Brand new vinyl - what’s acceptable to you?
I just ordered a dozen new albums - this time all 180 g variants. The Norah Jones had a scratch on it coming out of the paper sleeve the first time. (Separate gripe - why do they package ostensibly “audiophile” albums in crappy sleeves which might actually damage a record?). I’ll return the Norah Jones. But, the Miles Davis album has a noisy spot 1/4 the way through the first track. I’ll try cleaning the record but usually don’t have to for a new album. Or should I as a better practice? (This old dog can learn new habits).
Fortunately, the Pat Metheny is dead quiet - thank you ECM! All my ECM vinyl - even from decades ago are quiet. However, my experience is that ECM is very much an outlier: that most labels will come with some noise.
I’m working my way through all the albums but it made me want to poll the group: How much noise do you accept on a new pressing? Do you have a rule of thumb for what to reject?
Thanks,
I clean all my new records on my Degritter before I ever play them. I also have a Keith Monks DiscOveryOne that I use before each play. I had a HumminGuru and it worked well, but I just yearned for the Degritter... I also have a Record Doctor X that I use when I hand clean used records. How much noise will I accept on a new record. None! I have also noticed a lot of new releases are arriving warped. I use my Orb DF-01iA on those. If they flatten properly and sound fine, I keep them.
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For those with warped records and no ORB. There is really a way to flatten your records with no expense. 1. Find a warped record. Do not try to flatten it by storing flat. I know many out there will think this is a little (intended) “tongue in cheek”. But the curious thing about this is, it has worked on loads of minor warps on records l could not replace. I am still playing one that always reminds me it used to make my Goldring G900IGC bottom out. Feel free of course to still play any such record in between the intervening 30 years, if it was playable in the first place. Ha Ha!
P.S. No need for the bin/trash unless you don’t have 30 years left. |
@mylogic You have a very long wait time, my friend. |
@slaw l agree
Good flat things come to those who wait. l was kinda joking, but l never ditched those dished/undulating records. This shows they were good buys in the end, and repairing themselves, so to speak. Still earning time out of jail on day release, they are now all upright reformed characters. |
