2. analog
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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?
actusreus

Showing 1 response by tonywinsc

tonywinsc
583 posts
 
Having experience in plastic injection molding, I would say that these new records have molded in stresses due to either the molding process not being optimized (time, temperature and pressure) or the mold tools are too cold. If the record has molded in stresses it will warp if it gets up to the glass transition temperature which is about 160F. That temp is not unheard of in a warehouse or shipping container. Adding regrind vs. pure virgin material degrades the properties of the record too.
I'm not a big fan, so far of newly minted albums myself. I bought a new record a short time ago without realizing that I already had the CD version. The record is a disappointment. It is recorded too loud. The dymanics are compressed and the solo voice peaks to distortion. It is not mis-tracking. Her voice has an overbearing in your face loudness. This is totally different from how the CD sounds. I tried playing this record again last night and stopped. I switched over to the CD. I doubt that I will ever play the vinyl version again. It's a shame because the record background is nice and quiet and the record is perfectly flat.
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