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Why do certain records wear so quickly?

I have vinyl albums that are 40 years old without any skips or scuffs. They have been played on an inexpensive turntable with an inexpensive cartridge back in the 90's. Slowly I've upgraded until I now have a VPI Prime Signature on whose Fatboy arm I have mounted several $2K cartridges. Most cartiridges I've mounted myself using a decent protractor and digital scale. The arm has all the important knobs and dials to achieve a decent setup. I handle my records with care and very, very rarely (maybe once every several years) have any slips or mishaps that would damage the vinyl. I also own a Degritter to give my records a good washing.

How then do some of my records wear so quickly? For example, I own a fairly new copy of Paul Simon's "The Rhythm of the Saints" that sounds pretty bad. Granted I have played it perhaps 20 times, but it has acquired background noise that sounds almost as bad as  a 1950's '78.

I purchased Jacintha's "Here's to Ben" on 180 gram vinyl. Within a few plays it was skipping in several places. I returned the album and the second album also began to skip on the last cut on the second side. When I bought the Degritter I was able to  get rid of some skips, but "Danny Boy," the last cut on the second side, still skips in the same place as the first album. 

Bottom line, I can't see how it is me or my setup because most of my albums do not skip nor do I hear background noise. I think it is mainly some of the 180 gram vinyl that wears quickly. The owner of a stereo store that specializes in turntables told me he thought that the new vinyl was soft. But not all of my new albums end up skipping.

I'm at a loss as to what to do, but welcome suggestions.

 

audio-b-dog

Showing 1 response by audio-b-dog

audio-b-dog's avatar
audio-b-dog OP
80 posts
 

Antinn, thank you for your detailed response. I put lables and dates on my records when I put them in the Degritter. "The Rhythm of the Saints" now has three labels. Once I see that, I know the album has problems. I have found in the past that buying new copies of badly pressed albums does not help. They have the same problems. So, as you explain, the batch was probably made poorly.

I cannot think of any older records (perhaps beyond 20 years old) that have similar problem. I have Van Morrison albums, for example, from over 30 years ago that have worn quite well. 

Given the various problems with vinyl, that is still my first choice for listening. With older albums that have been played many times for thirty or more years, and have been worn out, I simply go on the used market and look for mint or mint- copies to replace the worn ones.

I do feel reassured by you, though, to know that there are variances in vinyl and it is not necessarily my fault. 

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