    sonofjim Senior Member

    Personally, I don’t have a big problem with either tip on jackets or 180gm vinyl. I have stellar examples of both too numerous to mention. It’s all in the mastering and execution.
     
    Myke, Satrus, ssmith3046 and 5 others like this.
  10. Pizza

    Pizza With extra pepperoni

    Location:
    USA
  11. Claude Benshaul

    Claude Benshaul Forum Resident

    Does it make the spine wider? I can see some advantage here in letting me read the album title without having to flip the records.
     
  12. nosliw

    nosliw Delivering parcels throughout Teyvat! Meow~!

    Location:
    Ottawa, ON, Canada
    These tip-on sleeves are quite nice, especially from Music Matters and Analogue Productions, but it does increase the cost in manufacturing them.
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  13. IanL

    IanL Senior Member

    Location:
    Oneonta, NY USA
    The big benefit is a much nicer print quality. Imagine being able to print onto a high quality, bright white, smooth surface, versus printing directly onto cardboard. If you care about album artwork, it can be a huge difference. Now of course, just because the right approach is being used that is capable of achieving the best results, doesn't mean the designer or the printer know what they are doing. But Stoughton certainly do.
     
  14. Pinknik

    Pinknik Senior Member

    The only problem I have with 180g and nice jackets is when they are wasted on a mediocre sounding release. 180g being the more commonly abused “feature”.
     
    Max Florian, Robert C, nosliw and 4 others like this.
  15. hvbias

    hvbias Midrange magic

    Location:
    Northeast
    Music Matters have never done tip on.

    When I was buying vinyl I liked it, it was a normal thing on 50s and 60s jazz vinyl so it's a nice call back. Even OJC all analog vinyl from the 80s used tip on jackets.
     
    Robert C likes this.
  16. Michael Sutter

    Michael Sutter Forum Resident

    Location:
    Holbrook, NY
    The few tip-on sleeves I've gotten were really nice. Analog Spark pressed a bunch of stuff with tip-on jackets and they're awesome, print quality is great, and they feel very durable.
     
    black sheriff likes this.
  17. Mrtn77

    Mrtn77 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paris
    Were tip-on jackets ever much used outside of the USA ? I don't think I've ever seen European labels use them. Slimmer direct-to-board sleeves seem to have been the norm here.
     
  18. R. Totale

    R. Totale The Voice of Reason

    Borscht. At best it was an indicator of an earlier pressing when a older record was repressed into the later 70s, similar to label design. Closer to original is better, but hardcover ve paperback is a quantum level difference.
     
  19. HiFi Guy

    HiFi Guy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lakeland, FL
    While I appreciate the thicker jackets, they mean fewer albums per shelf. Back in the 60-70s, import albums were higher quality vinyl, but the jackets were super thin. You could put more albums on a shelf though.
     
  20. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    As mentioned, they are nothing new and have been around for decades. By themselves, they're not a selling point for me. However, tip-on jackets often go hand in hand with better sound quality. Sometimes labels will spend a lot of money on tip-on jackets and other packaging features while skimping on the actual record and pressing quality. Labels like Numero and Light in the Attic do this when they press records at plants like United and Rainbo.
     
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  21. Mrtn77

    Mrtn77 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paris
    Tip-on jackets don't so much go hand to hand with better sound quality as they do with respect for the original product in all its aspects, both musical and visual. I don't know about Numero, but Light in the Attic's use of these jackets have nothing to do with RTI or Rainbo, as they get them made by the Stoughton Printing Company. They have a blog post about the place, should anyone be interested :
    Meet Your Maker: A Trip to Stoughton Printing Co. | Light in the Attic Records
     
  22. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I think you are missing my point. Audiophile labels will often go all out when they make a record, and providing a tip-on jacket is just one part of that. Numero and LITA do cut corners by often pressing at cheaper, lower tier plants like Rainbo and United, even if the jackets are tip-on and the packaging overall looks very nice. By contast, a label like Pure Pleasure often uses cheaper direct to board printing for their jackets but spends more money and time on the actual mastering and pressing of the record.
     
    nosliw likes this.
  23. Mrtn77

    Mrtn77 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paris
    No, I understood, only wanted to clarify since some pressing plants do print jackets as well.
    Pure Pleasure not doing tip-on jackets might not be a matter of money, as those seem to be an American speciality.
    In any case, a reissue label interested in authenticity wouldn't use them if the first pressing did not either, however appealing they might be to some collectors.
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  24. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    I love the covers that Run Out Groove is doing. Gorgeous. Wished their records sounded as good as the covers look.
     
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