QC at QRP

I buy a lot of records from Acoustic Sounds, and plenty are QRP pressings.  I rarely receive a warped record and when I do they are easy to do business with.  The internet generated RMA is typically responded to within 1 day and if it's a QRP record they always send a new copy without the jacket, if it is a non-QRP product, they request the return with their accompanying return shipping label.  An easy process, so long as you remain in the 30-day window.  I once went past 30 days (about 40 days or so) and they were very lenient about it.  That said, my return rate is about 5%.

Their tight spindle holes are 100% consistent on all QRP pressings.  At least, that is the case for me on my turntable.  I use a Clear Audio spindle hole reamer.  It takes just a few seconds, and the record is a perfect fit.  I believe that the tolerances in spindle production vary enough that the presses QRP uses just don't work well with those spindles on the higher side of tolerance.  I could be wrong, but that is my guestimate.

I find that all of the QRP records have excellent sound quality.  However, my real complaint is that far too many have surface noise that is well beyond what the maximum should be.  I tend to think they are skimping on vinyl quality.  A high-quality vinyl formula goes a million miles in quiet surfaces.  The pressings I get from RTI are consistently quiet.  I have never received a noisy record from Impex but I often do from QRP.  Vinyl formula is my only conclusion because mastering, plating, and pressing at QRP are all excellent.  If anyone has more to offer on that subject I look forward to hearing about it.  

I believe you will find that Acoustic Sounds will work with you in the most honorable fashion.

@mammothguy54 Thanks for chiming in. 

I did receive a response today from Acoustic Sounds and they will be replacing all of the defective records - despite some of them being a bit outside the 30 day return window.   Can't complain about their customer service, it's been excellent.

Given the high number of warped records I received, I guess it's possible that the package was subjected to excessive heat along the way from Salina to the west coast - or I was incredibly unlucky.  Either way, hopefully this was an anomaly and things will go more smoothly moving forward.   

BTW, you're not the first person in this thread to mention high levels of surface noise with some QRP pressings.  That's not something I've experienced to date.  Unless I'm less sensitive to that, but I'm pretty picky so I doubt it   Do you have some examples of the noisy LPs you've received?

@lpluvr  The list of noisy albums from QRP is somewhat extensive, but off the top of my head here are a couple.  From the Pablo Series, Sarah Vaughan, How long has this been going on?  Also, Gerry Mulligan, Night Lights.  I would need to dig through my collection to find the others.  Probably about 15% of all the QRP records that I order, though.  And then again, so many others are just superb.  Is it bad luck or is it the vinyl formula?  Maybe something other?  It's definitely not my system or my cartridge setup.  I have been setting up tonearms and phono cartridges for many years and more recently updated my setup tools with an entire suite of WAM Engineering, Wally Tools.  It's the vinyl formula, bad luck, or some other QC issue at QRP.  When I request a replacement due to a high level of surface noise the replacement copy has the exact same issue.  I welcome advice or comments from anyone who wishes to add information and/or thoughts on this.

Lpluvr, the incident with Relaxing on Classic was too long ago to remember in detail except to say that it had to be a defect in manufacture because the distortion was so profound as not to be recognizable as music. It affected one cut on one side as I recall. I still have the 5 LP set so I suppose I could try to find the defect, but I lack the necessary zeal right now.

@lewm No worries, I’ll give it a listen later and see if I hear any obvious distortion.