180 gram vinyl vs. original LPs

It IS overkill, made to make the buyer he's getting ¨more¨for his money.

 

I suppose the same can be said of 140g vinyl? Or 120g vinyl? When exactly does it start to be overkill? Anything above flexi-disc?

We all agree than the 180g buzz word is obviously being used and abused for marketing in a way that isn't right, promoting heavy vinyl almost as the single major factor to have great sound.

But that shouldn't blind us to the fact that different vinyl weights have been used for decades for several different reasons and it does have an impact on the final pressing quality (if nothing else changes).

 

George Harrison's self titled album and Pink Floyd's The Final Cut are the thinnest vinyl records I have in my collection (guess 100 or 110gr?) and they sound incredible, much better compared to some of the 180gr LPs I have.
Also, there are 200gr records out there. Does it mean we'll get much heavier LPs sometime? The day will come when my record player can't handle such fat black gold anymore.^^

 

This is a slight shot in the dark but surely the slight extra weight in the vinyl will reduce the vibration from the motor etc. Giving a better A fair bit Iv read about turntables suggest anything to reduce vibration is a plus on sound quality

 

Some sound better than others do, depends more on the mastering, the tape sources used, and other variables. A/B them. The proof is in the listening.

 

I believe there are certain important factors in how a record sounds:

1) the source/recording
2) mastering chain
3) mastering engineers

Worry more about these three things

 

I worry about pressing quality, as well.

 

I agree. I don't chase pressings/masterings like some people here do. I'm just looking for a clean, flat, quiet piece of vinyl that sounds good. My experience has been that most things from the 70's onward is readily available at reasonable prices ($8-12). And I really enjoy digging through the bins and coming home with a few different records every couple of weeks for short money.

However, for the most desired albums, and a lot of stuff originally issued in the 60's (especially the bigger bands), the new 180g repressings are fantastic. I'm specifically thinking about the top tier acts like the Beatles, Kinks, Beach Boys, Bowie, Dylan, Stones, Floyd, Who, Zeppelin, etc... I'm not saying great original vinyl isn't out there, but a brand new high quality remaster for $15-$25 is hard to beat.

 

In other words, it's the vinyl version of cd remaster. LOL
A record companies way to get you to buy the album again.

 

Hi Steve - are you the gent that did an interview with Outsight magazine ten years ago may I ask? thanks!

 

Yes that was me!

 

Great! I still have the emails you very kindly sent me at the time. Would you know if those interviews are still on line? I can't find them and I have dug out my old info on Lyntone and am trying to do something with it.

 

I've not been able to locate the interview online unfortunately.

Somewhere I should have a cassette of a BBC radio interview that features me and some of my Lyntone colleagues. I think I remove a click from a Mother! However I can't find the tape at the moment!! If I locate it I'll copy it to a USB stick for you.

 

Hi

If you did find that itd be great to hear it.

If I put together some questions on the company would you be willing to answer them if we can make contact privately?? I remember Paul Lynton sounded like a truly remarkable guy!

Thanks again for your time

Darren

 

Adding to those: the whole electroplating process.

If & when not enough effort is put into properly forming the metal plates from the lacquer masters, the end result is a record that will at parts (or in the worst case scenario, *in its entirety*) be no different than a record pressed from worn-out metalwork... In other words, the potential for increased sibilance, distortion and more inner groove high frequency loss.

 

Not to be argumentative, but I don't think 180 gram records feel better in the hand. I think they feel ridiculous. Like a throwback to the days of shellac.

 

I wish vinyl today felt more like those pressings. Modern pressings are just kinda weird feeling. Even when labels were using big slabs in the 60s, it still felt different than modern pressings.

 

Agreed.

 

Would going back to standard weight reduce non-fill as the cooling time would be slightly less? I’m just speculating here... but this issue is my main bugbear with vinyl at the moment!

 

My freind recently went to a seminar for small record companies, they were saying there is absolutely no inherent advantage in the heavy vinyl in terms of sound quality.

 

It has to do with the remastering, not the fact that the album is thicker. I like them, the feel and all that...but it seems that with 180-200gram LP's, the labels seem to mess up more frequently when pressed onto the vinyl during the overall pressing process...little rips, linear tears...even a "crumpling" around the entire center hole. As someone who's always appreciated record labels, I find this annoying and at 20-30 bucks a pop, I've actually exchanged albums for this reason.

 

I thought non-fill was a result of improper temperature during the actual pressing of the puck. As in, a larger puck is not getting enough heat to flow into the mould; or hardening prematurely. The cooling stage is where warping can occur. Maybe we're talking about the same thing but in different terms.

 

Coincidentally, right now I'm doing a comparison between Bowie's Low & Scary Monsters. I have VG+/NM- US (Indiana) pressings from the original release dates, and 180g re-issues on Parlophone from a couple of years ago. These are records I've been listening to since they were released. The original pressings sound better, IMO. More open. The 180g sound a little "boxed in". How much of that is a function of the remastering or the vinyl weight I have no idea.

 

The Bowie Parlophone reissues sound almost identical on CD and LP, so it's not about the vinyl weight.

 

No! It is the heating cycle that expels air and non-fill is essentially air trapped between the stamper and the vinyl.