Now I'm not one to return LPs for any old pop or tick but I think what raises one's hackles is when *premium* priced vinyl is defective. I really don't bother nowadays with the other cheaper albums to avoid just this problem. On Audiogon and practically every audio forum known to mankind, there are threads devoted to issues with all, but especially $10 albums. It's unfortunately endemic to the $10 alums because they're made like schlock eg. Mastering and pressing.
Scroll down for a quick definition on groove stitching.
http://www.classicrecords.com/blog/
Then there are host of other issues such pinch and edge warps, records cot off center, orange peel, scuffing, etc. that affect playback and the noise level of the album. One that I've also noticed is what looks like light or darker blotches on the record surface.
For the possibly dumbest AES paper of all time, see
http://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=2150.
That said, I've had the best success with the MM Jazz reissues.
Chad's esp. The earlier Prestige/Pablo/Contemporary occasionally had issues. I could never get a quiet 45 rpm Chet Baker.
Classic's albums suffered from a host of issues pre-eminently with records cut off center and dish bowl sized warps. My Simon and Garfunkel could have doubled asva fruit dish. It didn't seem that Q/C was high on their list. (needless to say, I was not high up on Hobson's list). I actually had one renowned reviewer tell me I was crazy and the only one experiencing these problems- only to then turn around three months later pen an article on all the problems he was encountering with Classic pressings. Curious to say the least! I count myself lucky now that I use a rim clamp that makes these issues a thing of the past and consider this or vacuum a mandatory item for record playback.
Pure Pleasure was also hit or miss in the beginning with issues ranging from groove stitching or groove narrowing. PP also made me insane by packaging their LPs in paper sleeves! How cheap was that? It would have cost them what a quarter more?.I often wondered if anyone at PP listened to the test pressing-for after all that's why they're made-not as it seems to sell at a higher price to audiophiles. I find this *religion* and hype surrounding test pressings somewhat curious since they're not necessarily better sounding -and actually are often worse sounding -than the final product. That's because test pressings are often made at the beginning of the day's run before the presses have fully heated up. But luckily it seems that PP has finally got their act together and the couple of albums I've purchased have been perfect.
Speakers Corner LPs have in my experience been of a consistently high quality (interesting that I think they and MMJ use Pallas?) and the sound has gotten better over the years. Didn't think all that much of their original Mercury reissues.
The other label that comes to mind for their excellent quality is MOFI. Whatever you think of the musical choices, sound (some are better than others), their product is top notch!
Gosh who ever thought we'd be talking about LPs in 2012. I think we owe a debt of gratitude to Chad and Mike especially for keeping vinyl alive for us and even showing other entrepreneurs that they could start and run successful record companies!
