numanoid

I don't like CD's, but I would buy a CD any day over some stupid ass download, especially a LOSSY download. There are so many problems... the first being the quality of the music coming out. Most everything that people are buying from itunes are singles, and they're not timeless. They're shitty R&B, Hip Hop, or alternative (is that still a genre?) which don't really justify a physical format anyway. This is music that will be forgotten, and replaced with the next top 40 flavor of the week. The other problem is that CDs are too expensive. They always have been. The week something comes out, it's "on sale" for $12.99 at the big stores, then they jump to $20. If CDs were pretty much $10 across the board, I don't think the industry would have suffered as much as they have. Though downloads were inevitable with higher speed internet and more drive space for cheap, it was bound to happen. And if hi quality audio was pushed, that would also help. MP3s are pretty much the new format. And that's a sad state of affairs... It's a lossy format! It will never sound as good as the CD or vinyl counterpart, EVER! But no one will ever notice, because hi quality gear is a thing of the past, replaced by cheap headphones and shitty DACs in a portable device. "Good enough" is the new standard. The same people who have kept vinyl alive will be the ones keeping CDs alive. But they will become like vinyl... you'll need to go to a record store to get it and it will be harder to come by. Drive space is cheap, and the drives are portable. "Good enough" for 98% of music consumers. Anyone looking for quality or collect ability will still buy a physical format. But CDs should change with the times. The 16/44.1 format is obsolete and should be replaced with a higher resolution format, but that's another argument. I think the independents are winning this one. Physical format and download, the best of both worlds. And I would prefer flac downloads to mp3 any day. I wish they were offered... So this is just a downloadable enhanced CD. Another gimmick of a failing industry.

It's got about 50 play hours on it, which is nothing, especially since the recommended break-in time for it is 40 hours. The OM40 was the top of the OM series. Many of you are probably familiar with the OM5 and OM10, they came packaged with many TTs. This is the highest of the line, with improved tracking and detail. This rivals the more expensive MC cartridges. It's been used on a properly set up and balanced Pro-ject RM5. It's been cleaned with stylus cleaner every few plays. I've only played VG-NM records with it. This was brand new when I bought it a year and a half ago and retailed for $399.00. I'd be willing to part with it for $200.00, or shoot me an offer. I'm only getting rid of it because I got an Ortofon Rondo Red, and I don't want to keep a $400 stylus for a second TT that I'll never set up. I'm offering it here first, but I will put it up on ebay by the weekend if no one is interested. It's a deal.

Depeche Mode - Sounds of the Universe Vivian Girls - Everything Goes Wrong Morrissey - Years of Refusal One of those.

This sounds like bullshit to me, but I figured I'd post it anyway. This was on a listing for a copy of T. Rex "The Slider". I've never heard this before. Can anyone confirm or deny this: BULLETIN: Mymusicfix has been told that the EPA will no longer allow the vinyl industry to produce colored vinyl products because of its lead content. So collectors of colored vinyl pressings need to stay on top of the titles they want to own in colored vinyl because this product will now become some of the rarest collectibles in the vinyl industry.

Sound quality is paramount. Excessive surface noise on badly pressed records is terrible. But at the same time, I'm tired of boring releases, that's for sure. Sometimes I wish I listened to bands like Sunn 0))) just because the records and packaging of the limited editions are really cool (think about how cool Jay Reatard's singles comp on Matador would have been with some sort of box set edition). But instead I listen to a bunch of shit on labels like Goner that are just a regular sleeve and black vinyl, and every repress is identical to the first. That's great if you just "want the music", but if you're a collector who tries to have both the music and be there first for some sort of limited edition thing, then you're screwed. I'd rather have it on vinyl than not at all, but I'd also like to get a limited edition of something, or at least know if exists so I can hunt it down over time.

Yes, I have and I will again. On shit I really like, mind you.

The US pressing of "The Queen is Dead" sounds has a lot of sibilance. The UK pressing sounds great, but is tough to find in the states. Perhaps this will address that issue. Though I don't want a reissue anyway, but maybe to those who don't mind, this is a good thing. And the original pressings are all on 125 gram vinyl... But the term remastering scares me, it usually means MAKE LOUDER. So I dunno... It's cool that it will be on vinyl again for those that want to pick them up.

That's cool, I'm surprised it took this long. I have all of the originals, including "Familiar..." and the "Masterplan" 10" box set. But I'm probably going to get this anyway.

It's a bad pressing. Sounds like a bad plating job to me.

the nerd in me wants to rebut that with a real zinger that discusses your love for MP3 downloads Mp3's are a step below tapes. I use FLAC whenever possible.

Too bad a tape will never sound as good as vinyl. A 1/32 of an inch per channel? Give me a break. What a shitty format.

Pro-ject RM5 with a speedbox. That's the way to go. And with the economy shitty, if you're in the market, you can usually talk shops down a bit in price.

Why do you buy vinyl as opposed to other physical formats? >Tapes are stupid and sound like shit. CDs are boring pieces of plastic, and the mastering tends to be really, really bad. Also, bigger artwork, and the fact that they tend to maintain their value, or even go up, is good too. 2. What advantages does vinyl hold over mp3 files? >Mp3s are lossy. Vinyl, unless mp3 sourced (hopefully people are smart enough not to do this), is a pure wave form on vinyl, so this will sound better on a good system. Coming from an audiophile perspective, vinyl sounds brilliant, but to get the most out of it, you're going to have to spend money. CDs can sound good, but normally don't because of mastering. And the distortion of the vinyl is what adds to the "warmth" of the format. And this distortion is far more pleasant than digital distortion, which is very harsh. Mp3s will NEVER sound good. Even the best 320kbs will sound worse than vinyl on a decent system. If you want digital files, FLAC is the way to go. But then again, where's the fun in that? 3. Would you pay to download an mp3? >Never in a million years. If a band or label is too cheap to make a physical format for me to buy, then I don't want their music. Like another poster said, I'd rather have a CDR than some mp3s. 4. Why do you think vinyl is growing in popularity? >It's trendy, and as with all trends, will go away. And that's when I'll buy a bunch of used records for cheap. It won't last much longer, but maybe a few people will find that they really enjoy collecting and stick with it. 5. Is vinyl cool? [Do you think that buying vinyl is a hipper, more scenester thing to do than downloading or buying CDs? Do you think that more people are buying vinyl because it is perceived to be the product of choice of musos, perhaps when they care little about sound quality or larger artwork?] >First off, I've been collecting for 15 years. Long before it was "cool". Now, is it cool? Yes, right now I guess. But like I said, these people will not be around in a year or two. Then I'll buy their shit for cheap. 6. Why do people have the urge to collect different pressings? >To me, different pressings is a UK vs. US vs. Japanese pressings. I would imagine you're referring more to the different colors of the same album. With the former, usually 70s and 80s UK pressings sound better than US because of the quality of vinyl they're stamped on, and better mastering techniques. I always upgrade to UK pressings when I can. As far as more current colors, I'm happy with the rarest pressing. I don't know why, but it is more desirable to have something that either other people want, or not very many people own. Collecting every color is tedious, but it's fun when you find an earlier pressing, or a color you just don't have. I relegate this ONLY to my favorite bands. Which, anymore, only press on black anyway. But it is kind of a waste if they just sit on a shelf. But this can be said for most anything that's collected.

Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications Morrissey - Years of Refusal Probably because they're still new.

I'm pretty sure these have always been in print... maybe it's just the remastering they're pushing.

If you keep playing them with a cheaper cartridge, you can damage the inner grooves. Then if you do upgrade your stylus, you may still hear the noise. Upgrade as soon as you can.

My eight years of experience refutes this. You had something fucked happen. Does not mean the whole place is fucked. I did have a bad experience, but I also have stacks of 7-inches from other labels to back this up. Brand new records that are warped (very common), or have excessive surface noise (especially on their "trash" color, which is scraps from other pressings). Or my favorite, the off-center pressing. Then there is any combination of the above. They're a discount pressing plant, and there are plenty of people that agree. If you care about quality and how your records sound, you should avoid them.

United is crap. Their plating is shit, their records are warped or off center quite frequently, and they have a lot of surface noise. What a shitty plant.

Not United.

1000 LPs 1500 7"s

I think I'd rather have a homemade CDR with screenprinted art or something than a cassette. CD's are lame, but at least they can sound okay.

Limited to 5000?! It'll be $7.99 in a few weeks... As for all of the stores not getting everything... Well, they still had to order it from their normal distributors. If they signed up for RSD and thought shit would just show up, then it's their own stupidity as to why they got nothing. It sucks, but you gotta call first. What they should do for next year is get the releases finalized, then have the stores order the amounts that they want. Then, when it comes time to press them, it's exactly the number that the stores will be getting. Sounds like it would work, but who knows...

I have a $3k system, and it's one of the best things I've ever spent my money on. And if I need money, I can sell it with little loss. The real question is what the hell is up with people wanting cassettes all of a sudden? They sound like shit and deteriorate fast! Lame format!

That's about $64.99 too much.

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