Post by cooksferry on Jun 5, 2019 7:31:21 GMT 12
My music purchases have been few and far between this year with only 3 lps purchased. Recently I've spent quite a bit of time listening to the latest Rosanne Cash release, She Remembers Everything, on cd. It's been a grower and I finally decided to get a vinyl version. Said lp arrived last week, put it on the Project Vac for a pre play clean and immediately noted a rather large warp. Quick rotation on the TT confirmed it. Tried it with the TT Weights outer ring clamp in place and it is playable although the arm can be seen moving up and down noticeably over the first 3rd of the record.
Straight onto Amazon customer service and after a brief chat a replacement was arranged with the faulty product being left to me to dispose of. Checked the tracking of the replacement yesterday and it says return to Amazon, undeliverable, Recheck with Amazon and it appears the lp or package has been damaged in some way, hence the return. Now I wait for a contact asking me for my next move which I feel will be just give me a refund.
I can't fault the service Amazon offers but I'm over having to open every package with fingers crossed . Even reasonably local purchases from Dunedin have an element of risk as again I can't really check until I get home.
I grew up with lps . I love the artwork, the sound of vinyl. But there are just too many negatives from worrying about cartridge life, obsessing over setup, worrying about lp condition etc etc. At times it just seems to have been so much more enjoyable decades ago.
I have one more vinyl pre order left, due for release on June 7th. It's an expensive item but one of my all time favourite records since the late 1960s. Today I will do mental gymnastics whether to leave the order in place or cancel. After that, no more, back to digital and hopefully a happier disposition.
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Post by Citroen on Jun 5, 2019 8:46:37 GMT 12
Yes, I sometimes feel that way too, especially as the price has risen so much these past five years. But for me the positives still out way the negatives. If you're not getting the enjoyment out of the obsessing over set up (which for me is half the fun!), the ritual clean etc then definitely go digital. The bottom line has to be your enjoyment. PS I bet you'll be back sooner than you thought though 
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Post by Owen Y on Jun 5, 2019 10:23:55 GMT 12
Yes, there comes a time when life is too short to endure doing things that cause stress. (I have been surprising myself lately how enjoyable it is using a TT (SP-10) that maintains accurate speed, can speed change 33/45 without messing with pulleys etc, starts/stops instantly...) But the vinyl sound is still too addictive a drug 
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Post by cartridgeguyonline on Jun 5, 2019 12:27:31 GMT 12
At the risk of a lifetime ban, I would have to say that IME the sonic benefits of a belt drive suspended subchassis deck far outweight the disadvantages. However tbh unless you were playing them side by side you wouldnt appreciate the difference. eg when I am using my KD600 Suimiko MMT I am perfectly happy with the sound of it, it is only when I compare it directly alongside my Gyrodek that I find it lacking.
But back to the OP complaint about vinyl. Most of my recent purchases have been fine (the music matters reissues are ex but expensive), Last Amazon order I had that was faulty they just sent me a replacement. And yes the price of new releases is getting up there a bit too much I feel. My main issue with this is that it makes me think twice about my purchases instead of just taking a punt on something unknown like I used to when they were $12.99 a pop.
The last Rosanne Cash I bought on vinyl was "Black Cadillac", which I wasnt very impressed with. Which was a shame as her previous one"The river and the thread" was an excellent album, nicely recorded and a good pressing too.
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Post by cooksferry on Jun 5, 2019 12:30:37 GMT 12
PS I bet you'll be back sooner than you thought though I hope not. Ready to take off the hair shirt and enjoy life without beating myself up. I do appreciate the positives that lps can offer but there are more and more days when the Fiio X5 with Oppo PM3s give me everything I desire. Not buying doesn't mean the end of vinyl playback though, there's over 1000 records to go through, some unplayed for 20 years or more. At least with the ones on hand I've faced down the worst that can happen and they're good to go.
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Post by michaelw on Jun 5, 2019 13:40:25 GMT 12
no, that's my real car on michelin cup 2 tyres with a 30yo tt you never know if that record you are spinning will be the last...
i didn't know there have been two rosanne cash releases since the river and the thread.
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Post by Citroen on Jun 5, 2019 14:32:12 GMT 12
At the risk of a lifetime ban, I would have to say that IME the sonic benefits of a belt drive suspended subchassis deck far outweight the disadvantages. However tbh unless you were playing them side by side you wouldnt appreciate the difference. eg when I am using my KD600 Suimiko MMT I am perfectly happy with the sound of it, it is only when I compare it directly alongside my Gyrodek that I find it lacking. But back to the OP complaint about vinyl. Most of my recent purchases have been fine (the music matters reissues are ex but expensive), Last Amazon order I had that was faulty they just sent me a replacement. And yes the price of new releases is getting up there a bit too much I feel. My main issue with this is that it makes me think twice about my purchases instead of just taking a punt on something unknown like I used to when they were $12.99 a pop. The last Rosanne Cash I bought on vinyl was "Black Cadillac", which I wasnt very impressed with. Which was a shame as her previous one"The river and the thread" was an excellent album, nicely recorded and a good pressing too. I've always liked the idea and theory behind a direct drive turntable and its no secret that I hanker after a Kenwood LD-07. Or a Sony PS-X9 or Yamaha GT-2000. Never heard the Yammie but had the pleasure of briefly listening to the Sony. Attack, immediacy and solidity in abundance. What spurs my vinyl purchases, despite the cost and occasional dud lp, is the sheer thrill and magic when that lump of stone hits plastic, no matter what drive mechanism.
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Post by Owen Y on Jun 5, 2019 17:07:16 GMT 12
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Post by cooksferry on Jun 6, 2019 7:15:11 GMT 12
no, that's my real car on michelin cup 2 tyres with a 30yo tt you never know if that record you are spinning will be the last...
i didn't know there have been two rosanne cash releases since the river and the thread.
Yes, Black Cadillac had its first release on lp a couple of years ago. Not sure of the original recording source but I'd imagine it's a digital chain right through. Haven't played it for a while but can't remember any strong feeling re the sound quality either way. She Remembers Everything is a think a stronger record than BC and I like the production using two different producers adds some variation . It's not as instant a connection as The River and the Thread for me but now after digging deeper into it I know it's a recording that I will return to quite often. I'd love to say that the lp sounds better than the cd but unless I get a fault free copy there's no use trying a comparison. One of the best RC releases with the strongest songs is this one. Song writing is great but the production values mark it down a notch for me. A lot of ear worm tracks on there. www.discogs.com/Rosanne-Cash-The-Full-Sessions/release/4148951
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Post by Owen Y on Jun 6, 2019 10:07:40 GMT 12
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Post by michaelw on Jun 6, 2019 11:08:01 GMT 12
LW is another one i haven't keep up to date with.
last album i got was where the spirit meets the bone, think i have that twice
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Post by cooksferry on Jun 6, 2019 16:15:29 GMT 12
LW is another one i haven't keep up to date with. last album i got was where the spirit meets the bone, think i have that twice She lost me after Car Wheels. Think I have a couple of the later releases some where but they obviously haven't made an impact.
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Post by Owen Y on Jun 6, 2019 18:21:47 GMT 12
Yes she has changed over the years, voice, style, personal themes. I have an album or two that I have yet to get properly into, so emotionally raw they are.
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Post by Citroen on Jun 10, 2019 20:41:13 GMT 12
I'm running out of places to store the stuff, which right now is THE biggest disincentive to buying more vinyl. My new records are currently piled up on my couch, waiting for a new home. 
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Post by michaelw on Jun 10, 2019 22:11:22 GMT 12
time for a clearance sale !
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Post by andrewp on Jun 10, 2019 22:12:43 GMT 12
What do you mean...running out of room!... that floor is looking like a perfect candidate for record storage!
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Post by Citroen on Jun 10, 2019 22:25:57 GMT 12
Turn 180 degrees... 
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Post by cooksferry on Jun 11, 2019 7:14:51 GMT 12
Turn 180 degrees... And suddenly my room looks tidy Looks like there're quite a few still in their shipping pack so I take it there's quite a number on the still to listen list?
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Post by cooksferry on Jun 11, 2019 7:43:01 GMT 12
Refund from Amazon on the 2nd Rosanne Cash lp which for some reason was returned to them. I'll take that as an omen and give up.
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Post by Citroen on Jun 11, 2019 10:15:51 GMT 12
And suddenly my room looks tidy Looks like there're quite a few still in their shipping pack so I take it there's quite a number on the still to listen list? All empty mailers. That's actually my junk room, with secondhand vinyl waiting to be sorted and picked through. Sometimes Amazon packages are damaged mid-posting and so get sent back. Damn annoying when that happens. No wonder you've given up.
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Post by cooksferry on Jun 12, 2019 7:54:44 GMT 12
The most difficult part of giving up lps is convincing myself that the digital release will be as good. Seems I've developed a prejudice over the last decade that I need to confront. I know that many cds are more compressed than their vinyl equivalent but for most of the music I purchase now it's probably not going to be a huge issue. Rosanne Cash, Vic Chesnutt, Joe Henry etc are not usual candidates for brick walling.
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Post by cooksferry on Jul 27, 2019 12:39:28 GMT 12
If I didn't need convincing re giving up on lps today has been the final straw. Unpacked my final 3 vinyl back orders that arrived in the last week and all are quite dished. Very, very pissed about it as the records are all from fav artists, Buddy Miller, Dave Alvin and Freakwater. Just finished chatting with Amazon UK and they're issuing refunds for the Miller and Freakwater sets and I'll just get the cd versions instead. Dave Alvin I got from the New West web store and will have to chase them up. These are not minor defects but dishing that needs my outer rim weight to enable playback.
Minor defects I can put up with but when they're starting to look like a fruit bowl enough is enough.
I still lay the blame for much of this at the feet of shrink wrapping and curse this practice .
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Post by colinf on Jul 27, 2019 14:45:35 GMT 12
It's very hot in the UK and Europe right now, I wonder if that is partly to blame?
AMR-iFi R&D
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Post by cooksferry on Jul 27, 2019 14:53:05 GMT 12
It's very hot in the UK and Europe right now, I wonder if that is partly to blame? I'm more inclined to blame over tight shrink wrap. The last 6 lps i've purchased have all been dished, one from Dn, three from the uk and two from the usa. If you split the shrink wrap down the jacket opening and try and get the lp out and refit it's easy to see how tight the shrink is. Remove it and there's a world of difference. I can imagine the uproar in some collector circles if shrink wrap was abandoned.
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Post by colinf on Jul 27, 2019 15:09:11 GMT 12
Why do Amazon and others prefer shrink wrap? I mean records could be sealed in their normal plastic covers instead. Not that they do.
AMR-iFi R&D
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Post by Citroen on Jul 27, 2019 15:47:12 GMT 12
Recently got the worst warped lp I've ever received, and from Amazon UK. I blame it on the weather, as getting warped records is always a seasonal thing for me. Always worst in winter, US/ Europe summer. Not nearly as bad during our summer, so maybe NZ post is more careful! Lol
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Post by michaelw on Jul 27, 2019 15:53:38 GMT 12
shrinkwrap is applied at the factory not amazon et al ? i get warped records all year round
and sometimes the replacement is worse than the original 
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Post by Citroen on Jul 27, 2019 15:59:56 GMT 12
I haven't had any for about 4 or 5 months, apart that last one.
Wasn't even going to try the Vinyl Flat, it was so bad, but dug it out just to see...
One of the 2 Lps is quite flat. The other much improved with now only one speed bump. Not going to play it again as although it takes the hump the poor cart sure moves a lot.
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Post by cooksferry on Jul 27, 2019 16:43:34 GMT 12
shrinkwrap is applied at the factory not amazon et al ? i get warped records all year round
and sometimes the replacement is worse than the original
Not blaming Amazon Michael, their service has always been tops. They offered replacements but I passed. I can play the defective lps with the outer clamp but it's at the stage where every lp is opened with apprehension and dread anticipation.
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Post by Citroen on Jul 27, 2019 17:53:07 GMT 12
shrinkwrap is applied at the factory not amazon et al ? i get warped records all year round
and sometimes the replacement is worse than the original
That looks mild to me. I'll swap you for a double lp of Tom Waits Under The Covers. Second thoughts, probably not worth the postage costs, as I've just seen that its a Batman lp!
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