Anyone else tired of new LP's arriving like this (pics) ...?

This is my 2nd copy of this LP, which I believe was pressed at Rainbo. The photos don't do it justice - the whole thing is covered like this, literally looks like it's been on the bottom of someone's shoe and done a tour of the pressing plant. Not only that but both of the damn things are severely warped too.

I'm really getting annoyed with how often this happens. Sometimes it is not as severe but it's still not acceptable. I know that usually this kind of damage is from not using poly-lined sleeves but the amount of scratches here lead me to believe there is much more to it than that.

By the way, the photos were taken after it was RCM cleaned (and it did not get rid of it as you can see).

I feel so bad that the retailer has sent me 2 copies, both are like this and in the end they have just refunded me (I wouldn't ask for a 3rd anyway), so all in all they've lost out (the record label or plant really should be responsible here and take the hit, but we know that is not how it works today). I really wanted this on LP too, but I just won't take yet another gamble so I'll have to do without.

 

Man that doesn't look new at all!

 

What kind of inner sleeve is it housed?

 

Fed up with things turning up with a warp to some degree. They are records. They are supposed to be FLAT !!.

(.......and you can tell me all you like how it was always so. It wasn't for me !! All my old ones are STILL flat !!)

 

This is where, for all of it's faults, that Amazon comes into it's own. You have no problem exchanging faulty/dirty discs.

 

As for OP's post. Lemme guess, PAPER SLEEVE?!

 

Normal white paper sleeve. I know these can cause scuffs but these LP's are the worst I've ever seen (brand new). I doubt it's the paper sleeve alone doing this much damage.

Regarding Amazon - I use them a lot of LP's because of their excellent return/exchange process but you have to be careful as they will ban you if you make too many returns. I usually save amazon returns for really bad stuff, and in the past I've let some minor things slide, otherwise I'd be returning too much!

 

What I hate is you can never buy an lp and save it for your birthday or Christmas. It took one lp being opened outside of the return window that was warped to unplayable status (AIC Unplugged if anyone cares) to make me completely paranoid.

 

Hey that is my shoe!

 

Yeah I'm seeing this happen with new vinyl too...the 180 gram pressings often have the same issues, vinyl is not as deep and glossy as older ones and they always have those light scratches and sometimes release agent residue as well. Often they come partly stuck to the inner sleeve, which is weird. As much as the sound isn't affected much I always feel cheaped out compared to getting a nice original.

 

Although i agree that vinyl can be so frustrating there is still something sooo addictive about vinyl that, for me, cds cant match. I do like both formats though

 

Is the record actually scuffed or are there marks or patterns on the surface that do not affect play? It seems to me that it may be one of those cases where the metal parts have not been de-horned so you get all sorts of marks and patterns on the disc surface that visually look like scratches or scuff marks but do not affect play. I have seen this on U.S. pressed discs over the past five decades and it always fascinated me. When I was a teenager, I and friends of mine called them 'pressure marks' as we had no idea of how they arose.

There is an interesting thread on this forum about 'GZ Quality Control or Lack Thereof' and there is a discussion on de-horning metal parts prior to pressing the actual discs, if I recall correctly. It is very rare on European discs, in my experience. Of course, if it is physical damage from careless handling by Rainbo, then that is wholly and completely unacceptable. Some labels do not de-horn the metal parts to save on costs, apparently. Can't say I like Rainbo product anyway although they did a good job on the Porterhouse X reissues some years ago but I think Porterhouse kept an eye on production, if you what I mean.

 

When paying a premium for new records they better be flat and clean. Sales are dropping and I bet this is part of the reason.

 

My God! and one of my favorite albums!!!!! Sucks!

 

That's terrible. Send some pics to Rainbo.
Am I the only one who routinely gets records in nice shape? Seems I see horror stories every day, but for the most part when I buy new records they are flat and scratch free.

 

On a side note, I opened up a new record last weekend, and it looked like it had green paint splattered on it (it was not supposed to be colored vinyl). Turns out it was just green vinyl that got mixed with the black. Played fine, but it goes to show these pressing plants are running non-stop to get product out the door.

 

I had forgotten about de-horning, so it could be partly that. In my experience, these marks are usually audible too (I have a couple like this already, alhough nowhere near as bad as this - and they are just noisy as hell, worse than a used beat up LP).

 

This is what happens to AbandonTech® ...
when an industrial process is ditched in deference
to the latest fad, only to see renewed interest. It'll
take years to get it back to the way it was, if ever.

 

De-Horning the metal parts also sacrifices the high frequencies. Better to not de-horn. Sure it is a bit more crackly, but it gradually goes away with playing. See Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs old brochures.

 

That's nasty looking. It really shouldn't be happening in this day and age. It's not like these things are 3 or 4 quid anymore..

 

i was not happy with the condition radiohead's "a moonshaped pool" arrived in.it was not scratched but had w kind of white film over it.don't really buy that much vinyl any more.maybe the rare new release or something i want that is old and might get what seems like a clean copy on eBay.my record store shopping days are long gone!

 

Not a brand new problem... case in point:
I got my BEATLES sealed Christmas Album around '75/'76.
Kept it sealed perfect till I believe 1986, then one Christmas I decided to open it up.
To my utter disgust, the labels were bad. They both had that rough, cracked looking surface of the moon thing.
You could see the full labels, just not flat and smooth... vinyl was NM.

 

Are you sure it's not a pirate?

 

But have you played it ? Or it's just the mere looks of it that discouraged you. If it were the only alternative, and I wanted it bad, I'd give it a spin. Then there's always the CD-to-the-rescue alternative