They can be great and they can be awful. There are many small companies that are reliably great like Friday Music and Analog Productions. Then there are companies that are reliably awful like Rycodisc. Back in the old days BCD it broke down in genres. Classical routinely great, popular music routinely bad and Jazz label dependent.
I would certainly rather have a good 130 gm record than a bad 180 gm record. I think record weight is more of a marketing tool than anything.
The best of today's quality is just as good if not better than the old days. I do not think there is anything special about old pressings and most of the remasters I have are distinctly better than the originals. Frank Zappa's early discs are a great example. My original copy of We Are Only In It For The Money is very bass shy but the remaster is perfectly balanced and much punchier. It has to do with the systems the mastering engineers were listening too. I would bet Frank's system was over boosted in the bass consequently the original master is bass shy. Same for David Bowie's early recordings The remaster of The Man that Sold the World you wouldn't believe is the same record. The original master was awful. Anything on Rycodisc you are better off going digital. I have an idea for a thread.
I would certainly rather have a good 130 gm record than a bad 180 gm record. I think record weight is more of a marketing tool than anything.
The best of today's quality is just as good if not better than the old days. I do not think there is anything special about old pressings and most of the remasters I have are distinctly better than the originals. Frank Zappa's early discs are a great example. My original copy of We Are Only In It For The Money is very bass shy but the remaster is perfectly balanced and much punchier. It has to do with the systems the mastering engineers were listening too. I would bet Frank's system was over boosted in the bass consequently the original master is bass shy. Same for David Bowie's early recordings The remaster of The Man that Sold the World you wouldn't believe is the same record. The original master was awful. Anything on Rycodisc you are better off going digital. I have an idea for a thread.