View Full Version : Warped vinyl frustration
I'm getting really peed off about the amount of grossly warped vinyl I've come across with new purchases in the last year. I'd say at least 70% of purchases in the last few months have exhibited levels of unacceptable warping. I know I'm not alone here; it's about time consumers got together to register their frustration. No use having flash packaging and 180g vinyl if it spins like a drunken frisbee...
prestonchipfryer
26-10-2019, 13:40
I find that also. Many pressings are woefully short of the original recording quality as well. Have to think very carefully nowadays of buying any new vinyl.
Dont think ive ever had a badly warped one.. had the occasional slight hump which n my book isnt great but if it plays ok i get over it. I wouldnt accept a bad warp.
Dishing is more common to me
scotty38
26-10-2019, 14:21
Probably less than 10% of mine have an issue to be fair and since buying the Blue Note Tone Poet and 80th releases this year it's probably less than 10% now as all of those have been perfect in all ways.
Pigmy Pony
26-10-2019, 14:58
I think I've been quite lucky, although I did buy a copy of David Gilmour's 'Rattle That Lock' in Bulgaria last year, and when I got it home I found it was dished so mush I could keep fruit in it. I blamed Mrs. P's mad suitcase-packing skills at the time, but it probably wasn't her after all.
I'm tempted to go with secondhand earlier releases, but I don't know where I'll ever get a thirty year old copy of something that was only produced last year :(
I'm getting really peed off about the amount of grossly warped vinyl I've come across with new purchases in the last year. I'd say at least 70% of purchases in the last few months have exhibited levels of unacceptable warping. I know I'm not alone here; it's about time consumers got together to register their frustration. No use having flashing packaging and 180g vinyl if it spins like a drunken frisbee...Amazon perchance?
I've had to return about a third of my Amazon LPs not only for warping mind you.
Amazon perchance?
I've had to return about a third of my Amazon LPs not only for warping mind you.
Amazon, but not only... not to mention noise, clicks and pops
Scratches are the most common thing I got. Often I'm sure because they had been played before even tho meant to be new.
Unfortunately this is a very common issue with new vinyl. If possible check where the record has been pressed, RTI and Pallas are very good though you'll probably pay a premium. Reissues like the Tone Poet mentioned above, Analogue Productions, Mofi, Speakers Corner and Pure Pleasure will all cost around £30 but is worth the extra in my experience of course this doesn't help with new releases of new music.
The Michell Engineering record clamp does a great job of flatening slightly warped records.
scotty38
27-10-2019, 04:00
A lot of mine come from Amazon, if only for the sheer ease of returns, and of those I do return I'd say most are for warps, some have scuffs too but not many. I get very, very few clicks or pops but I do put everything through my RCM.
AJSki2fly
27-10-2019, 07:05
Most records I have purchased new or second hand have been flat. 2nd hand can be tricky if advertised as NM or VG+, but having said that I have only had to return 2 records, which were definitely not as described. Records I buy from charity shops I carefully inspect under natural light if possible, occasionally I get comments from staff that it is for charity, and I point out that does not mean I have to buy a piece of rubbish to only throw it away, and they are selling something. I have not had an issue with purchases from Amazon, not yet anyway.
Naim that tune
27-10-2019, 10:15
Some of the prices charged for vinyl in charity shops nowadays warrant the closer inspection of the vinyl!
Never had a problem with warping from Amazon as their packaging is very stiff. Had the odd bad pressing with clicks and scratches that i returned but as they send out the replacement straight away rather than wait for you to return the old one it hasn't bothered me.
Dubster68
28-10-2019, 15:56
Had an occasional warped record but not to many. The main problem I find is the poor sound quality on some records that are pressed today.
The fun continues...just taken a warped vinyl back to a local shop and exchanged it...for yet another (new) warped one:doh::doh::doh:
Some of the prices charged for vinyl in charity shops nowadays warrant the closer inspection of the vinyl!
Never had a problem with warping from Amazon as their packaging is very stiff. Had the odd bad pressing with clicks and scratches that i returned but as they send out the replacement straight away rather than wait for you to return the old one it hasn't bothered me.
The warping in new vinyl tends tends come from the pressing itself, not storage/ packaging
bbbiker800
28-10-2019, 23:04
My stance on poor quality NEW LP's is that I always send them back. I agree with the OP - IMHE c.70% go back; I also find warping and dishing the most common problem and occasionally noise or numerous clicks being present. Damage caused during delivery does happen but I find that rare.... And FWIW I get better used LP's from quality Discogs sellers.
Sellers/Vendors never state (ie 'health' warning on the site) that the quality may be suspect - if they did then, that would place you in a position of accepting that risk at point of purchase and effectively limiting your chances of getting a replacement if the quality was unacceptable to you - unless of course it is 'unplayable' ie 'it was not fit for the purpose for which it was brought'. So, as there are no contractual like warnings placed in front of you at point of purchase then, you are quite reasonably expecting a near perfect product and quite reasonably expecting to have it replaced if you so wish...
I've had to use that position with one vendor who then replaced the LP without further protesting. So, for me, I always send LP's back.
I don't have a blacklist of vendors !
regards Richard
A couple of months ago I bought a new LP by an up and coming band and played it for the first time last night it was warped and sounded very, very average. This was not a bog standard release but was all analog record live on tape and mastered at Gearbox records who are usually not bad add to that it was pressed at Optimal in Germany this all must have cost the band or its backers a whole heap of money and the result wasn’t great not even an improvement over a Tidal stream via an iPhone SE, Google Chromecast and Musical Fidelity V Dac/V PSU.
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