Are 45rpms worth the price?

Recent price increase at Acoustic Sounds as of Oct. 1st

I have probably tripled or quadrupled the amount of 45RPM LPs I have since this thread started over 8 years ago.

I stand even more behind my above comments.  I can't think of a single example of me liking the 33 1/3RPM version better than the 45.

Still a pain, (maybe more so now that I'm getting older) to turn over so often, but the sound...

From the time I was a teenager, the Doors Vinyl Lps always sounded better.I played then on my Stepfathers Motorola console ok the cart wasn't the greatest but .The tube amp used and the Speakers were.When I was 21 I bought a first AR tt with a Shure cart .sold it because I didn't like changing the album ,I freaked dropping the needle when I was stoned lol.So I bought a Technics SL 1350 and Shure 100 cart it cost me $450 which was a lot old money in 1973.Sony str 7065 and Bose 901s and it sounded Fantastic  .When I played the Doors one of my favorite bands .It was killer.i didn't know anything then about 1st pressings ...But I always cleaned the record with my dishwasher brush.Which I still do 50 years later.I felted Electra  Records made great recordings.. Now I'm retired and try not to buy 45 rpm pressings because of the prices. I play my records on a Fluance 85 tt with Orton's Blue,Caryin 55 tube amp,Schitt preamp,Polk Lsim707 and it sounds great .My living room is 20 x30 and cathedral ceiling with balcony. Sound is Great.

45s were always cheaper, smaller shorter alternatives for getting a song you like rather than the lp. Digital downloads fill that niche these days. So now 45s are pitched as hi-er fi alternatives to the same lps. GO figure! I suppose that's progress of some sort.

Where is RaulRuegas? This reeks of an AHEE spin/plot....:^)

heck......I thought you were talking about "real" 45rpm records like the Keggs! Last known bought at auction went for $9,000.00. Only 17 known to exist.

I have bought 10 of the newer 45RPM releases and have found most to be sonically superior to other audiophile releases. The new Blood, Sweat and Tears S/T release is fantastic, bettering the Direct Disk Lab version which I thought was impossible. The OMG releases I own are all very good, especially the Johnny Hartmann. I am waiting on the Mo-Fi 45RPM release of Kind of Blue. That will be a true test

For vinyl, I can HIGHLY recommend the DCC reissues for the Doors albums. They sound fantastic. (Of course they are VERY pricey!!!)

My two cents worth, regarding the Doors albums.

As far as the 45 rpm issue, I find most, (but not quite all), of the 45 rpm reissues to be better than the 33 rpm reissues. And to be honest, sometimes they are just different sounding, with different strengths and weaknesses.

However, if the 45 rpm is slightly better, then the deciding factor is "how much better" is it really?
In some cases it is minimally better, in which case the issue becomes: "Is it worth the hassle of getting up "three" times to change and or flip over the two 45 rpm records, versus the "one" time for the single 33 rpm record?"
(Notice it is a three to one hassle factor!)
Hmmmm....Something to think about, huh?!
I think that only the individual user can answer that.

I think someone should start a thread comparing their best 33 rpm version of a particular record with their 45 rpm reissue, and let us know what you think is better.
(And when saying better, try to determine whether it is marginally better, significantly better or very much better.)
And the first person who says "it blows away the other version" gets a boot to the head!
(Man, I hate that expression!)

My two cents on that topic too!

Have a nice weekend fellow music lovers!

I have the Doors HDCD Box Set and it is very good. The DVD-Audio versions of the Doors albums are even better. I find it hard to believe that the vinyl could sound as good or better than the DVD-Audio discs...

-RW-

The answer may well depend what your musical tastes happen to be. If you are a jazz afficianado, $50 for the Music Matters or AP reissues looks like a screaming bargain compared to the $1,000+ prices for some original Blue Notes. OTOH, you can find original pressings of Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors" for $10 that will sound better than the $50 reissue...

I agree with Mattmiller and Zenblaster,the results are very erratic/variable across the board. Some 45rpm albums sound very fine and others not at all.I don`t feel in most cases the 45 rpm versions are worth the premium cost.I`d rather have a good quality 33rpm pressing.Opinions will be all over the map for this topic.
Regards,

"I got the Doors Morrison Hotel and was disappointed.. my original Doors sounds better."
I will tread slowly on that one. I have a RED label original which I also like very much. I do have the s/t, Strange Days and LA Woman on 45. The s/t is very good, Strange Days is unbelievable, and LA Woman is not far behind.
As far as the post goes, I am a fan of 45's sound wise, but it's more work! Just for example, I have Classic records Led Zep's 4th album (zoso) on 33rpm. I have that 45 RPM Stairway from the BOX set. The 45 sounds much better than the Stairway on the album. I did not like Rumors 45 too much. It seemed to lose a bit of emotion for me. I always reach for my standard pressing Rumors. Al this IMHO.

For the Doors, I'd try the recent CD re-issues first before dropping bucks on 45 rpm vinyl.

I have the latest CD master of "L.A. Woman" and it is definitely worth the money. Few CD remasters I have heard make as much of a dramatic difference over earlier versions (both CD and vinyl) as this one.

Agree with Viridian, particularly with respect to classical recordings. I particularly am bothered with recordings that split a movement across two sides; sort of reminds me of my old 8-track player. But with recordings of shorter, distinct pieces, the sonics make it worth buying, IMHO.

I have found that it is very dependant on the individual recording. Some 45 rpm albums sound much different than there 33rpm albums. Most, I have found, are not worth the extra money and inconvenience. You would be better off inquiring about a specific album.
There is going to be more information fed into your system and your cartridge is going to perform extra duty, does that translate to "better"? Very system dependent and very subjective.

Mattmiller,

I am curious which 45 RPMs you have heard.

I have found that the 45 RPM LPs that I have bought are sonically well worth the cost and inconvenience of flipping them more frequently.

Some standout 45 RPM LPs I have bought: new MoFi Bob Dylans, Mingus Black Saint & Sinner Lady and Ah Um, Coltrane A Love Supreme, Dolphy Out to Lunch.

Now, will 45 RPM sound much better if the original recording or mastering isn't very high quality? Likely not.

But for music I love and cherish (and know to be recorded well), I find 45 RPMs well worth while.

IMO, NO they are not. 45,s play very short and the sound is not near what a good original 33 1/3 album sounds like. I stay away. And those NEW pressings dont sound any better or worse than a used LP from 30 yrs ago.

I have quite a few of these 45RPM LPS. I think they are worth the price. It is a pain in the ass to have to get up so often to turn them over, but the sound quality is sure worth it for me.