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Are 180g and 200g vinyls worth the price?

post #1 of 12
6/23/07 at 4:35am
Thread Starter 
I do not want to waste money if both versions will sound the same or very similar on a Rega P1 table.

I am specifically looking at Bill Evans: Waltz for Debby at Music Direct. There is a $10 regular LP and a $25 180g version. Is it worth the extra cost?
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post #2 of 12
6/23/07 at 5:26am
Not worth it. Kind of like higher octane gasoline.

Although the head-fi thing to do is to buy both and come to your own conclusion once and for all. You can always trade in the one you liked less.
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post #3 of 12
6/23/07 at 4:43pm
I haven't noticed any real benefit in sound quality to the heavier vinyl. Main thing I've noticed is that the heavier weight vinyl tends to have a higher probability of being warped!
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post #4 of 12
6/24/07 at 3:56am
I've heard heavy pressings sound average and thin pressings sound great (and vice-versa), though I don't have a reference vinyl system by any means. IMO, the mastering processes themselves are more important than just the weight of the vinyl. So in that way, you might need to consider quality on an album by album basis.
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post #5 of 12
6/24/07 at 9:09am
YES and NO. If it is the same mastering, then most likely no. However, most 180g and 200g pressings tend to be mastered by famous engineers like Steve Hoffman, Kevin Gray or Doug Sax. In that case, it is damn worth every single penny. If it is the same mastering on both versions then it might not be worth it. I myself prefer 180g/200g pressings.
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post #6 of 12
6/26/07 at 11:27am
I also prefer the heavy vinyl.

It it usually (not always) a sign of more attention being paid to the sound quality by the label.

SACD is so good today, I am spending less time with vinyl.
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post #7 of 12
6/27/07 at 11:03am
What LFF said. Usually the heavy pressing is the better mastering. Ive heard heavy vinyls sound better and worse than regular pressings and ive heard CDs of albums sound better or worse than both.

My most played LP is a lightly battered copy of Alyson Moyet's Alf. I recently bought 2 more copies for when I eventually manage to ruin the one I already have and if there was a 180g or 200g version of that album I would snap it up.

If you love the album, then splurge the extra cash.
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post #8 of 12
6/27/07 at 11:11am
I like the feel of it. Vinyl for me is such a hands on media. I like it for all the reasons I don't like the digital age. Its so easy to change an album on my computer (with just a click) that I don't listen to albums all the way thru like I used to. With Vinyl its somewhat of a commitment taking it out of the sleeve and putting it on the player. I tend to listen more intently and this is a process I like. I am not completely sure on the difference in SQ but I tend to buy the 180 g.
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post #9 of 12
6/27/07 at 3:01pm
I would actively avoid new 180g/200g pressings if I could help it.

They are much, much less forgiving of manufacturing flaws than standard weight pressings, mostly because they take longer to press. When manufacturing defects occur, they tend to be very major - brand-new records are warped; bubbles and pits occur in the record; etc. Look on Vinyl Asylum and you'll see exactly those complains being raised on the Classic Records 180/200g reissues, which are pressed by RTI (same place that is pressing the Kevin Gray/Steve Hoffman remasters).

And based on my own research, there is absolutely zero audio quality improvement from going to a higher weight. It's only an excuse to charge more money for vinyl.

That said, I expect nothing but superlatives with the BecauseSoundMatters work, so I hopefully am not dissuading anybody from getting Hoffman and Gray's new LPs. But please don't let the record weight factor into it. It does feel better in the hand though.
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post #10 of 12
10/21/07 at 7:49am
reviving an older thread...

i just got a couple of out of print 200g pressings just b/c...hmmm, maybe i'll keep them sealed and see if they go up in price.

anyway, my question is about the thicker vinyl. do i need to adjust my tonearm for these thicker LPs? if so, what adjustments need to be made?
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post #11 of 12
10/21/07 at 8:20am
The vertical tracking angle (VTA) will change according to the thickness of the vinyl assuming the platter and mat are the same. So in theory, in those circumstances thicker vinyl would require a slight raising of tonearm height and vice versa (assuming it was correctly adjusted to begin with). I'm not sure how important such an adjustment would be in practical terms though, since records all can have subtle thickness differences. I know my turntable doesn't even allow for VTA adjustment and I doubt I would hear the difference on an entry level system anyway. Then again I have heard of people who note the optimum VTA down on each of their LPs and adjust it each time they play one.
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post #12 of 12
10/21/07 at 8:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kugino View Post
reviving an older thread...

i just got a couple of out of print 200g pressings just b/c...hmmm, maybe i'll keep them sealed and see if they go up in price.

anyway, my question is about the thicker vinyl. do i need to adjust my tonearm for these thicker LPs? if so, what adjustments need to be made?
If you don't have an on-the-fly VTA, then it's not worth the effort to adjust the VTA so often.

I used the 180g pressing to tune the tonearms and forget about it.

I have more concern of warped records than the differences in thickness. It's another reason why I prefer heavier pressing.
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