LP Sound Quality

[Oxfordian]

don´t know if it´s the same situation, but you refer to two diferent lp´s and knowing tango in the night when it came out i played it often and it was a "mainstream" production ,lot´s of dynamic, the other LP bought recentelly might not have the same dynamic in sound ,i had a "serious" problem around 2007 when changing to an old house that i had just bought and displayed around 50 of my favorite Lp´s in a shelf ,but the wall behind this piece of furniture had an infiltration of humidity, when puting there the furniture the paint looked dry but when one moves into the house starts to produce heat and i didn´t notice anything but the humidity was entering through the wood junctions and all those lp´s start to have a white mould that i didn´t notice because i was having lot´s of work and when listening to music i was using a litle system in my bedroom with some compilations i ´ve recorded into cassette , when for the first time ,already in summer i was going to play a joy division record because a kid that played in a band that i used to watch in a friends concert hall/ restaurant / wine house, never had heard a cassette or a record ,so one day he went to my house and when playing the record i notice some dried white moist in the record, the sound wasn´t that bad but i don´t like any type of noise on my records, the sound was detailed and loud but some crackle behind and i was almost mad with it when seeing other records and they were even worst , i clean them all but two i couldn´t restore it´s original sound ,one was the joy division "unknown pleasures"that i refer to and other was the"electric"from the cult . I asked my sister that lives in london to buy me those two ,when they arrived i liked the way they look and when playing them for the first time i notice a hiss or hum inbetween tracks but the sound was perfect ,that noise isn´t a old thing only new records have that noise ,and listening to my old records they didn´t make any noise inbetween tracks and the sound is perfect, is it a new thing ,new records having noise inbetween traacks and i´m not refering to have the ground wire disconected and having a constant noise, and this two lp´s when i started to buy cd´s i thought i had bought a bad cd player because the sound of this two records and many more in cd version were horrific , i have around 14 cd´s that i never played them they almost make me think ,if i was high when listening to them when new but it´s just the bad sound of cd´s, i use them to listen to music in my car stereo but at home the sound seems empty, guitars are in the back and distortion is not what is in the record ,this is only two examples but there´s a lot more lp´s that today´s digital version is not just bad it´s terrifying ,no wonder kids don´t like old music if i had heard them today i wouldn´t like the sound of the rape of music, about new vinyl it´s worst then the old if the old was good taken care of, i bought the other day a LP from the dexy´s midnight runners and it sounds fantastic it cost me 5€ in a big sell of used stuff, but new versions have that noise why, the music itself sounds good but inbetwwen, that low noise, and i have records bought in the 60´s that don´t make that noise. I live in a very hot and dry area and humidity it´s 0% in the air, so what are they doing when recording new versions of old records, one can buy old records but it´s not garanteed that the record doesn´t have problems ,and new are not that good .

Thanks for responding, sorry to hear that you have had similar problems and that your LP’s got mould on them, nasty.

The key issue for me was just how bad the Wings album sounded compared to an original pressing of Tango which had been poorly stored in a loft and why in this era of technology we cannot match or improve upon a pressing from 30+ years ago beggars belief.

Following my posting I have changed some pieces of the kit I have on demo and Paul now sounds a lot better than he did, Tango has improved a bit too.

However one LP that I didn’t mention was Hell Freezes Over by the Eagles, also a new buy at the same time as Wings, this LP sounded terrible when I first played it, it was so bad that I dug the receipt out and was going to take it back, but before I had chance the system was changed and when I played HFO again the music came alive.

Now Paul is still veiled, others on the forum have suggested that it is a bad pressing or a digital pressing rather than analogue and I have to believe that there is some truth in what has been said.

But I have to hold my hands up and admit that a big part of the problem was the kit that was being used, it didn’t pull together and gel, in fact it seemed to have gone in separate directions, it took me a while to realise this and only when we changed the amp out did it click that it had been the amp that was the problem all along.

I am now confident that I have the bones of a new system sorted and ready to order, it certainly provides a sound I like at a volume I like. So the question; will I buy vinyl? Yes, but more selectively and after more research, it’s a great format, one I grew up with so have no plans to ditch it, even allowing for the pops, crackles, hiss and hum.

 

[Deleted member 108165]

I adored my vinyl set-up but must admit that since I changed my kit last year I can count on one hand the amount of times I've actually played an LP over this period... three times! It's not because the analogue reproduction is bad, as it certainly isn't, it's just that the digital reproduction sounds so damned good I haven't felt the need to spin an LP. So yes, a change of kit certainly can have a dramatic effect.

Will I be buying more new LPs... probably not.

 

[Rui]

Back in the very dim and very distant, when I listened to music in my bedroom, on a Philips D6410 cassette recorder (as above), I had some really sad rubbish to listen to. Fortunately, I can't remember what it was.

i also started to hear music in one of these from philips but maybe from mid 70´s , the model it even had a visual efect that rotate with the cassette engine ,this is far modern than mine. very good sound at the time for what i was used to .i used to buy some basf lettuce green color type I, that i could record in my fathers sansui deck, i was only authorised to use basf cassettes or sony in his deck

 

[Rui]

Thanks for responding, sorry to hear that you have had similar problems and that your LP’s got mould on them, nasty.

The key issue for me was just how bad the Wings album sounded compared to an original pressing of Tango which had been poorly stored in a loft and why in this era of technology we cannot match or improve upon a pressing from 30+ years ago beggars belief.

Following my posting I have changed some pieces of the kit I have on demo and Paul now sounds a lot better than he did, Tango has improved a bit too.

However one LP that I didn’t mention was Hell Freezes Over by the Eagles, also a new buy at the same time as Wings, this LP sounded terrible when I first played it, it was so bad that I dug the receipt out and was going to take it back, but before I had chance the system was changed and when I played HFO again the music came alive.

Now Paul is still veiled, others on the forum have suggested that it is a bad pressing or a digital pressing rather than analogue and I have to believe that there is some truth in what has been said.

But I have to hold my hands up and admit that a big part of the problem was the kit that was being used, it didn’t pull together and gel, in fact it seemed to have gone in separate directions, it took me a while to realise this and only when we changed the amp out did it click that it had been the amp that was the problem all along.

I am now confident that I have the bones of a new system sorted and ready to order, it certainly provides a sound I like at a volume I like. So the question; will I buy vinyl? Yes, but more selectively and after more research, it’s a great format, one I grew up with so have no plans to ditch it, even allowing for the pops, crackles, hiss and hum.

i have to say that one of the first bands i bought records was from the wings, maybe because i was just a kid and one of the Beatles was there, the others were my fathers taste that had diferent types of music in his record collection that today makes part of mine, and i have another needle to hear some records that were given to me by family that weren´t that good so i change the needle when wanting to hear them ,some "the who", "black sabbath" and "deep purple" early lp´s , the deep purple lp was a compilation but very old one , a doble lp ,and black sabbath was the vol.IV inside the cover of "the shadows ,live at the Olympia",this lp sounds amazing good compared to others from the same year or other black sabbath lp´s, don´t know if it was the pressing or the production but it as a very good sound no matter the noise the sound of the songs are above it. And the system you have for what i´m aware it must have a clean sound it´s not high-end but must sound very good, i´m still using old 70´s components and some i bought during the 80´s or early 90´s, this refering to the cd player and the newer cassette deck i own .

 

[Friesiansam]

i also started to hear music in one of these from philips but maybe from mid 70´s , the model it even had a visual efect that rotate with the cassette engine ,this is far modern than mine. very good sound at the time for what i was used to .i used to buy some basf lettuce green color type I, that i could record in my fathers sansui deck, i was only authorised to use basf cassettes or sony in his deck

When I was using that machine, I just bought pre-recorded tapes and knew nothing of hifi. When I finally got a proper cassette deck (Technics), I found TDK SA seemed to be the best match for it.

 

[Rui]

When I was using that machine, I just bought pre-recorded tapes and knew nothing of hifi. When I finally got a proper cassette deck (Technics), I found TDK SA seemed to be the best match for it.

i started to use a philips deck from the 70´s from a friend of mine and basf cassettes(LH-EXTRA I) also some maxell (UL, grey ones)to record new music at the time, also bought pre-recorded cassettes but not much ,the price was the same as a record(vinyl)and i would buy a cassette to record it and kept the record to listen when having my first turntable that it was a entire pioneer ES-2000 system bought in japan(1974) ,i also bought a akai deck that recorded with very good sound this because a friend of my father ofered me his 1970 akai reel to reel deck and because it recorded with perfect sound i choose to buy akai to record cassettes also a pair of celestion ditton series in second hand ,this because at the time the stereo receiver had a 4MTX that with an extra pair of speakers it would simulate a surround sound(as it said in a brochure). Later ,i started to use more often tdk cassetteas after 85 (because basf started to deliver not so good cassettes , badly built) . All of this because my father didn´t allow me to use his system ,that i did daily after lunch and knowing that he wouldn´t get out of his bank job before 4.30 p.m. i had two hours everyday to mess with his stuff (when i was 12 years old),maybe that´s how i learn to take care of things related with music like the system and LP´s , if he knew i would feel a violent phisical response, so i would left everything perfect as it was left by him(sorry if my english is confusing but not my first language ,i´m Portuguese).

 

[Oxfordian]

I was quick to complain about the poor quality of Wings over America LP even though my system at the time was a contributing factor.

Today I have to redress the balance and say that it is possible to get a good quality LP from a high street store.

This evening I have Diana Krall ‘Live in Paris’ double LP on the RP3 and oh boy does it sound great, 3 tracks a side, wonderfully recorded and pressed (at least it is to my ears), a pleasure to listen to.

My version is a Verve Music Group release from 2016.

 

[Gray]

i had two hours everyday to mess with his stuff

Great way of learning how to be careful.

 

[daytona600]

This evening I have Diana Krall ‘Live in Paris’ double LP on the RP3 and oh boy does it sound great, 3 tracks a side, wonderfully recorded and pressed (at least it is to my ears), a pleasure to listen to.

My version is a Verve Music Group release from 2016.

Good version but like 99% of Viny; pure Digital but wait till you hear the ORG bernie grundman version
pure analogue AAA records will make your RP3 sound like a RP10

 

[Oxfordian]

Good version but like 99% of Viny; pure Digital but wait till you hear the ORG bernie grundman version
pure analogue AAA records will make your RP3 sound like a RP10

I like the idea of having my RP3 sound like it’s big brother but are analogue LP’s still produced, if so are they the rather expensive £70+ versions I see advertised on various websites? Or is it time to look at the well cared for, barely used and in mint condition second hand market?

 

[Al ears]

I like the idea of having my RP3 sound like it’s big brother but are analogue LP’s still produced, if so are they the rather expensive £70+ versions I see advertised on various websites? Or is it time to look at the well cared for, barely used and in mint condition second hand market?

unfortunately the barely used mint condition second hand ones are not cheap even if you can find them.
all analogue LPs are still produced by some and they are not always expensive, but they can be. Unfortunately you cannot expect to get a cracking vinyl system on the cheap
check out https://www.analogplanet.com

 

[Oxfordian]

unfortunately the barely used mint condition second hand ones are not cheap even if you can find them.
all analogue LPs are still produced by some and they are not always expensive, but they can be. Unfortunately you cannot expect to get a cracking vinyl system on the cheap
check out https://www.analogplanet.com

No argument from me on getting a quality set-up on the cheap it is rarely possible.

The RP3 cost me a fair chunk of savings but IMHO the sound is great, if I have to pay a few £’s extra for a better recording then I will do that, it will mean fewer records bought but if I do my homework and some research it will mean more records I like listening too, and that is what it is all about.

 

[Al ears]

No argument from me on getting a quality set-up on the cheap it is rarely possible.

The RP3 cost me a fair chunk of savings but IMHO the sound is great, if I have to pay a few £’s extra for a better recording then I will do that, it will mean fewer records bought but if I do my homework and some research it will mean more records I like listening too, and that is what it is all about.

very true. I don't buy half as much vinyl as I used to but when I do I make sure it's going to be good quality both in music and recording.

 

[Deleted member 116933]

I like the idea of having my RP3 sound like it’s big brother but are analogue LP’s still produced, if so are they the rather expensive £70+ versions I see advertised on various websites? Or is it time to look at the well cared for, barely used and in mint condition second hand market?

I only have one modern analogue recording that was produced for a decent price and that was Sound city real to real, for the sound city recording studio documentary. Dave Grohl saved the mixing desk and other bits and bobs from the Studio and the soundtrack was produced using that equipment. The LP is out of print but you can still pick it up from a few places for around 35quid. Whether you like the music or not is another matter but it does sound amazing even the Digital version.

I suspect Dave Grohl's label will become one of the only producing analogue recordings.

Edit second-hand market for vinyl for those that know what they have is extortionate Id prefer to swallow the "cheaper" upfront cost of the new release.

Daft punk for example has exploded on the second-hand market there Tron RSD release is going for silly money now. if you can id buy new

 

[Al ears]

The usual producers of A AA recordings are Impex, Analogue Production and the like.
they can be expensive as often on 200g vinyl and record at 45rpm in some cases