Is there a problem with Decca's new packaging for vinyl records?


Until recently, every record I have bought has had a paper inner liner, usually lined with a plastic film.  The very last records from Decca (London to you?) had a much flashier shiny cardboard? inner liner, complete with high quality printing on the liner.

When I extracted the records, I noticed a linear, horizontal deposit near the edge of the disk, about 3 inches long, like a high tide mark highlighted in white polystyrene.  Very close inspection showed two fainter parallel lines.  After ultrasonic cleaning, the records were very noisy and have not got better with playing!

Looking very closely at the insides of the shiny cardboard liners, you can see where small flaps have been folded to allow the liner to be glued to form an envelope.  The edge of the flap is pretty much where the ’polystyrene’ lines would have formed, so I am guessing that the edge rubbed against the record surface during transit.

Presto Classical immediately offered to order new records for me, and to inspect and repack, but I think the damage could also occur in the distribution chain from the manufacturer.  Presto then immediately refunded me the cost of the records (as luck would have it, I bought the CD at the same time as the vinyl).

I have tried to alert Decca but have no reply as yet.  The specific records contain Klaus Makela’s performances of Stravinsky’s Firebird and Rite of Spring.  Hyperion records in the same shipment were undamaged.  Previous Decca records have been in paper inner sleeves and are also undamaged.

richardbrand

@lordmelton

Thanks - I seem to remember Sidcup as a station between Hastings and London?

Must admit I am quite content with standard CDs.  I don't buy arguments about better timing, after all CDs have to feed a 2k buffer just to get the error detection and correction to operate.  There may be some analogue effects if the tracking servos need to work hard, but my CD spinners are transports only.

To me the differences between well recorded CDs and well recorded SACDs for classical music are readily apparent, especially as you normally get the CD layer when you buy the SACD and these days the price is about the same!

I am not sure about the price equivalency comment…SACDs seem around 25% higher on Amazon.

@mahler123

SACDs seem around 25% higher on Amazon

That's why I mainly buy from Presto Classical in England!  Obviously any price comparison is a generalisation and I am talking about classical music from European companies where for many labels, SACD is mainstream rather than a gimmick.

Presto often has special offers.  My navigation path is Classical > SACD > Special Offer.  There are currently nearly 2,000 results ... see

Classical Music SACDs - On Offer (page 1 of 49) | Presto Music

I recently bought all Beethoven's symphonies, all Prokofiev symphonies, and two complete sets of Sibelius symphonies on new SACDs for under A$150, less than US$100 in total!

I buy a lot from Presto, and it’s there specials where the bargains are to be had.  However if you compare their non special CD vs SACD you will find that they charge more for SACD.  And who knows what tariffs we may ultimately have to pay?

@mahler123 

Have you found any new CD with the same performance released on SACD?  I can see little point because the SACD usually includes the CD.

I am mentally comparing recent full-price purchases of SACDs from BIS and Chandos against recent full-price CDs from Decca and they are remarkably similar.

There is however a huge price jump for vinyl - about 250%.

Because I live in a country that believes in free-trade, I won't be hit with tariffs!  Might even find Australian prices going down because other countries find us easy to trade with ...