Is heavy vinyl worth it?

IMO, the weight of the vinyl isn't much of a determining factor, and the extra-heavy audiophile pressings may be better because of their vinyl stock quality, and the mastering and pressing care that's taken, but the actual thickness of the record doesn't have much to do with it. I feel the extra weight is mostly a marketing tool, and can interfere with effective clamping, not to mention the inconvenience of readjusting VTA should you feel the need. Standard weight is fine by me.

Like I said before, I doubt that any improvements audible with heavy pressings are actually attributable to the vinyl weight itself, which I regard as mostly a marketing hook.

However, I'm inclined agree (from limited experience) with those implying that heavy vinyl may actually *cause* a higher incidence of warps in new records. Whether this is due to greater difficulty of the manufacturing process or is the result of heavy pressings being less able to flex and recover well afterwards I don't know. I've even speculated that thicker records will suffer more from a side-to-side temperature differential when subjected to heat or sunlight that could promote warping vs. a thinner record.

Whatever the reason, when it comes to extra-heavy pressings it's indisputable that once warped they're tougher for clamping-out the warp on the platter, so even if the incidence of new warpage were the same for all weights of vinyl, it would still be more problematic with the heavyweight disks.

P.S. - Pbb, when one is out trolling, methinks it unseemly for a mere mortal to attempt the creation of one's own fish. It's much better to wait to exagerate until one has returned safely to the dock.

Plain language: It seems to me as if you were trying to 'get a rise' among the vinyl crowd with your first post (commonly called 'trolling' - and this is a subject area in which you've been known to enjoy ruffling some feathers before), and when none was forthcoming, you manufactured one that didn't exist. Where the heck did you come up with that unprovoked attack on Onhwy61? Your response to his answer to your original post seemingly bears no relation to his actual words or perceived intent, IMO. I thought he handled it like a gentleman though. Let me be clear, I have no problem with your original post (despite what I see as your intent more to provoke than to illuminate), just your uncalled-for and out-of-left-field followup. As I've said in the past, I actually value your playing the devil's advocate around here (a custom I practice myself), but to do so effectively, something stronger and more relevant than what was offered this time is required. Or maybe your history of inviting audiophile fire has left you a bit too thin-skinned for your own rhetorical good? Whatever, I hope you recover your fair combative touch my man, because we need a few worthwhile naysayers in our midst.

Yes Pbb, I agree that the 'vinyl club' mentality is just too too precious and deserves a roll of the eyes. (BTW, nice album choices.)

I make no pretense of my reasons for loving records: 1) the availability of a galaxy of used product, much of it never released in any other form; 2) the sensual aspects of old records as collectable, time-capsule-worthy objects de art, and the love for the hunt. The fact that my collection of thousands and thousands of recordings is biased at over 90% towards vinyl has absolutely nothing to do with: 1) any audiophile or sonic considerations, though of course there are instances where the original LP does sound better than any subsequent digital reissue (but plenty of instances of the reverse too); 2) any romantic notions regarding the physical 'ritual' of cleaning or playing records, turntable set-up, etc (which is not to say that I don't sometimes enjoy these aspects - though just as often they're a pain - but only that they don't figure into my purchasing decisions).

Since I buy hardly any brand-new vinyl (and none of what I do buy is geared toward the 'audiophile' market) - and also don't often go in for buying valuable used items at collector prices (I prefer to dig stuff up on my own for cheap) - I'm much less concerned than you with questions of pristine sonic purity related to condition (never mind recording quality - I listen to a lot of stuff that would make most audiophiles run from the room). But I certainly acknowledge that if I were buying new 'audiophile' heavy vinyl disks at $20-$30 a pop, I would be pissed off if they weren't immaculate pressings.

I'm glad to hear that you've decided to reinvestigate vinyl for yourself and put your money where your mouth is. Maybe, like me, you'll come to the conclusion that there's nothing 'magical' about the sound of records vs. good digital. The closest I come to adopting that position is in actually enjoying the 'atmosphere' generated by playing scratchy old 45's and 78's, but not in obsessing about the fidelity of the music itself, which I find can be decently - though not absolutely - served by either medium. Frankly, I wish I could have random access at the push of a button from my listening seat with vinyl as I do with CD's, or listen to extended works without enduring forced side breaks. And I am fully appreciative of the fact that the digital revolution granted music listeners the luxury of enjoying a flood of new reissues, including much insanely rare stuff that we'd never otherwise find or be able to afford. So I am no analog-reactionary with an axe to grind.

But I do tend to snicker a bit at audiophiles - and please pardon me if this catagory includes yourself - who start plunking down again for brand new analog rigs and software motivated purely out of propaganda concerning sonics. Absent any interest in buying used vinyl, or already possessing a sizeable record collection that ain't going nowhere, I find this trend bemusing at best, futilely typical of our breed at worst. For me, the only everriding reason to get into vinyl is in being able to listen to *more music*. I hold no truck with the audio-weenie mentality that leads to analog diletantism wherein a 'record collection' can be described as 200 brand-new audiophile pressings of only audiophile-approved music. Yuck.

Yes my Cannuck friend, welcome back to The Club (wink wink, nudge nudge)! At least now you have renewed your right to bitch... :-)

P.S. - Lrsky: There are always other possibilities besides the heavy vinyl itself why the vintage pressing sounded best in your anecdote. And routine record-clamping takes care of the vinyl resonance issue for normal-weight pressings.