Poor quality new vinyl

[Haselsh1]

Interestingly re Amused to Death, quite a lot of buyers on Hoffman forums underwhelmed by the pressing quality and having to return it. It's put me off buying it.

I bought the re-release on CD and vinyl and have no real issues with the vinyl apart from it costing thirty six quid which it surely cannot be worth. The stereo is much better on my CD than it is on my vinyl but the sound is much more explosive on vinyl.

[Phil Lawton]

Better after a second clean, but this isn't right for brand new records, surely?

As a contrast, I picked up an early copy of Steve Hillage's 'L' on Sunday for £3...one clean and it's as quiet as Michael Barrymore's fan club.

Received a 180g gram and sealed copy of Weather Report's 'Black Market' yesterday. Banged it through the RCM before letting the stylus anywhere near it...but still had small ticks on the intro of the first track and a disturbing amount of rumble.

I'll clean it again later, but it's going back if it's no better afterwards.

[SteveTheShadow]

I know this thread is ancient, but I'm currently getting back into vinyl after a 25 year hiatus.
My son built me a turntable from a Lenco L75 and I rebuilt an old Mayware Formula 4 pickup, fitting a Shure M97xE cart:


It's a lovely thing, but out of the first two new pieces of the black stuff I've bought I only have a fifty percent success rate. A double vinyl release on Ace Records of the first of the old Kent "Mod Jazz" series is a great sounding pair of platters, but the vinyl release of David Gilmour's "Rattle That Lock" sounds as dull as ditchwater. The free Mp3 download accessed with the little card with the code on it, supplied with the disc sounds far better overall, with a huge expansive soundstage. Of course, the packaging with these new issues is gorgeous, but is that worth the premium.

Going through my old vinyl I have about a 90% success rate so far, with the good being stunning and the worst being good. The 10% that is bad is really bad and I'm not talking about surface noise or scratches, I'm talking about piss poor sound.

I do like the vinyl experience, but for me, my turntable is for playing my existing collection, once the duds have been weeded out and got rid of. I am a bit leery of new issues and will probably be sticking to digital for those.

[struth]

Not bought many new 180/200 gm versions that have been poor sound wise, but did have 1 especially, as you say, dull as dishwater sound to it. I wouldnt be too afraid of picking up nice stuff.. if your into Sinatra, Armstrong, Ellington, simone etc then their output thats been redone is all top notch

PS, thats a nice deck.. great job

[Macca]

Your son is clearly pretty talented. If you'd said it was the new 'Emperor Kingdom II' from some obscure high end TT manufacturer no-one would know any different.

[SteveTheShadow]

Cheers Grant,
I'm well into jazz and swing vocals, so its nice to know that it aint all bad.

Martin,
Yep, he's good with wood and mechanical things.

[bob4333]

Keep the Faith Steve and send it back - it helps us all in the long run.

"Rattle That Lock" isn't supposed to be dull and I'd think the man himself would be appalled that you were having to listen to something so far away from what he put together. I'd implore you to keep returning it until you get a good one. My copy was full fat from the word go so yours certainly isn't as it should be.

My vinyl buying does fall on it's a*se sometimes but I'd guess 99% of new vinyl I purchase lives up to or surpasses my expectations.

I'll add my congrats to a nice looking TT.

[SteveTheShadow]

I'll try returnng it and report back on what happens.
My 1973 copy of DSOTM sounds fantastic on vinyl, which is why I cant understand the discrepancy with Rattle That Lock.

[bob4333]

My first UK pressing of DSOTM, which I'd had from day one, became unplayable a couple of years ago after a nasty incident that pains me even now.

I bought a replacement in the form of a heavyweight re-master and guess what? It's easily as good as the original - probably even better. Division Bell re-issue is also excellent but whilst we're in Gilmour-Waters territory have a look at Amused to Death if you haven't already. SQ and pressing quality is totally outstanding: I'd go as far as to say perhaps the best I've ever come across.

[SteveTheShadow]

I'll try returnng it and report back on what happens.
My 1973 copy of DSOTM sounds fantastic on vinyl, which is why I cant understand the discrepancy with Rattle That Lock.

Returned "Rattle That Lock" and got myself a new pressing.
Completely different kettle of fish, this one. Sounds great, as you would have expected from DG.
I'm happy now.