Author Topic: The worst lp pressings and reissues  (Read 3684 times)

Offline Jim Pittsburgh

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The worst lp pressings and reissues
« on: February 21, 2014, 10:27:06 AM »
Yesterday I picked up an RTI  HQ-180 reissue of Janis Joplin's "Pearl" for a whopping $19.99  The album was actually on my Christmas list but Santa decided that I was a bad boy I guess lol .... I was pretty eager to hear it... got it home and immediately spun it up on the ClearAudio table..... and the sound was just terrible.... lots of distortion and a very muddy sound. Sounded like they had flannel and a bit of glass on the press. I put another album on to make sure it wasn't something in my system... ran Pearl through the Spin Clean and tried it again... still exactly the same. I'll be taking it back to HPB.... This is one reissue you will want to avoid at all costs.

Anyone have another brand/copy they would recommend? Clean original for sale?
a bunch of nice sounding stuff. Nice that I'm finally able to actually listen to file music for the first time...

Offline Reverend

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Re: The worst lp pressings and reissues
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2014, 11:46:28 AM »
The double 180g vinyl remaster of Dark Side of the Moon put out a few years ago is terrible.

Offline Kingman

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Re: The worst lp pressings and reissues
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2014, 08:40:04 PM »
The double 180g vinyl remaster of Dark Side of the Moon put out a few years ago is terrible.
Rev...I have the EMI Harvest 180 gram cut...is this the one you are referring to?
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Offline Sir Thrift-a-Lot

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Re: The worst lp pressings and reissues
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2014, 10:09:16 PM »
RTI stuff is usually excellent.   I guess everyone has an occasional clunker.

Offline RnR

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Re: The worst lp pressings and reissues
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2014, 10:35:59 AM »
I bought a New York Dolls s/t 180 gm and it skipped right out of the plastic.  I think with the vinyl resurgence there are cheapo pressing houses popping up that aren't as precise as the 70s and such.. who knows.  But in general I go for used original over new

Offline schwarcw

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Re: The worst lp pressings and reissues
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2014, 07:53:58 PM »
A lot of the new releases suffer from "no fill".  Poor pressings that make a crackling sound in the tracks.

The new Analogue Productions stuff is very good.  RTI, Reference Recordings, most MoFi are good pressings.
Carl

Anders

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Re: The worst lp pressings and reissues
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2014, 08:00:45 PM »
I bought the 45 rpm Fleetwood Mac Rumors re-issue and It's amazing how bad a commercial CD sounds in comparison.
I think it was $40 well spent.

Offline Sir Thrift-a-Lot

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Re: The worst lp pressings and reissues
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2014, 08:57:24 PM »
Speakers Corner reissues are excellent as well.

Offline schwarcw

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Re: The worst lp pressings and reissues
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2014, 09:51:13 PM »
Speakers Corner reissues are excellent as well.

YES!  They have some good ones!

Pure Analog, at the the two Mary Black lps that I own have distortion when she sings louder.  Engineer did a poor job on these lps.
Carl

Offline icravcarver

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Re: The worst lp pressings and reissues
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2014, 11:22:53 AM »
Pearl Jam Ten reissue.  Not so much the remastered disc, but the original cut.  Has several areas where my needle doesn't track well and distorts to the point it isn't worth breaking out.  Which kind of sucks, because there are some interesting comparisons one can make between the two versions.
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Offline Sir Thrift-a-Lot

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Re: The worst lp pressings and reissues
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2014, 01:29:37 PM »
The Rhino Donny Hathaway - At the Bitter End I got for RSD is dead quiet and completely flat.   Nicely done.

Offline schwarcw

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Re: The worst lp pressings and reissues
« Reply #11 on: April 20, 2014, 01:44:37 PM »
The classic album by Carol King "Tapestry" is a wonderful album.  I love the songs and the music.  The recording is very mediocre.  All attempts at remastering and re-pressings, hi rez, you name it, have all failed.  This legendary album will never be heard the way it must have sounded when recorded.
Carl

Offline Sir Thrift-a-Lot

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Re: The worst lp pressings and reissues
« Reply #12 on: April 20, 2014, 02:13:45 PM »
schwarcw, look at my list of drops in the members audio section.   I did a drop of the Columbia "Masterphile" half speed.   It's no sonic miracle, but it sounds better than any other version I have heard.   Some of the "Masterphile" releases really suck, but that one is pretty good.