Is all new vinyl crap?

[danieldust]

I was recently given a generous gift certificate to Elusive Disc, so I bought a few LPs. Of the three that arrived yesterday, two have serious pressing problems.

One was this Miles From India box set, which I was initially excited about: http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp ... =FQELP1808

The other was Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes: http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp ... SPRLP70888

The Miles From India box set looks nice and has what seems to be some great music on it, but the records all have random moments of pronounced distortion. A close look at the vinyl revels what look like tiny pin holes arranged in rows inside the grooves, scattered across the record. This is only the second time I have ever seen this in my life, the other was a reissue of a rare folk/psych album by a guy named Mark Fry, which I also bought at Elusive Disc. The Miles From India LPs also had lumps and bumps visible in the vinyl, like some of the old stuff from back in the late '70s and '80s when recycled vinyl would sometimes appear to have bits of old labels mixed in. Even the parts of the record without the pin holes are loaded with surface noise, which is disappointing for a $45, "180-gram audiophile" pressing.

The Fleet Foxes record looked and sounded mostly excellent except for a weird, high pitched distortion in the right channel on sides A and B of the first disc. It would cut in and out quickly. It was only in the first 5 minutes or so of each side, and it seemed to fade away gradually. It sounded like what happens when my speaker wire sometimes works loose from one speaker's connection, but it was clearly in the record, not my system. I could not see anything wrong with the record itself upon close inspection. It appeared to be a pretty nice pressing with mirror-like finishes though one disc did have a very minor warp and a slight eccentricity, both of which I could have lived with.

I rarely buy new vinyl, and the majority I have bought in the last year have suffered from these kinds of issues. Is this par for the course these days? Is it worth my time to send these back and ask for replacements of the same items, or should I just get something else entirely? Has anyone else had problems with these same records? I know the Fleet Foxes is a pretty popular release, so I am hoping to find out if anyone has gotten a better copy of this album.

I also can't help but notice how almost all of the problem vinyl I have bought recently has come from Elusive Disc. Is this place a clearinghouse for defective or low quality vinyl pressings that no one else wants to sell? I'm frustrated and disappointed. What are your thoughts and experiences?

[kelvinMunson]

I guess I've been lucky; I've recently bought all 3 Pink Floyd 180gram releases from Amazon, all excellent, even the Amazon Warehouse copy of The Wall (half price because of a small crease on one corner of the sleeve).

I also bought the 180gram Foo Fighters Wasting Light and Echoes Silence Patience and Grace plus the first Foo Fighters album; again all excellent.

It was the same story with Tangerine Dream Phaedra and Rubycon and also the King Crimson 180gram releases Court Of The Crimson King and In The Wake Of Poseion and the 200gram Fripp,Jaszyk & Collins Scarcity of Miracles.

If anything did arrive imperfect I would certainly send it straight back.

[danieldust]

I have heard good things about the new King Crimson reissue LPs, Kelvin. I was tempted to get those, but I have four copies of In the Court of the Crimson King already! I'd jump on Scarcity of Miracles if only Elusive Disc carried it.

Edit: I see the do carry it, so that's an auto-buy! Thanks for the reminder.

[chosenhandle]

I have found that quality has gone up considerably in the past year or so. I rarely get a bad (warped, scratched, non-fill) record anymore. I do not buy many "standard" releases however. I mainly buy limited editions so I would assume more care is given to those titles.

[Rob998]

All the new stuff I've bought recently has been great quality: All the recent Pink Floyd re-issues (all bought cheap cos of slightly damaged covers!), Florence & The Machine "Ceremonials", The Smiths "Strangeways, Here We Come", "Meat Is Murder" & "The Queen Is Dead", " Shack "The Corner of Miles & Gil", etc, etc. Even the Vaccines "What Did You Expect" which is on quite thin vinyl is great quality. I can honestly say I've not had a bad one lately.

[jake]

Prices being what they are, may as well get the Japan pressings if you want nice pressings.

[Cabbage Patch Elvis]

No, it's just the new bands.

[springer]

All the new stuff I've bought recently has been top-notch; quality has, indeed, gone up markedly in the last couple of years. Interesting though, danieldust, about your Fleet Foxes purchase. I bought that in Florida too - Best Buy last summer, somewhere down near Tampa. Quality absolutely fine, even to my cloth ears.

[ighten]

A lot of slight warps seems to be common now but other than that no serious problems..

[danieldust]

Interesting though, danieldust, about your Fleet Foxes purchase. I bought that in Florida too - Best Buy last summer, somewhere down near Tampa. Quality absolutely fine, even to my cloth ears.

Thanks for the info on that record. That encourages me to think that the problem may be limited to this copy. I'll send it back and see what I get. What I don't want is to go through the time and expense of sending it back only to get another copy that's the same or worse. Most of the album sounds fantastic, actually, and I dig the tunes.

[danieldust]

For what it's worth, the good people at Elusive Disc are going to give me credit for the Miles from India set and send me a replacement for the Fleet Foxes LP. This is exactly what I wanted, so that's cool. Elusive Disc has very responsive customer service, which is a rarity these days.

The Fleet Foxes LP is wonderful, by the way. Get it if you're curious.

[jnjansen]

I too have had a mixed bag. I concur, The Smiths reissues have been pristine; my UK Rhino of Louder than Bombs in particular is quite exquisite. My Beach Boys SMiLE is perfect in every way and Nirvana Nevermind is flawless. But My Cure Disintegration spindle hole is off center to the point that the tonearm swishes back and forth considerably (not audible but still annoying). Some of my best sounding lps are on Sundazed (Blonde and Blonde, e.g.) but they also have the most irregularities, especially with warping and surface marks. I buy on Amazon and have returned quite a few. I haven't written off new vinyl yet but am buying more selectively.