[Minn Mark]

Topic for discussion (apologies of there is already a thread here about this):

 I've been buying new yinyl from internet sources, mainly jazz (Blue Note re-issues) but also reissues of older rock titles. For example, I've got a couple of the Heavenly Sweetness BN reissues (Art Taylor, Freddie Hubbard), and the reissue of Edgar Winter's They Only Come Out At Night. Also, I've been buying titles I want of the "cheap" BN reissues ($11.99 @ www.soundstagedirect.com).  So, these new LPs are from some "good" sources ,and some lesser ones.

My topic for feedback is that these new LPs seem to need more "play-in" than back in the day when fresh vinyl sounded great out of the sleeve. Seems like I get improvement in the sound after several plays, but my experience has been variable. I've clean my vinyl (record Doctor) , and I've read about the apsect of the stylus burnishing the groove to remove traces (burnishing?)  of material from the stamping process, but am interested to hear experience of others.  The inexpensive BN reissues are of widely varying quality(warps, surface noise, obvious copy from digital not analog master source).  Other titles (MoFi Dead Can Dance) are obviously very high quality and sound wonderful from the intial play.

Does vinyl benefit from being 'played-in'??

Your thoughts?

Thanks,

Mark

[Nick77]

Good question, I recently received a Analogue Productions 200g remaster and thought at first play it was a tad bright.
After several more plays it seemed to have toned down, but cant be sure. 

Wondered the same thing, does vinyl require break-in?

[RandyH]

NO

[Devil Doc]

I've been playin vinyl for over fifty years and this is the first I've ever heard of such a thing.

Doc

[tomytoons]

I've been playing a long time too, never heard of that.
I have some pretty well played older albums and I don't hear a difference.

[neobop]

I buy mostly used records at stores where I can see the condition of the vinyl, which seems to be a pretty good indicator of SQ.  It's not 100% though, especially at a store with an RCM where a noisy LP can look pretty good.

I bought a few of those $12 Blue Note reissues and each of them required at least a few plays before SQ was decent.  It seems like they didn't properly deburr the stampers and you have to do this with your stylus.  After playing a few times and recleaning, SQ is pretty decent.  Back in the day it was normal to get some new regular records with small warps and these are no different.  Some are pretty flat and a couple have warps but no big ones and all are playable.  I've bought a few other "regular" priced LPs and all of them seem to have some QC problem.  One rock record oozed a white goo that clogged up the stylus.  I assumed this was excessive mold release compound.  I couldn't get through even one cut.  I changed cleaning solutions and eventually the record was playable. 

All of these were sort of nostalgia purchases and having to fix the record was a PIA.  I just wanted to hear them again, not devote so much time to new record repair.  The only new issue of a regular pressing I've bought is Amy Winehouse, Back to Black.  If you want this record, maybe the audiophile pressing is good, the cheapie is terrible.  You'd be better off buying the CD.  The old days are gone as far as playability of regular pressings, at least after one cleaning.  I have a few new issues or reissues that I paid around 20 - $25 at a stereo shop.  They're pretty good.  One Blue Note, a Tina Brooks record, is reminiscent of an old regular pressing, solid blue label.  Guess I'm showing my age, but I bought almost the whole Blue Note catalogue (solid blue) yrs ago for $3.99 cut out.  Reg price was $5.99 at the store, and list might have been a few dollars more.
neo

[Wayner]

There is only one guy on earth that I know of that has a handle on pressing vinyl, and that be Chad over at Acoustic Sounds (and his record pressing companies, QRP, others). He has actually installed PLCs (programmable logic controllers) to help make every pressing identical, by controlling temperature, pressure and cycle times, that other pressing facilities do by eye or feel good stuff. What was an art has been turned into a science, by the applications of computer controlled manufacturing. A perfectly controlled pressing process is the answer to quality pressings.

Otherwise, it's over or underheated vinyl, bubbles, and all the the other bad stuff that us vinylphools come across when we buy new or used records. Burnishing the record groove is claimed by MOFI, stating that their records may have pops during the first few plays, but the stylus eventually burnishes these over and the record becomes quieter.

As far as changing the sound of the records performance with imaging, or high and low frequency changes is something that I have not witnessed. I suspect you have something else going on with your equipment.

http://www.qualityrecordpressings.com/

Wayner

[J-Pak]

Unfortunately QRP seems to be suffering from some quality control issues. Lots of people getting warped records recently.

As for variations in frequency response, our ears have varying sensitivity to these sorts of things depending on how tired we are/caffeine intake/exposure to loud sounds through out the day/etc, so you'd need to do those comparisons one after another.

[Wayner]

Show us your facts.

Wayner

[J-Pak]

Show us your facts.

Wayner

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/quality-record-pressings-excessive-dishing-and-warping.314955/

Out of 12 records I've received from QRP 5 of them had dish warps, 1 of them was very off center and a few had loud surface noise.

[Elizabeth]

I play my LPs right after I wash them. I have a theory that any stuff left will still be damp, and the stylus can wack it good while it is wet,  (eliminating it) but if it dries out fully, then it will be a tick.

[usedabuser]

I doubt it. A good cleaning after opening is all that is needed and I'd imagine it degrades each time you play it--not enough to notice, but friction is happening so it's inevitable.

[rob400]

I second usedabuser's post.

[doorman]

40 some years of vinyl. Never experienced any "record break-in"!
Don

[neobop]

40 some years of vinyl. Never experienced any "record break-in"!
Don

Before a couple of years ago I only bought 1 new record that needed deburring.  That was 1 out of thousands.  At the time I didn't know what it was, thought it was just a noisy record.  Then I read an article about pressing records which discussed it, so I played it a few times and it got better.   Now, I think the art of making records is lost to some degree and you have to pay a premium to get a high quality pressing.  At least that's what I speculate cause I don't buy many new pressings.
neo

[SET Man]

Hey!

    If you aske I would say no on this one.

    Actually, you will never hear your vinyl sound like that ever again after the first play, of course you and I can't tell the different anyway. What I mean is that those extra fine edges in the groove will likely get smooth out slightly, mostly in the high frequency.

    I think what sometime you hear as an improvement after the first play have to do with fine particle get push out from the groove thanks to the stylus and with that the second time around the LP will sound quieter.

    Because of that dirt and residual that get deposited on LP during pressing, I always give them a good cleaning before first play.... this also help keep my stylus clean also. I use Dics Doctor solution and I can feel the difference after cleaning... brand new LP feel a bit sticky when I run my fingers on it and smooth after cleaning. Worth the time cleaning them.

Take care,
Buddy 

[Berndt]

Chad from QRP says it requires playing the lp five times to get to zero.
And if you want to turn this into a complain about QRP, I'd like to say RTI has less quality control than QRP.
The scratchomatic pink sleeves gotta go. I have a 50% reject rate with RTI due to surface scuffs and pressing defects.