Warped Records

I should add that the 180g and higher LPs typically have no issues, but at the current prices and labels they are coming from I would expect as much.

I just saw the new Dire Straits re-issue at Music Direct...wish me luck.

Get the Air Tight record flattener! It's expensive, like $800 I think, but maybe you and some of your audiobuddies can split the cost.

It must be the customers fault for bad quality.

When people bought less cds...it was because people were stealing music...not that the economy was weak and the industry priced cds at almost $20 a piece.
However, they had to price them that high because people don't buy enough and steal music....not that the music industry just got caught price fixing music again. Hopefully the music industry will try a make money by working with consumers instead of cheating or gouging them.

I too have noticed what seems to be an unusual amount of warping in the small number of new records I purchase. I've wondered if perhaps improper storage might be the culprit. In my mind's eye I see boxes and boxes of horizontally positioned lps stacked on top of each other in some warehouse in New Jersey, kind of like the last scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

I've not had problems with warped records as much as I have with off center pressings and noise. My most recent new vinyl pressings:

Pink Floyd's DSOTM 180gram 30th anniversary LP off center pressing

Eagles Hotel California 180gram German reissue from original master tapes still had annoying pops even though I cleaned it with a VPI 16.5 record cleaner before playing.

Rolling Stones a bigger bang 2xLP 180gram Holland pressing - this pressing is flawless.

Also the use of heavy paper inner sleeves is disturbing. I can literally hear the dirt scratching the record as I remove it from the factory inner sleeve. Most of the "audiophile" pressings I have bought have packaged like that. Titles like Pink Floyd's PULSE, and Echoes the best of Pink Floyd, and the 97 Vinyl Collection.