Just got off the phone with Music Direct Replacing: MOFI Breakfast in America-Loud pops and clicks on side 1 which did not improve with cleaning Rumors 45rpm-arrived scratched due bits of loose vinyl that were in the inner sleeve
Over 80% of my near 1k collection goes back to the early 70’s through early 80’s I can assure you i had nowhere near the issues I’ve had with new pressing over the last few years. Don’t get me wrong occasionally there are some are very good pressings but I find myself returning far more LPs than I ever did back in the day and I’m as picky as they get and have always been that way...
Got three copies of Ray Angry’s One. All of them were damaged when they arrived and noisey. Thankfully they were all from Amazon so they were easy to send back. It’s a great album but I wish there was a way to improve the QC of new vinyl. I can take a little noise here or there but this was too much.
Doing that "new arrivals" ritual now with a dozen AP 45rpms and Mofis from Acoustic Sounds that arrived today. I have boxes coming from Music Matters and Music Direct within the next week. Gotta get through them while there is still time to return any bad sides. So far, so good...
Glad to hear it. My copy of the remastered Wild Life album made me the proud recipient of an issue I never faced before...swaying tone arm on one side of an LP and perfectly steady on the other. It made me re-think...is there really such a thing as an off-center hole (in which case both sides would be affected)or has it just been mis-aligned stampers all along during the actual pressing process..??? Anyway, continued good luck with your new stuff.
My copy is OK but at least one side far from perfect (no major issues). I'm guessing this is from Rainbo and it's unlikely you will get a perfect copy. Recent returns - Heligoland (Non fill and sleeve damage). Nursery Cryme (pops and a couple huge crackle/scrape noises), U2 18 Singles (swooshing end of side), 2 copies of Aerial for pops and continuous ticks. All since December. Put up with some other flaws due to low price or sound unaffected (such as dishing). I'm sure these all are Optimal pressings.
Me too. The jazz re-issues I've gotten (Riverside, Steeplechase, and We Release Jazz) have been fantastic.
if there are any scratches at all do you take them back immediately even if it doesn't effect play, a lot of my new records have scratches and i can't figure out if it is from the inner sleeves, my spin clean or me using a cleaning brush to get the dust off, they all play fine they just look very bad
The majority of my LPs are clean from 1948 (well, a 10" Columbia Duke Ellington) to 1980 and, being picky too, I've never had an issue. I think 21st Century vinyl formulations and computerized manufacturing are big factors in the quality of the product. The only LP I remember returning in my heyday (60s - mid 80s) was a US Atlantic/Virgin 'Tubular Bells' that was more hiss than music. I've had good luck with my NuVinyl but I only have a couple of dozen. Also: Amazon's vinyl return rate must be phenomenal (as well as the stress level in that department).
Just received the 3rd copy of Honky Chateu from Pop Market pressed in Czech Republic I’m afraid to play it. Tired of the back and forth shipping.
That’s GZ @GeorgeZ , how about pressing a defect free copy for the man? Your lack of quality control costs people money
I have been buying vinyl since the mid 70’s and unfortunately I have to completely agree with your post. The issues are much worse when there is one, but many are outstanding as well, some better than the best of the 70’s-80’s. So, a bit of a push. But today at least we have Amazon so it’s ridiculously easy to return anything beyond acceptable. I don’t know how Amazon makes any money selling vinyl. I hope they don’t get out of it. But in general, do see more issues today than years back. I wonder if the 180gram, which I just 100% don’t get, is part of the problem? Most of my noisiest albums with pops and clicks and poor vinyl were the thicker one’s back in the day where the thin albums usually sounded really good.
When you get replacements I’m sure you’ll be very pleased with both of those albums, especially Rumours, and both are out there dead quiet so don’t settle for less. Glad you are exchanging them. I don’t know how brick and mortar stores compete with Amazon on new albums. I won’t buy new from my local store, for the most part, because I feel bad if I have to return it. They actually put them back on the shelf as used when I do that. I guess they really have no other options, but most of what I return wouldn’t be worth even $5 in the condition they are in. Maybe they are hoping the next person won’t get around to exchanging it.
If that was from the first issue I’m surprised you are having issues. Most of us are plenty happy with those earlier Elton titles. I wonder if you are getting represses, which I hear have more issues? Good luck...I hope you get a nice one. Great sounding album.
I had so much trouble with the original Honky Chateu, Madman and Capt Fantastic I just gave up. Returned multiple copies of each. Thank God my original mint pressings are fine, I just read so many good things about the reissues I wanted to here for myself. Too bad for me!
So sorry to hear that! You must be getting copies from the second pressing...that’s really a shame. Keep an eye out here for copies in the used section, they come up. I think recently there was a CapFan. Did you try Amazon? Perhaps they still have old stock and you can just send it right back otherwise. They are worth searching out; you shouldn’t be having to go through this when you consider how well all of them up to CapFan were done in the first run. Bonus, the jackets were much better in the first run according to many members here.
IMO, there’s too many steps that can go wrong when releasing an album on vinyl. From the lacquer cutting to the delivery at your place, write a list of the steps and see how it is difficult to insure quality control, if such thing still exists!
They were first run with the original jackets and artwork (Amazon and Barnes & Noble). I’ll probably keep looking....oh btw just saw EJ last week phenomenal show.
I have Don't Shoot Me, Caribou and Captain Fantastic from the most current re-issue lot. All, beautiful pressings.
An occasional off-center label here is about it. I buy AP, Quality, MFSL, Groove Note new. Very few others. I have got a few replacements from others. No Amazon anything. They use an 18 x 18 box for a darn ring. Waste of resources.
Pronounced Cheez-E vinyl. At least at times. It's a real crapshoot for me what I'm going to get from them. I mean it's still not good when your unofficial motto could be, 'At least we're not Rainbo or United'.
I too have found GZ to be hit or miss. I recently popped open a GZ press only to find that it was near perfection and sounded incredible. Yet, when I first saw it was pressed by GZ I got scared and only hoped for the best. I have had a few that were downright awful on par with some older United pressings from about 8 years ago. Even United has shown improvements in their quality. While this is not 100% every record off the line, we must admit that the last year or so has shown improvements.