Some of My Lps are eccentric on the 'B' side.

[danilo]

Was fitting a fresh Cart so I dug out a few rarely used LPs... for a trial run.
All working to expectation.. then I flipped the disc and when watching the cart I noticed that the damned grooves were eccentric ie;
Cart was moving side to side.
Flipped record and the A side was Fine. Tried a few other Lps and found similar to varying extents.
As in this seems fairly common in My lps at least. These All bought when current Lps, Not reissues.
A guess being that the Mold Master Plates weren't overly well registered.. Upper and lowers.. during the pressing. Then the Spindle hole was likely drilled from the A side.
This a Problem ? besides making the cart look like it''s using a Hula Hoop (remember those ?)

[Simon_LDT]

I believe those are off-centre pressings.

[Macca]

Yes off centre. I've more than few. It is annoying but they sound okay. Something good about watching a record play and the arm looks motionless.

[Lodgesound]

This was and will always be my fundamental gripe with records.

If they are even slightly off-centre then the speed variation in terms of wow is simply intolerable. I was so sensitive to it as a kid I modified one of my turntables to have a variable eccentricity adjustment on the centre spindle (like some high end decks that I discovered after the age of 7).

Using this arrangement I would set the eccentricity by eye but later with a DI gauge.

Pressings should be absolutely correct in this regard - there is no excuse whatsoever.

[Virtual-Symmetry]

is the arm swaying side to side or is it just the styli wobbling side to side?

[danilo]

Thanks..
Just a few Lp's seem to do this.. so far.
Happily one's that aren't faves/rarely played.
Likely why (beyond being dimly aware) I hadn't twigged on this previously
On one the arm moves side to side ~ 3 ... 4 mm? Back to dead storage for that one at least.
Others mostly wiggle the cantilever with slight arm wobbles.
Odd thing is it's typically/only on the B side.

Agreed entirely.. smooth tracking is more visually pleasing ..as is a flat Lp.
It's the worry re induced damages that had me going.

[Simon_Nottingham]

I had a read of this and I've been watching as I played a few records this evening. These are all ones I've bought in the last year or so.

Almost all seem to have a very slight side-to-side motion, maybe 1mm in total, certainly nothing like the 3-4mm mentioned above. Coloured vinyls seem worse.

The worst quality discs I have are the Flaming Lips 2011 releases (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flaming_Lips#2011_releases) - they're all over the bloody place!

[Simon_LDT]

Most of my LP's have this problem to some degree. I don't understand how it can happen because the stampers are supposed to be set-up correctly and fully aligned so that each side is pressed centered and the spindle hole is centered. Poor standards if you ask me. I can understand tolerance of under 1mm off but over that is not acceptable.

Slightly off-topic but most records today are garbage and it really makes me question why I bother sometimes. Earlier today even, I had a 'vinyl session' and played 4 new pressings I got a few weeks back and they sounded poor. LP quality was good, nice and flat and quiet but I suspect they were pressed using CD masters (which happens far more often than it should today). They basically just sounded like the CD's but with the added flaws of vinyl - why would I bother playing the vinyl when the CD sounds better? I know it shouldn't but it really makes me doubt my hi-fi at times, which is disheartening.

Then I played some original pressings from the 80's and I was blown away by the difference. It's almost like listening to a different hi-fi as everything became clearer, wider, deeper. I then remember how good my hi-fi sounds when fed decent material. I then finished off by playing an album from 2009, which was recorded on analog equipment, mastered specifically for vinyl and again blown away. It proves to me that modern vinyl can sound good when done right but there just isn't enough of it out there. Too much 'cash-grab' going on with the whole 'revival' thing with vinyl.

[danilo]

Agreed it's Odd /Mystifying .. Undeniably it has happened though..
BUT and it's a seemingly relevant But.. ALL.. of my Lps were pressed prior to 1990's.
Most in mid to late 70's. Certainly so the messed ones.
Current LP's are at ~40$ asking price, in My part of the world.
Small chance of my paying that.. good or not.

[Simon_Nottingham]

most records today are garbage

...

Then I played some original pressings from the 80's and I was blown away by the difference.

i'd say that was almost the opposite of my experience! I'm mid-forties and have a fair few records I bought in the late 80's. They seem very flimsy & crackly compared to the ones that I buy now - maybe it's down to the artists/labels/pressing plant that is used. I've only got maybe two records out of about 100 in the last couple of years where I'm disappointed with the sound quality.

[Beobloke]

Many of my records are off-centre, too. However, since February, this has no longer been a problem (well, as long as they're less than 0.5mm off-centre anyway!) ;)

[Macca]

Many of my records are off-centre, too. However, since February, this has no longer been a problem (well, as long as they're less than 0.5mm off-centre anyway!) ;)

Yes, hark at you with yer fancy Nakamichi. Lord it over us peasants why don't you? ;)

[Beobloke]

Yes, hark at you with yer fancy Nakamichi. Lord it over us peasants why don't you? ;)

NakamichiS thank you very much. I do have both models, after all... :ner: :D

[Simon_LDT]

i'd say that was almost the opposite of my experience! I'm mid-forties and have a fair few records I bought in the late 80's. They seem very flimsy & crackly compared to the ones that I buy now - maybe it's down to the artists/labels/pressing plant that is used. I've only got maybe two records out of about 100 in the last couple of years where I'm disappointed with the sound quality.

I should have clarified early 80's. I know by mid-late 80's records were getting thin and poor quality. I know some plants/labels get it right today as I've got some wonderful pressings from the last 10 years or so but I do think the majority are poor, or atleast the genres I tend to buy. I find it such a lottery with problems like warping, audible scuffs/debris pressed into the surface, non-fill, off-centre and then you get CD sourced stuff which can lend to some pretty dire results when you have a mix of the above.

Anybody else here pick up Bowie's Blackstar earlier in the year? I went through 5 copies of that from various places and they were all shocking. I gave up in the end. Plenty of others were reporting the same issues too.

[Simon_Nottingham]

I find it such a lottery with problems like warping, audible scuffs/debris pressed into the surface, non-fill, off-centre

I must just have been lucky, I'm happy with pretty much every record I've bought (and I buy quite a lot, just had six delivered today).


Anybody else here pick up Bowie's Blackstar earlier in the year? I went through 5 copies of that from various places and they were all shocking. I gave up in the end. Plenty of others were reporting the same issues too.

I think the problem with that particular record is that demand went stupid when he died and they probably got anyone and everyone with a press working on it.

[Simon_Nottingham]

I know by mid-late 80's records were getting thin and poor quality.

Some are practically transparent - CBS Nice Price being a prime example.

And don't they attract dust compared to modern discs? I have to stop & clean my stylus half way through the side of some 80's stuff! It may well have been a conspiracy to get everyone buying CDs...

[Macca]

People have been complaining about crappy pressings since complaining was invented. It's one of the reasons we got CD. I wasn't happy at the time, but now I appreciate the absence of all this aggravation. Except on the odd occasion I buy a CD that isn't really a CD - although they don't mention it of course - and can't play it without swapping in another player.

[Simon_Nottingham]

Except on the odd occasion I buy a CD that isn't really a CD

What is it? A coaster? A digestive biscuit?

[Macca]

Not Red Book standard.

[struth]

Not been playing my black pizzas lately... or my files... on rare occasions I put something on its a cd. not like me

[Simon_Nottingham]

Not Red Book standard.

Ah, right. Thanks Chairman.

[Simon_Nottingham]

Not been playing my black pizzas lately... or my files... on rare occasions I put something on its a cd. not like me

I like records. I listen to records. CDs are just background noise... but that's just me.

[The Black Adder]

You can sometimes find this on LP's that once had a bad warp and then had been flattened.

[danilo]

After 'servicing' my pore old Thorens .. I've been methodically going thru my modest pile of Lps.
Yesss the sounds are surprisingly Good. The zenith of electro mechanical music repro.
But I'd be hard pressed to say that it's directly equal let alone superior to CD's, in my ears, with my gear at least.

On another note:
Damn.. but I bought a Lot of dross. Explaining why.. many Lp's are in virtually brand new condition.
Some are just poor music, others have aged out, Some retain nostalgic interest.
Clearly musical tastes evolve (follow mass culture ;)
Also why I abhor Radio.. it's time warped. Either it's constant 'topical' drivel, or incessant music from the 60's /70's.
My personal version of Hell: having to listen to the muzak of my teen years... for my entire life.
Chilling thought ain't it?

Seems probable I'll be reduced to a dozen or 2 'worth keeping' albums at the end of this.

[Macca]

Damn.. but I bought a Lot of dross. Explaining why.. many Lp's are in virtually brand new condition.
Some are just poor music, others have aged out, Some retain nostalgic interest.
Clearly musical tastes evolve (follow mass culture ;)
Also why I abhor Radio.. it's time warped. Either it's constant 'topical' drivel, or incessant music from the 60's /70's.
My personal version of Hell: having to listen to the muzak of my teen years... for my entire life.
Chilling thought ain't it?

.

I'd still prefer it to the teen muzak of now. The poor bastards. They don't even have anything like the Wurzels anymore. Although in fairness you were probably spared them out there in Canada.

[struth]

Got plenty albums from 50s/60s and they still sound very good. If they are not knackered and are clean then no reason a modest but decent system shouldnt sound great with a thorens. Good Phono stage and good cart is essential though

[danilo]

Sorry I obviously wasn't overly clear.. in my rantings.
Lp's Sound / Work 'fine' No issues there.
It's the Music that that hasn't aged well at all.
No Wurzels But this (albeit a mildly amusing Comedy act) Likely equalled it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmSC52Npuq0.

As for Muzak...I years ago binned my Stones; "Paint it Black' and "No Satisfaction' recordings..happily.
Clearly I've become my father ;)

[struth]

Ah!Cant help there:)

[Slawts]

Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath bought new when it came out. Love the album but always sounds out of tune especially with Rick Wakeman's keyboards and the title track.

No problems with Blackstar - bought it on 24/96 download and it's pitch perfect!

[Beobloke]

Out of interest, for the first time since buying the TX-1000, I came across an LP that it informed me that it was perfectly concentric. It was Poco's 'Legend' and cost me 25p at a car boot sale!