Rolling Stones Vinyl Box 1971-2016 Sound Quality Thread

I've now listened to 7 albums in total and there have been no pressing issues at all so far. All sound good with Emotional Rescue being a bit too bright. You really need to crank these things up, and then they really blossom. If you have nice originals then you probably don't need these, but I am enjoying this set very much. The packaging is outstanding.

In terms of re-evaluation of the music; I now like Goats Head more than ever. It seems to have improved. Also Undercover is a great loose funky album. Not great songwriting at all but a very fun party-dance record to blast. Enjoyed that one a lot.

So far I have listened to:

Sticky Fingers
Goats Head Soup
It's Only Rock & Roll
Some Girls
Emotional Rescue
Tattoo You
Undercover

 

It's amazing that there are boxes out there with no problems at all. Mine is hopelessly full of all kinds of pressing problems. A couple of the albums are ok, more or less, but most have issues out of the ordinary on a new piece of vinyl. Mostly loud pops here and there, and crackling. On a few there are no loud pops, but instead there's noise in between songs. That noise is not present on all records though.

 

Well maybe my Rega RP8 with Ania MC Cart and Aria stage just ride through any glitches perfectly.

Seriously I haven't noticed any clicks or pops at all.

 

My box is just like yours, most of the albums have very loud crackling, some have high noise floor between songs... It really ruins the fun of it all.

 

Well I have more records to listen to. Perhaps crackles are in my future ?

 

Music Direct gave me the go ahead to send three albums back to them for replacements. Otherwise I can’t fault this set with it’s sound. Considering the sources this box sounds fine to my ears.

 

I have the Rega Planar 6 with the Ania MC cart and Aria phonostage as well and haven't had any clicks or pops. Go Rega!

 

Did they advise sending the record back in just its inner sleeve or with the outer sleeve as well? I am sending two back to MD too. I asked them which method they prefer but haven't heard back. Anyone have experience with this?

 

They weren't too particular. Just the three albums complete with the RMA numbers. We 'll see from here.

 

Got home today and in the mail is my missing Rolling Stones tongue download card with code for the one that I was missing in the box set, Universal Music Group knows how to take care of their customers, very happy !

 

It's not your amazing turntable, there are actual pressing defects. I had really bad luck with the box, while your luck was the opposite and you have good copies of everything.

When I received my 'loss of energy' replacement "Heroes" vinyl a few months ago, side 2 was riddled with crackling noises, the same kind of thing I'm hearing w/the vinyl in this Stones box. I finally caved when Amazon had a low price and bought a replacement "Heroes" for my replacement "Heroes". So I ended up with these two copies of "Heroes", same mastering/same pressing plant, but the new one from Amazon is dead silent. I didn't upgrade anything in my set up, it's just that one of the records was pressed badly and has crackly distortion.

I'm nearly 100% certain that's what is going on with this box.

 

I believe you.

Additionally, what may be considered acceptable to the OP, may not be acceptable to you. I’ve found that out over the years as well.

 

Reading the posts all I suggest is return or exchange the set until you get a good one. I replaced two faulty discs by swapping them out. Looks like others have had worse luck. All I can say if you hear non-fill noise it's not your equipment but I think complaining about noise between tracks is a bit much. However there were plants that could produce dead silent backgrounds and hardly any in the gaps but even the likes of Palas and RTI can't achieve that regularly any more. Back in the 90s the audiophile label Lps from those plants were almost always perfection (but few were buying vinyl). I have now had 3 consecutive box sets including this one that have had issues. One from MPO, one from GZ and one from Palas. Add that to issues with other pressings and quality is on the slide again.

As far as SQ is concerned with this set all is fine though different/inferior to some of the original pressings. A few are actually an improvement. Not much to complain about other than QC and the high price. Better than we could have hoped for after the last set of reissues.

 

I just noticed for the first time right now, comparing my needle drops of the original Undercover and this remaster, that "Wanna Hold You" was originally about 40 seconds shorter than it's typically appeared since the first CD remasters. Of all the songs that have differing lengths in the catalogue, I don't recall this one ever being brought up. Has no one paid too much attention to it?
Original: 3:12
CBS remaster, UMe remaster, Showell remaster: 3:52

Edit: OK, I just found one previous reference to this on the forum. I love the song, so don't mind that it's in its longer form on these remasters, but this is yet another example of Showell picking and choosing when to adhere to the original releases (or when to pay enough attention).

 

These are definitely pressing defects, for sure. It would take one heck of a perfectly set up turntable to play these fellas smoothly (Tattoo you):

 

I don't know if I should be happy or not that I passed on the box. Essentially, this set has garnered a bunch of "Mixed Emotions".

I'd only really want Sticky. Exile and Some Girls and possibly GHS, but from what I've seen here, it doesn't look like it's worth it, and the bad outweighs the good.

 

I'm a huge Stones fan, but I'm certain I don't need this, between the cost, pressing issues and variable reports on SQ.
That being said, another big reason is that I got back into vinyl enough years ago to now have nice originals of each title in the box.

 

I hope this is the correct thread on this box set to ask this question. I am playing these albums for the first time today. So far so good in regards to sounds and pressing quality. Just played GHS side one. And I am wondering...Star Star. IF my pressing is ok, will I hear this song at originally released or mangled or put the remasters from a few years back so as to "hide" the lyrics about keeping p***y clean?

 

The song is uncensored on all versions. The problem a lot of us have is high levels of distortion during the track.

 

That's good to know. It may be uncensored on THIS version, but it wasn't on the last lot of remasters (Magnussen?) where the line in question was deliberately mangled.

 

I meant all versions of this box set. Not sure why I worded it that way. Maybe because some have distortion and others don't.

 

No probs mate. Thanks for taking time to reply! Enjoying the set so far. Just pouring another red and into side 2...

 

Let us know how the rest of the box set is

 

Will do. The ONE and most obvious thing I have noticed so far and I am only 2.5 albums in, was the clarity of the beginning of Wild Horses in Sticky Fingers. I have 6 pressings of this vinyl now, and on all other 5 copies I have had very audible, but not unpleasant, as this is WHY I love vinyl!, static and crackle in the opening of this song. This new copy is the first I have that is, what?, pure and "clean". It was a bit jarring!

 

Slightly off topic but I still get confused re the different edits on Star Star. The version on my original UK vinyl is I think the same as on my Virgin cd but I think it is different on the 2009 cd. I have the CBS cd but can't remember whether it is the same as the UK vinyl. Am I right _there are just 2 officially released versions of Star Star? The UK original and the one used on the USA release of the album (I do not have a USA vinyl but I have a lovely 70s vinyl from Japan but cannot remember which version is on there. My question is just to do with edits or mixing not the sound quality of this new vinyl version.