Warped records have always been unacceptable. Maybe on occasion in the old "budget bins". Even more unacceptable at today's prices. Vinyl is trendy! I'm not convinced there is much quality control with new vinyl these days compared to past heydays. I'd be careful. Is there even such a thing as a vinyl "budget bin" anymore? That's where warped records probably belong. :) In the heyday, budget bin record quality was more variable but still not bad overall.
Do you know why
the vast majority of today's records are warped regardless of where they are pressed? This has come to a boiling point with me in the recent months. I've bought numerous records, most of them heavy vinyl as is the trend these days, and the vast, vast majority of them are seriously warped, to the point that I would not play them without my periphery ring. Warped heavy vinyl records have to me now become the norm. I suppose my anger and frustration have been particularly fueled by warped records pressed at RTI or QRP, which are considered and hold themselves to be the best pressing plants in the business.
I recently returned a Norah Jones album pressed at Kassem's QRP as it was horribly warped (in addition to being pressed off center), which I find absolutely unacceptable at a price of almost $40. Then I put on a brand new Black Sabbath album (Heaven & Hell with the late Dio) pressed at RTI and the record has warps and bumps throughout so bad that I can't even stand the thought of subjecting my Delos' suspension to over an hour-long torture test. Julie London superb sound-wise 45 rpm $50 reissue by BoxStar? Warped. Most of my MoFi albums, which are pressed at RTI as well, are also warped to some degree, although easily tamed with the ring, thankfully. So seriously, WTF?!!!!
In contrast, the vast majority of my used records from the '60s, '70s, and '80s, all of them pressed on the thinnest vinyl, are perfectly flat with a rare exception here and there.
I simply do not understand this phenomenon. Do you?
I recently returned a Norah Jones album pressed at Kassem's QRP as it was horribly warped (in addition to being pressed off center), which I find absolutely unacceptable at a price of almost $40. Then I put on a brand new Black Sabbath album (Heaven & Hell with the late Dio) pressed at RTI and the record has warps and bumps throughout so bad that I can't even stand the thought of subjecting my Delos' suspension to over an hour-long torture test. Julie London superb sound-wise 45 rpm $50 reissue by BoxStar? Warped. Most of my MoFi albums, which are pressed at RTI as well, are also warped to some degree, although easily tamed with the ring, thankfully. So seriously, WTF?!!!!
In contrast, the vast majority of my used records from the '60s, '70s, and '80s, all of them pressed on the thinnest vinyl, are perfectly flat with a rare exception here and there.
I simply do not understand this phenomenon. Do you?