I was on the thread Pete Townshend new colored vinyl reissues and there is a big debate between the two and I agree colored vinyl back in the day was horrible but with the reissues coming out on vinyl are clear and quite. Like to get everyone’s thoughts out there so what do you say.
Those that I have seem fine to me. I think there are other factors that affect sound quality more than just color.
I agree about back in the day...but it's apparently improved quite a bit. I have three of the Capitol re-issues of McCartney's albums on colored vinyl and they are as quiet as any well-pressed black vinyl album. And to take it a step further, I very cautiously went to play the new picture disc of Sgt. Pepper and was extremely pleased...no comparison to the late 70's one which had horrible fidelity and a wealth of snap, crackle, Pop.
I've never found that colored vinyl back in the day was horrible. Or that it ever had any effect on the sound quality. Had plenty of late-70s new wave and rock records that sounded identical to the same editions pressed on black.
I usually grab the "colored" version if I'm buying the record anyway. I wouldn't say I seek them out but I have a lot of them at this point.
Colored records rarely present problems for me, and I very much prefer them for the looks and how they hold or gain value. Sometimes colored pressings can actually be quieter than the standard black pressings. However, once in a while clear records have been more crackly in my setup. Of course this could be caused by many factors, but what makes me suspect the clear vinyl may be to blame is my tri-colored 69 Love Songs box set. Even after a good solid RCM clean, the clear discs of volume 3 are by far the most crackly and annoying.
I love colored vinyl - it just adds the fun element to me for spinning records. I've had pretty good success with recent colored LPs - the McCartney ones already mentioned here are pretty quiet, and the Analog Spark / B&N edition of The Cranberries "Everyone Else..." is pristine. Some of my older ones were pretty rough, but that was before I really understood how to clean records so that's probably a factor. I'll always buy the colored version if I have a choice. I just think they're cool.
Today, black any day of the week. Colour often feels like a gimmick now. There was a point to coloured vinyl around the 70s and 80s. It was a way to avoid having your album pressed from re-cycled black vinyl after the price of oil rocketed after the first (73) and second (79) oil crises. Aside from clear vinyl often used for the reason I just stated, (and as I have said before on this forum) I liked coloured vinyl when it was the exception and when it was chosen with purpose. Like Teenage Jesus and the Jerks using pink for a 12" that came in a pink cover, housing some of the most alarmingly confrontational music of its time. Or The Resident's Eskimo coming in white because it was about 'eskimo' culture. Or Mark of The Mole coming in brown (for example). In recent years, I bought a couple of LPs that uses the splatter techniques. My least favourite colouring technique.
I’ve had no issues at all with any colored vinyl (non-black) records I’ve bought in the last few years. I have several colored edition LPs but I don’t really go out of my way to buy them. I’d choose black if there is a choice between black or colored vinyl. But, I won’t buy any colored vinyl records used. Colored vinyl makes it almost impossible to determine the condition of the record. Too risky as the color versions are almost always more expensive.
Indeed. My understanding is that the black additive makes the raw, clear PVC a bit more durable, thus making the only real difference between black and coloured vinyl that the black will be slower to wear down from play. But realistically, I don't know how much of an issue this would be anyway, or if it's even still true.
I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that You talking mostly about modern reissues. Don't know what You heard about "colored vinyl back in the day", I have lots of pressings from 1970s and 1980s and most of them sounds fine to me. Modern reissues of classic albums IMO have much bigger problems than "crackle and pop", they usually sourced from digital files. I don't care how good or bad they seem to sound, they DIFFERENT from the way these albums were made originally - good enough reason for me not to buy them.
Sparks-Introducing Sparks, 1977 Dead quiet, a very nice Alan Zentz cut. I don't believe color or lack of has any affect. Comes down to the manufacture. As Strat was saying, I do enjoy black as well just because it can be easier to detect anomalies from a visual standpoint.
I just think there are way to many variables at play for a 'clear' winner Most of the one's I get if I have a choice are pretty much for collection reasons
My older colored vinyl does not sound as good as the newer colored vinyl that I have collected recently and I do like collecting colored vinyl, at the mall today and had a choice of black or pink vinyl for The Getaway by The Red Hot Chili Peppers and I choose the pink and was the same price
Vinyl quality aside, I hate coloured vinyl if it's a light colour. I cannot stand that I can't see to clean off dust or debris. Besides, I want to play my records, not look at them.
