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,

 

mgrif104

Receiving a scratched or noisy new record is disappointing. Often when I've returned a noisy record its replacement is also noisy. Bad pressing!

On a parallel topic, I have found that many (probably most) new pressings of old records have been digitized. I've heard that after 1980 all music was stored digitally. And I can hear it. So, either I'm buying remasters that were pressed from the original analogue tapes, or looking for mint- used alsbums. 

Two words for you people: "Compact discs." (Drops mic).

I could reply with two words, but I'm too polite.

@davetherave11 Cd's were going to replace LP's over 40 years ago. For some odd reason, LP's are still being made. Why do you suppose that is?