New vinyl's noisy little secret

"Is it just impossible to make this old-generation type of vinyl currently?"

You would think for the prices charged it would be possible.

Then again, when records were plentiful 30-40 years ago, new records cost more or less what most CDs cost today. Factor in inflation, and maybe it just is not cost effective at all to make 'em like they used to anymore, especially for a niche, low volume market.

BTW, the only records I buy these days are either used titles that I can pick up for a pittance (less than cost of CD) or older higher quality records that may cost more but are not similarly available on well mastered and produced CDs these days.

For apples/apples choices between vinyl and CD, I will generally chose CD. You may call for the straight-jacket for me, but I think good CDs sound just fine and often better than vinyl equivalents.

BTW, I agree that some of the best sounding records are old MOR/pop/orchestral vinyl recordings from those days. Henry Mancini is a good example, but I can think of many others as well, soundtracks, etc.

Of course we were all too cool to listen to that stuff then, but armed with our ultra performing modern rigs now, those old geezer recordings are often something else!

"I usually heard the music from those albums on my plastic-bodied Zenith AM clock radio, so when I play these records now on my relatively hi-rez system, revelations abound."

Yes, I agree.

I suspect a lot of us heard some really good recordings back then on some really crappy playback gear, the most common of which was the basic am radio.

Some of the best audio treats I've encountered over recent years have come from listening to old stuff that I had written off years ago once again on my current good rig.

BTW, this can happen with well remastered CDs as well. Try any CD from the remastered Time/Life Fabulous Fifties CD Collection and you will be treated to many pleasant and one of a kind audio surprises, albeit mostly in mono.

Other issues aside, if you want to reap the sonic benefits of vinyl, you had best always be prepared to clean as needed first before panicking when something doesn't sound right.

Having said that, when I used to buy new records, my expectation was that they at least started clean, but I know even then that that was not always necessarily the case.

If there is to be a new golden age of vinyl it will be fueled by audiophiles like those on this site.

High prices are an issue but poor quality to go with it is not a good omen for a workable business model for the target audience.

I think you have to ask yourself is buying new vinyl really worth it? IS the price of trying to re-live past pleasures really worth it? For some it will but for most I suspect not.

The good news is that there are still a lot of good records out there at good prices that were made well back in the day when the times supported doing it right on a large scale.

"manufacturing plants for all media"

For better or for worse, eventually, everything will be accessed and downloaded digitally and there will be few or no manufacturing plants for any audio media, unless perhaps analog media manages to hold on somehow. If it does, however, be prepared to dig deep into your pockets if anything of quality is produced.

Well, ironically, the local music store had a used record/cd sale today. I added about 40 new records across various genres all in very good/excellent shape at 4/1.00 or about the price of a gumball each.

I also bought 1 new CD that cost more than the 40 records combined at that price. Lots of great listening ahead!

How much for that new, possibly noisy vinyl again??

Yesterday, I happened to play the dirtiest record ever that looked clean to me on inspection, an old 60's orcjestral recording on COlumbia Masterworks I picked up for 25 cents.

I cleaned it as I usually do but shortly after playing it it started sounding so bad and there was so much gunk on my stylus, even after repeated stylus cleans, that I thought for a while I had damaged the sylus during cleaning. Eventually, after multiple stylus cleanings with the stylus brush, things sounded pristine again. I wonder if the vinyl itself was in bad shape and shedding itself onto my stylus as it played.

Haven't had a cleaning experience like that in quite a while. Just goes to show, you never know what to expect whenever you bring a record, old or new I suppose in for the first time.