Beatles Remasters on Vinyl (part 11)

I get where you are coming from, but I sure as hell know what I want:

• I want a copy of Abbey Road that isn't marred by severe distortion from the middle of track 1 through track 6 on side one, that renders it totally unplayable. 4 copies
• I want a copy that isn't warped
• I want a copy that isn't pressed off-center on side 2
• I want a copy that doesn't have any marks or fingerprints on it
• I want a copy that doesn't have non-fill issues
• I want a copy that I haven't relegated to frisbee status

I own multiple UK copies of Abbey Road to know what to expect.

 

I don't know if your question was answered, but I will give it a shot.

Maybe Optimal has a better facility than Rainbo. Optimal's QC measures could be more stringent than Rainbo's. Optimal may have better paid, or more experienced/competent workers than Rainbo's. The quality of the vinyl formulation used by Optimal could be better.

I don't profess to know, just throwing out a few things hoping something will stick.

 

I'm certainly not a "hipster" expert but I can tell you that the big advertising agencies in NYC are making a connection between Hipsters and vinyl. I've seen a fair number of ads lately depicting cool young Hipsters vinyl shopping. Actually, my favorite Goodwill has a fair number of younger vinyl customers in the past year or so.

 

Yes, I knew about the EU pressings in the Japan box...just wondering if anyone had purchased it.

The funny thing is, Amazon Japan also lists the EU box on sale for 37,609 JPY (about 21,000 JPY cheaper than the 'Japanese' box - VERY expensive for an obi and insert...).

 

Oh you're NOT alone.

Far from it.

 

Amazon has offered me a 30 percent discount for keeping the box. Now I am happy! $214 is my final cost.

 

Wait, what?

 

You know how Rainbo and other lousy pressing plants get away with this? It's because the labels no longer allow vinyl returns, and the retailer has to eat the cost. What drawback is there for a manufacturer that doesn't have to deal with returned defective product?

If there's more vinyl being pressed now than there was back in the '90s when labels stopped taking returns, then maybe they need to damn well start taking them again. You'd see QC tighten right up.

 

With non-fill issues, it's how the plant runs the presses. It looks like Rainbo ran the presses quickly, possibly not monitoring the temperature of the press, and just keeping up to meet an impending deadline.

BTW, I bought MMT and YS from one retailer and Pepper from another. Each of these pressings had non-fill problems. Pepper was totally unplayable. YS had side 2 unplayable and one track on side 1. MMT had one track with excessive distortion. Quite shameful.

 

I emailed them and complained and they offered me a partial refund. At this price I can live with a few imperfections.

 

Classic example of increased production.

 

Everyone should apply for this price reduction.

 

Optimal are German and the Germans are renowned for their attention to quality. Also Optimal have recently been expanding back into vinyl and are sourcing presses from former eastern block incl Russia. I imagine most of their equipment is newley refurbished (like QRP). On the other hand Rainbo presses may be pretty worn out with minimun maintenance. Also it does sound from the differences in sound being described between the US/EU products that Rainbo may be using an inferior vinyl mix. Add to that it could be the plating process was not QC'd probably. Both plants received laquers cut at the same time by Sean Magee so the differences are all at the door of the pressing plant.

The pressing could not have been a rush job as buyers have quoted dates months apart on their boxes. I doubt in the long term outlets like Amazon are eating the cost. A large chain surely would have the clout to force compensation and/or replacement stock from EMI. EMI is now a minnow in corporation size to the likes of Amazon. As I said elsewhere a smaller faulty production run would be repressed by now and the remaining stock withdrawn. It's amazing if EMI spent years messing around with EQ , transfering to a digital masters below the current industry standard of 24/48 and then rush vinyl versions out with a few months to complete.

 

Well it may be because I buy so much stuff and they looked at my account and determined that I hardly ever return anything. Don't know but at least I can enjoy my set now.

 

Eh? What retailers? Are you saying Amazon (and other online retailers) and the few remaining brick & mortar stores are responsible for making restitution concerning defective LPs (or CDs, DVDs and Bluray)? I can see them giving the customer back his money for defective merchandise, but surely THEY will get this back from the distributor, pressing plant or label at some point? I mean, if you buy a defective stove from Best Buy THEY return your money, but in turn, they get reimbursed by the manufacturer. Can someone from Newbury Comics or Bull Moose Music chime in here concerning this issue? I know I haven't worked in a "record store" in ages, but I can't believe that THEY would be solely responsible for this type of neglect and poor quality control, reagrdless stated of vinyl return mandates. Ron

 

My American made box set is perfect (as far as pressing quality) from start to finish. A few minor pops are audible in-between tracks and at the start of the record, but no more than "premium" audiophile LP's that I've purchased in the last couple of decades. (Listening on a Marantz TT-15S1 turntable through a Marantz 7C/9 system).
My set was purchased through Amazon US and arrived on the day of release. Perhaps Rainbo had a run of good pressings as well as bad ones?

Did anyone else here receive a perfect American box set with no defects?

 

Congratulations my friend...you have won the lotto!

 

There's always the possibility over time you could replace privately some of the more imperfect titles although I fully understand justifiably how a good number of people here feel about the quality control issues on the US pressed set.

 

Yes, that's the point exactly. It's not an "either/or" situation.

 

Ok thanks, that makes sense.

 

"Germans are renowned for their attention to quality."
Certainly nothing offensive in that cultural generalization.
Guess Americans aren't.
You, sir, win the cup.

 

I reported back in Part 10 that I got a US pressing of the 2012 Abbey Road at my local indie and reported no problems. I've since ordered the rest of the US pressings this way:

10 single LPs from Hot Topic with their 50% off Black Friday coupon. They were out of stock with the remaining titles. They arrived yesterday. Visual inspections revealed no warping or off center pressings, but some non-fill seems to be present. Side 2 of Yellow Submarine has a huge gouge across the last track and continues across the label! Total cost: $118

I got the remaining single LP, Hard Day's Night, at my local indie. Between that and AR I spent $50.

I got both double LPs from Amazon US. They were $30 each, and I used $30 in reward points for one, and a $30 gift card for the other.

So, I spent $168 for all of the US pressings, with one of the LPs sporting a terrible visual defect. I would have loved the book and EU pressings, but I used the savings and put it towards an 80's UK Blue Box.

I've listened to my Amazon Past Masters and it was great. I turned it down 1dB from my AR level (that harmonica on I'll Get You is loud!). Between AR and PM, all I noticed was that whoosh described by others at the very beginning of sides.

Next step has been listening chronologically to titles, BC-13 version then 2012 US.

PPM: BC-13 is certainly light on the bass! 2012 is the best pressing out of all the remasters I've heard so far. Clean with barely any pops. Bass was balanced. I like this one.

WTB: The BC-13 skipped during It Won't Be Long. By side 2 the sound of the cymbals in the left channel was grating on me. By the time the maracas joined in on Devil it was really rough. The US 2012 is much rougher than the other remasters regarding pops and clicks, especially on side 1. Side 2 is much better. I guess I'm starting to finally hear the pressing issues others are reporting. Not much worse than what I've heard on the two BC-13 LPs I've listened to so far.

Should I check in with the rest of my comparisons? I figured it might be helpful for US people. My BC-13 looks NM, my system is really modest (Denon DP-26F turntable, Pioneer VSX-917V receiver, 5 Advent 3 speakers and a subwoofer). It's set up as part of my home theater, but I've calibrated it carefully and my ears are great! I've got mad Beatles skillz too!

I should also note that I don't have a RCM. All I've done is clean the stylus after each side. I've also listened to the limited USB files on this system recently and can compare if you like.

 

What, seriously? This is worth getting offended by?

 

It bothers you less because of the cost? Hmmm.

 

I hope not!