Buying Records

I recently discovered two things about Music Direct whom I have used for many years dating back to my time in Chicago.  Although, they are quite good about exchanging defective products they do not offer a money back policy; rather just a credit.  Also they only permit two returns of an item.  I recently bought an album that the first two versions were defective.  I await the last exchange.  Also, they seemed to be "out of stock" on a large swath of their offerings.  Just raise these points so all are aware.  I have also used Experience Vinyl out of Doylestown PA and Acoustic Sounds; they  are both quite reliable.

I recently gave all my vinyl to a friend and sold all of my phono gear. 70 years old and lazy. CD's and streaming is where I am now.  I still have a Nitty Gritty 2.5 record cleaner back with a new fresh factory refurb and tune up. All cleaning parts and cleaner solution pump replaced. Only ran 2 albums to check all was working as new, which it is. Reach out if you have any questions or interest.

When I get asked whats the difference between vinyl and a good CD player with top quality DAC's I tell them a good CD set up is like ice cream and vinyl is like frozen custard. Nice and smooth. 

For NYC dwellers Academy Records on 18th St. is an amazing place.  I believe they now have an annex, specializing in LPs, in Brooklyn.

I have bought hundreds of LPs from them, very fairly priced.  All do need a thorough clean, and a few of the $1 ones had to go in the trash.

I just checked Eleusive Disc, which I hadn't heard of before and they, and if it's possible, their prices are even higher than other sources - $40 min and most are $60 a record. Am I the only one shouting "Holy crap, this is insane" ? Seriously folks, come on, one record that costs as much as a few months of streaming- and probably in the end won't sound as good. That's why I stopped buying vinyl. 

Approximately 10-15 years ago, I swore off box sets, heavy vinyl, re-masters, Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs, and anything pressed after the year 2000.  Why?

Not one of dozens of purchase of any of the above had great sound quality.  So I might as well play the digital version which sounds better and is more convenient.

The above pressings have little to no dynamic bite / slam, and are compressed or dull and lifeless.

Sometime around the year 2000, record companies changed the formula of the vinyl (if it really still is vinyl?).  The new formula plays quietly, which is great for countless cartridges that are misaligned (I would estimate that 99.9% of cartridges are misaligned -- there are ~dozen alignment settings, and special tools are required, and special skills required).

The result of a misaligned cartridge is that the stylus rubs where it should not rub, resulting in noise (that noise is not in the groove -- it is in the way the misaligned stylus is rubbing within the groove).  It is akin to your car's tires rubbing against the curb.

All of my purchases are used (because I have never found a single pressing after the year 2000 with outstanding (or even pretty good) sound quality).

If I want a virtually sure thing, then I purchase from Better Records.  They actually listen to both sides of the records that they sell (perhaps not every song -- but they do listen and rate each side, strictly on sound quality).

But Better Records prices are high.  You are paying for all of their rejects that they do not sell on their site, and you are paying for their labor to clean and listen.  But it is risk-free, as they take back any record for any reason, no questions asked.  I have returned a handful, not because they sucked, but because although they were the best that I had heard, they were still not good enough for the price.  Some titles have zero great sounding pressings (Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell comes to mind)..

Better Records does not sell everything.  For other titles, I roll the dice on eBay and elsewhere.  Nine out of ten times, it is money down the drain.  I have often purchased a dozen or more of the same title, crossing my fingers that at least one of them would have great sound quality on at least one side of the pressing.

Even with a dozen purchases of the same title, often none of them are worth playing, to my ear.  But once in a while the stars and the planets align, and I land a gem -- real ear candy.

Lord knows what goes on in the studios and pressing plants, that so many of their pressings are defective (my term for "eh" sounding pressings).

But with today's prices, and the low success rate, and my wallet on life-support, I rarely make any more vinyl purchases.