Here are a few possible answers to those questions:. A Gram LP is not only more satisfying to handle and place on the turntable, but it also offers more resistance to a more aggressive manipulation, adverse storage conditions and other possible abuses that can be inflicted over the years or decades.
This effect is not much different, from a technical standpoint, from changing the platter material or increasing the platter mass on your turntable, or using a different platter mat… you can see the heavier vinyl record as a type of physical upgrade to your turntable, that will make a difference similar to other upgrades.
When these heavyweight pressings first appeared, they represented a higher quality standard being applied to the entire mastering and manufacturing process, so in the end it usually resulted in much better sound but not only because of the heavier vinyl, it was just like today a matter of using better sources Original Master Tapes and improved mastering techniques.
The uneven surface effect where the disc thickness varies from outer edge to center point is a well-known issue studied by many engineers and entities related to audio mastering and vinyl manufacturing, the benefits of a more perfectly flat surface for the reading of the grooves are real and undeniable, however the relation of this factor with total vinyl weight and thickness is dependent on the use of dies created with such design, and that might vary from label to label and between different pressing plants.
For these reasons, heavyweight Gram and Gram vinyl pressings are usually better quality products associated with limited editions, audiophile editions, and better releases in general. So what is happening with all these lower quality Gram pressings flooding the market today?
These are some of the possible answers for that:. The size and depth of the grooves are exactly the same on light and heavy records. The main dominators whether a record sound good or bad are the quality of the source, mastering and manufacturing process. Not the weight of the record. But, the heavier vinyl was primarily used to support the high-level manufacturing process. Using gram vinyl was not a key contributing factor to the increased sound quality directly.
Click here if you want to see Mobile Fidelity records available on Amazon. They are usually not cheap. Following Mobile Fidelity and other high-end record labels, mainstream labels started pressing gram vinyl as well. To charge a premium and sell more.
The problem is that mainstream labels often use mediocre or even poor source material, mediocre mastering, mediocre vinyl, and mediocre pressing to make gram records. Making us believe that the weight of the vinyl is the determining factor for the sound quality of the record.
Today, gram vinyl are more or less the standard. It seems. My personal experience is that newer gram records often sound worse than older gram records. Heavyweight vinyl is not a guarantee for good pressing and good sound at all. One of the perceived benefits with gram records is that they feel more expensive and robust in our hands.
There is a tangible feeling of higher value. Another benefit is that more weight will make the record more stable on the platter. Which might give the cartridge and needle better working conditions to read the grooves with higher precision.
It can, however, be argued that the effect of this on sound quality is minor. The biggest downside with gram vinyl is that vinyl enthusiasts have to pay more. And, unfortunately, often without getting a substantially better product.
Or a better product at all. Ultimately, the quality of the source material, alongside careful maintenance and setup of your turntable and records is what will ultimately have the greatest bearing on sound quality. The issue is particularly noticeable with the re-issue of classic albums on vinyl. This spectacle alone would be fine if you could be confident of improved or at least faithfully re-created sound quality. However, sadly, this is not always the case. Record companies are notoriously illusory when it comes to stating specific details of source material used to create re-issues and compilations.
Whether this is true or not, record companies should always strive to use the best source material possible when pressing a vinyl record. Quite simply, anything less than the best available source is a cynical attempt to swindle the record buying public. Spend some time researching the quality of a pressing before committing to purchase if you can. Discogs has a wealth of information; also, online forums such as stevehoffman.
Purchase the best copy you can afford or find , and if that happens to be a g pressing — think of it as a nice bonus. And, most releases are pressed on g heavy-weight vinyl, which is thicker than your typical vintage record at — g.
The added thickness has no real […].
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